Pedal Steel Cabinet

Andy Alford · Posted 18 Aug 2002 1:06 am

What causes cabinets to warp?What can be done to prevent this?Do they warp after so many years?Have you ever had one to warp?Did it happen over a few weeks or years.Is this a problem that is common that we just endure?

[This message was edited by Andy Alford on 18 August 2002 at 02:19 AM.]

Winnie Winston · From: Tawa, Wellington, NZ * R.I.P.

cabinets are made from wood.
Wood comes from trees.
they are sensitive to moisture, especially if the wood has not been well seasoned. When I was building my first steel It was during a long wet spell and the cabinet bowed in the middle. I had to put it in clams to bend it back and let it sit until the weather dried down.
I have seen a banjo neck , made from poorly seasoned wood, develop a warp and a twist-- the neck from the 5th string to the nut dropped 1" and twisted about 1/4".
A steel cabinet has all sorts of stresses on it, and if the wood is not very stable, it can bend and twist. It shouldn't happen.
I'd take it back to the maker.

Winnie

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Yep...Winnie's right.

I bought some 2X4's for a little project...hand selected each one myself from the big pile at the lumberyard...each one straight as an arrow. Tossed 'em in the back yard...thought I'd work on my project the next day...but that night it rained...and the next morning the sun came out all bright and hot.

All my nice "arrow-straight" 2X4's now looked like cheese-doodles.

Ricky0ne1 · From: West Peoria, IL, USA

Thanks Donny, just thinking of giant cheese doodles made me hungry.. now I gotta go cook me sumpin to eat..

Andy Alford · Posted 18 Aug 2002 9:56 am

Look under Buy and Sale F/S Pedals/Key Heads and read the post.
I still want to know if pedal steels can warp under normal use?.If you put one in water the wood can warp but have you ever had one that one day you noticed that it had warped under normal use?What happen?

[This message was edited by Andy Alford on 18 August 2002 at 10:58 AM.]

Jim Smith · From: Midlothian, TX, USA

Warpage is one reason some all wood bodies, like Emmons, put a steel strap or two across the bottom of the body.

Ray Walker · From: Smithfield, NC, USA, R.I.P.

Hey Andy... The answer is Yes. Yes a steel guitar body can warp under normal use. The reason is obvious to a woodworker like myself. Moisture in our atmosphere can penetrate many surfaces but wood in particular. You may have a guitar made from the best seasoned woods and this could still occur. There are many variables for this and I will mention a few. Let's assume for this that the wood was properly seasoned. Grain patterns help us woodworkers to identify "potential" problems. It has taken me years to be able to spot them all and I can still miss some. So when "picking out" the right grain and wood patterns it is important to avoid the ones that "can" be "possible" problems down the road. In other words.. if all that was done it is still possible for something to slip by even the "expert" eye. If a guitar has been in a "hot" or "cold" situation ..the problem may occur. Which sealers and finishes that were applied can have much to do with this as well. Putting a metalic bar in "after the fact" will usually "not" remedy that problem. It is "sometimes" possible to reverse the situation with clamping the guitar but this should be done professionally. It requires the body to be dis-assembled and a specialized process used. It (in my opinion) would be disasterous to attempt this on a fully assembled guitar. If it is a recent purchase (warrenty) I would like to believe that the builder would make it right. If it is an older model and you still want the guitar you need to have it worked on. I am currently working on an ole Showbud body that had twisted and the owner and I have discussed the aspects of this. He has decided to re-assmeble it"as is" and we will see how it all plays out because his is not so far as to effect the sound or performance in my opinion. I hope some of this is of value to you. Feel free to e-mail me if you would like to chat more about it.

Ray Walker

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