de gluing

Ron Nossaman nossaman@SOUTHWIND.NET
Sat, 27 Nov 1999 10:17:59 -0600


>Hi all,
>
>I need to disassemble a hammer and shank assembly to replace a cracked
>butt. It looks like some sort of white thermoset glue was used. Anyone have
>any luck with this material? The piano happens to be a Young Chang upright.
>
>Regards,
>Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T.

Don,
I'm told that white stuff is PVA, or polyvinyl acetate, and softens up
nicely when you apply a little heat. Use your hammer puller spanning from
the underside of the hammer, to the top of the butt. Heat the butt with a
heat gun, open flame makes "Butt BBQ", and ease the shank out of the butt
with the puller. If that doesn't work well enough, or at all, just heat and
pull the hammer and replace butt and shank like Wim said. Incidentally,
I've found that whittling away the glue collar first makes it easier. So
does muttering quietly to yourself. 

Luck, 

Ron N


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