Wicking glue... Still in the dark.

[Richard Wagner]

Jon,

Many thanks for your reply.  That did the trick.

	Richard

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003, Jon Page wrote:

> I locate a loose front by tapping with a fingernail. Sometimes it's only one
> corner on the head or the front or back edge of the tail. Closer scrutiny is
> done by applying light pressure and seeing if there is any give to the joint
> at the overhang.
>
> Thin the glue to water consistency. I use a pallet knife to apply a bead of
> glue
> under the overhang. Lightly lifting on the loose edge will allow the glue
> to wick
> into the cavity. Coaxing with the blade speeds up the process. Clamp with a
> heated
> caul, either metal or wooden.
>
> I have used plain water and a heated caul to reactivate the glue once on a
> set but
> it left a shadow under the key where the water had wicked in. That is why I mix
> titanium oxide (showhite) with the glue. 1:5 while dry, then add the water.
>
> This week I'll be reattaching  the majority of loose heads on a keyboard. I'm
> useing Stephen Birkett's suggestion of heating the ivory and clamping with a
> wooden slat. I've done a few singles this way already and it works well.
>          I cut the slats slightly narrower than the heads so that I can clamp
> lateral stabilizers to the sides. I hate it when the ivories start skating
> around.
> These will not be flat pallets but rather concave, '--------------'; having
> only
> the front and back edges positioning the ivory will allow for glue
> squeeze-out in
> the center. I have yet to fabricate these. I won't need a whole set,
> because the glue
> should be set up enough to remove the initial ones as I progress along the
> keyboard.
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Jon Page, piano technician
> Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass.
> mailto:jonpage@comcast.net
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