Fw: Wicking glue... /regluing ivories

[Michael Gamble]

Hello List
It might be a good topic to debate: "How do you reglue ivories?"
I used to use white glue but found the ivolries warped. Then I tried
"Cyanoacrylate" but found that after a while the ivories came off again.
(Cyano. is, however, an excellent glue for refixing jack toes and split
flanges. It wicks in and hardens.) Then I tried an "Impact adhesive" - you
know, the one you spread thinly on both surfaces and wait for it to "dry to
touch" . This was my final choice. No warping and no oozing glue.
Has this suggestion gone over like the proverbial lead balloon?
Regards
Michael G (UK)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Wagner" <rjwag@pacifier.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 4:25 PM
Subject: Re: Wicking glue... Still in the dark.


>
> 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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