epoxy alone

[Clyde Hollinger]

John,

If you re-read my email on this, you will notice that I specifically state
no clamps were used.  (And no, I wasn't very experienced then so I didn't
check for stripped screws.)  I just filled the gap with epoxy.  Period.
As I was instructed to do by the company's spokesperson.  Which may be why
there is no further problem.  The glue joint was not under the tension it
would have been if I had pulled it back together with clamps.  I should
add that this was about the second time in my career I had attempted to
repair a pinblock.  I am much more confident of my work nowadays.

Regards, Clyde

John Ross wrote:

> You say you just clamped the Wurlitzer, and epoxied it. Did you check
> the screws to see if they were stripped?

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Clyde Hollinger" <cedel@supernet.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Friday, June 07, 2002 5:32 PM
> Subject: epoxy alone
>
> | Friends,
> |
> | Can a separated back repair be expected to endure if I used epoxy
> alone?
> |
> | I actually did this once.  A Wurlitzer console was only several
> years
> | old when I discovered, underneath the glued-on felt, a separated
> back.
> | I called the company's rep, who told me just to fill the crack with
> | epoxy.  Period.  No clamps, etc.  He sent me new felt for the top,
> and I
> | did as I was told but never glued the felt down so I could keep an
> eye
> | on it.  It is now about four years later and it seems okay.
> |
> | So suppose from now on I just worked epoxy into the crack, pulled
> the
> | top together with big clamps, cleaned away the excess, waited two
> days
> | and took the clamps off.  Would it hold?  Has anyone tried this?
> The
> | epoxy claims a strength of something like two tons per square inch,
> so
> | it seems like that should be sufficient.
> |
> | This is especially in my mind because today I tuned a Conn console
> with
> | a separated back, even though it has four bolts going the whole way
> | through the back.  The separation is in the middle between two of
> them.
> | There is really no room to put in extra bolts where needed because
> the
> | tuning pins are in the way.  What do you think?
> |
> | Regards, Clyde
> |