Glue collars

[FSSturm@aol.com]

I just finished regluing some loose hammers on a Kawai grand. They had
enormous glue collars, and the glue was particularly hard and brittle, so it
was necessary to chip away the collar before using the hammer removal tool. I
have had this experience before (and not only on Kawais. Don't mean to run
down a piano I otherwise have a particular fondness for).

What happens is the collar chips off in small chunks, one or two of which
invariably get between a couple keys or into the action, causing some sort of
problem. The only way I can think of to avoid this happening is to remove the
shank from the rail (which is often necessary anyway, to avoid stressing the
flange too much) and taking the whole assembly to the next room. The
particular glue has a consistency that makes it disintegrate violently, and
the chips really fly. This last time I covered the action and keys with a
sheet, and still a chunk managed to insinuate itself between a couple keys,
causing a sticking key.

Anyone worked out a neat technique for avoiding this problem?

BTW, this particular piano demonstrates to me the fallacy of glue collars in
general: the glue is tightly bonded to both shank and hammer molding, but the
joint between shank and hammer hole had failed. The hammer isn't going to
fall off (can't remember when I ever saw that happen except when a bad repair
was at fault), but it sure does click.

Regards,
Fred Sturm
Albuquerque, NM