Thanks for posting your method. I haven't seen a description of deflection testing the braced top before.

Do you measure/care about the cross grain deflection of the unbraced top?

I have a couple questions about the part describing deflection testing of the braced top.

"This time readings are taken in both directions and I will gradually shave specific parts of my X bracing to obtain the desired movement in the desired direction. I work the upper section of the X toward the sound hole to adjust inward movement and the lower section of the X to adjust outward movement."

By 'both directions", do you mean with and across grain?
I'm not clear what you mean by inward and outward movement.

Hey Brian, I've got a brick that looks almost exactly like that one. Mine came from the old Memorial Stadium, did yours?

So what are you using for a baseline? What I mean to say is when one gets into deflection testing do you just pick an arbitrary weight, in your case a brick, and then use that to obtain data and consistent results from guitar to guitar? Or for some one who is just starting off doing this is there a sort of guide book that says if you use a 1kg weight and get X so and so deflection then so on and on?

What are you looking for? What are the numbers? The hard data?

OR do you just start doing this, take good notes, find what works and carry on?

I seem to get more consistent readings if I preweight the top a little, zero the dial and then add weight. Have you noticed anything like that?

How much does that brick weigh?