Ingmar Krause writes:

> Why do you say "the underside" [needs to be treated]?
> In almost all our cardboard books that have shellac (or something
> else), it was put on either the upper side or on both sides.

I have made about 1000 meters of new music and my experience is as
follows. I am using "hackboard", a material a bunch of us led by Dick
Hack bought several years ago. It has a good grain, is of the proper
thickness but is a little "soft". I shellac the bottom side of the
board after the music has been cut, using a sponge type paintbrush to
apply and forcing the shellac through the holes in order to fully coat
the edges. This produces a spotty look on the top side where the
shellac has leaked through. I notice this same appearance on old books
that I have and observed a video of Arthur Prinsen's wife coating
cardboard in the way I have described above. Why the bottom side ? My
organ is a keyed organ and the cardboard mechanically depresses the
keys when no hole is present. Where trills etc appear, sometimes a
sawtooth edge appears with no support on the opposite side of the hole.
These would quickly wear out if they were not stabilized by something
like shellac. What material do I use ? I just go to the local home
center or paint store and buy quart can of clear shellac.  It is
already mixed, dries fairly quickly (although it takes overnight to
dry thoroughly and the book must be stretched out on edge during the
drying) and is easy to use. The way I slop it on 1 quart will coat
about 30 meters of cardboard, 12 inches in width. This system works
for me. Perhaps a keyless organ would have less need for shellacking.

Bob Conant
Endicott, NY