for everyone who was interested inthis and liked what they saw in the tweak, here is an update and a word of caution.
the board was heavily damaged during shipping. even though the box was well packed and was clearly marked "DO NOT STACK", UPS stacked what appears to be a drum of some sort on the box, crushing the field and damaging the wood trim and other parts of the board. the board appears to have been dropped on its end as well. i use to work in a shipping department packaging and shipping out items of all shapes, sizes and makes, so i undrestand that these things do happen, but i also understand how to pack a box, which UPS says that i incorrectly packed the item. ( i am not really sure how they can come to that conclusion since the box had already been opened and unpacked.) however, my one mistake was having too much trust in a company, that sees millions of packages pass through their docks a year, to take care of my package. i should have built a wooden frame around the box and paid the extra shipping. so take these things in mind when shipping out anything that is fragile, wrap it well in plastic and/or cell-air, also wrap it in bubble wrap, have the corners protected, and if there are any special instructions like do not stack, include that in the shipping bill that you fill out under special instructions, the shipping company may be more likely to heed your request. also, keep all receipts and documentation of your piece and of the shipment, because if it is damaged, even if you pay insurance, be prepared for a struggle to get your claim, they are not just going to hand you a check. i am still in the middle of attemtping to recover the claim for damages made during shipment.
the good news, i have been able to salvage the board, and while it is not completely finished, it shall be back in the hands of ken tamashiro very soon, this time in one piece.
good ol'UPS
almost finished
