CA glue

[Wallace F. Wilson (WV)]

At 06:59 PM 2/27/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi, Wally.
>
>I think that I'm missing something here. I though that the reason that
>CA glue was being advocated as a tuning pin tightener was that its great
>strength and wicking ability, coupled with its fast drying time, made it
>possible to treat entire pianos, or sections thereof, WITHOUT having to
>remove the pins and strings. It seems to me that old age would begin to
>set long before the tech could treat an entire set of pins in the manner
>described. Further, if i'm going to go through all the trouble of remov-
>ing the pin and string, why not just repin with a larger pin? Lastly, if
>this is meant as a treatment for a single pin, or several, where the pin-
>block has undergone some trauma, such as the laminations starting sepa-
>rate, wouldn't swabbbing the hole with 5 minute epoxy be a better choice?
>Surely the gap-filling abilities of the epoxy far exceed those of med-
>ium-viscosity CA glue. What am I missing here?
>
>Les Smith
>lessmith@buffnet.net


Les,

You may have tried doing it this way, and I'd be interested in your
findings, although it appears to me somewhat risky to play with CA glue
around strings, or to pour it in around the tuning pin.  I conjur up visions
of frozen tuning pins! I see from other posts that someone taught using CA
glue on all the pins without removing strings or pins, so apparently that is
being done.  Bill Spurlock demonstrated this as a quick way to treat
uprights that could be salvaged by a little this and a little that in a day,
including tuning. I don't think he ever intended this as a technique for an
entire pinblock. I happened to be using this method on a pre-1900 Knabe
upright that wasn't ready for the dump and which was otherwise serviceable,
but the lady who owned it couldn't begin to afford a new pinblock.  The
reason I used this method was that I always carry CA glue in one CAMcorder
case along with other sprays, cleaners, lubes, etc that I want to keep
upright; but I don't normally tote along my epoxy kit. I used med viscosity
because the thin was dried up; I think Bill may have advocated thin CA.
Normally I wouldn't want to use the method on a whole lot of pins because of
time.  It's nice on just a few pins because you don't have to lug the tilter
along: it's fast, easy, and effective.

You're right: CA glue has wonderful wicking abilities and therefore is a
better choice than oversizing when delaminations or cracks may be occuring,
as an oversize pin merely serves as a wedge to open the crack even more.
The CA glue, as you've pointed out, is often a better choice.

I'd be interested in the findings of those who may have tried both methods:
CA and quick epoxy.  My offhand guess is that Bill showed this as a fast,
economical way to serve the customer who happens to own an older upright.
If I were doing a greater number, then I'd go to the epoxy, tilt the piano,
etc.  You have to keep turning each tuning pin, of course, until the epoxy
sets.  I seem to use the epoxy more on grands, with the action out and
newspaper under the pinblock.

One correction on my earlier post:  I am reminded by Laura Kunsky that Bill
*did* advocate water rather than accelerator, and that is what I've used.
Thanks, Laura!
Wally Wilson