Construction of the Grand Piano

Hey everyone,
So here is where it starts to get very interesting! I'm going to be explaining how the grand piano is literally put together.
Wood Storage
It is very clear that the type of wood used is unbelievably important when making the piano. For the majority of piano companies, the wood is stored for up to two years. This is to make sure that there is no  moisture left inside the wood. The wood that is used is generally maple, sitka spruce (below), pine, beech and whitewood. However before it is left for the full two years, it first needs to be air dried for one year. After this, it is kiln dried so that there is no chance that the wood is damp, which would lead to the piano literally cracking.

The Rim 

Up to 20 layers of hard wood is used when making the rim. Long strips of the wood is glued together and is tightened into shape in a rim bending press. The rim is then left to rest out of the press for 100 days, this is to make sure that it doesn't change it's shape.

The Soundboard

The soundboard can be only made out of sitka spruce, The long planks are glued together and tightened to make a crown type of shape that will fit inside of the piano.