bridge repair--the next step

[Farrell]

> I was able to get the piece that broke off back in place, but I
> can still see where the crack was.  (It cracked right along the row of
bridge
> pins.)  Right now it looks like many other old bridges, with tiny cracks
> emanating laterally from the bridge pins, which I inserted into their
holes
> while the epoxy was still unhardened.

Hello Tom. I am trying to visualize how this can be (small cracks next to
bridge pins on the row of pins you just bonded back together). What type of
epoxy did you use (which exact brand/type)? To bond this type of break, a
good method is to paint both surfaces with unthinned resin (a very, very
thin coat) and then use a very thick (peanut butter consistency) mixture of
resin and high-strength filler between the pieces and moooosh together.
Scrape of excess, insert pins, and you are done. How did the cracks come
back? Did you use epoxy resin with no additive?

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: <Tvak@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2002 11:21 AM
Subject: bridge repair--the next step


> First of all, thanks for all the advice that got me this far with my first
> attempt at bridge repair.  Presently the piano is tipped on its back,
clamped
> and drying.  I was able to get the piece that broke off back in place, but
I
> can still see where the crack was.  (It cracked right along the row of
bridge
> pins.)  Right now it looks like many other old bridges, with tiny cracks
> emanating laterally from the bridge pins, which I inserted into their
holes
> while the epoxy was still unhardened.
>
> Examining the rest of the bridge (the unseparated, uncracked part) reveals
> similar tiny cracks by each bridge pin, so I thought while it's tipped on
its
> back I would CA glue the rest of the bridge.  And since the newly epoxied
> part of the bridge has the same kind of cracks, I wonder if CAing those
> cracks might help firm up the repair, but I'm afraid that the CA glue
might
> react with the epoxy.
>
> Maybe it's unneeded.  Perhaps with the bridge pins seated in the epoxy
they
> might not be loose, even with the tiny cracks there...
>
> I don't know.  Should I just leave it alone?  Any more advice?  I go back
on
> Tuesday to restring it and find out if it holds.
>
> Thanks,
> Tom Sivak