At 10:50 PM 2/27/97 +0000, you wrote: >Greetings list, > > My questions are thus: what other gap-filling methods are used? What >other repairs are out there? Something that is effective, long >lasting, and strong. I like the epoxy fill, but it is messy and time >consuming. > >Any replies would be appreciated, Rob, You did say "any" replies, so take a sip of coffee and don't let any come out your nose. One of the Guilds most esteemed members "retired" in our area, worked for me part-time, and passed away a few years ago. He was near "deity" status in some folks eyes, I loved him dearly,and I'll refrain from using his name. Anyway, to make a long story shorter, I re-did a lot of his old Chickering for his widow, and learned more from that piano than any others in memory. Some of the "experiments" on this piano would curl your whatever. As to your soundboard situation, the various repairs to this board include a technique that I have repeated quite successfully on other boards in roughly the same condition, when the owners' budget was a big-big-big factor. Craft-colored hot glue from a glue gun. Really. Maybe it's our climate, or the better quality of some glues, or just persistence in the face of cheapness, but with careful application, it works very well. A hot butter knife is handy(shellac stick type is too hot), and we're talking small cracks and gaps, of course. My favorite is a mixture of titebond and sawdust from sanding soundboards. There is a shrinkage factor in proportion to the volume of the fill, but with a pretty thick mixture, the moisture absorbtion by the edges of the board isn't too bad. That, by the way, is something to watch out for no matter what you use, even shims. Glue "sizing" is a good idea, by spreading a thinned-down mixture over exposed edges first, before filling or shimming. Also, when adding material, make everything equal. Put all the stuff in the cabinet, cover it, and stabilize the moisture content however you like. (light bulbs, damp-chasers,etc). Hope that this hasn't grossed-you-out too bad. I understand that there are much more acceptable techniques. But you did say "any...." <center>Guy Nichols, RPT, chapter 799 nicho@lascruces.com "A mind is like a parachute, it works best when open." </center> If at first you don't succeed, so much for skydiving.
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