PVC-E glue and Keytops

[Alan Barnard]

To clamp or not to clamp, that is the question. Some do, some don't.

I never do. Never had a problem.

On sharps, especially the hollow plastic variety, I use PVC-E and a drop of
thickish CA at each end. The CA binds fast, especially when the other glue
hits it, and performs the clamping function.

Have you ever posted details or pix of your bandsaw jig for fronts? I'd
love to see it.

Alan Barnard
Salem, Missouri


> [Original Message]
> From: Patrick Callanan <pjcallanan at comcast.net>
> To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Date: 05/19/2006 11:28:32 PM
> Subject: RE: PVC-E glue and Keytops
>
> I've been using it for years on dozens of sets of keytops. I just apply it
> to the key with a disposable brush (which I rinse out and reuse because
I'm
> cheap :-) ). The stuff I get from Schaff I thin about 5 percent at first,
> then 5-10 percent again near the end of the jar. You absolutely must clamp
> it. I use the spring clamps with a wood caul. Schaff sells them as a set.
I
> cover one side of the caul with wax paper (taped on so you can change it
> when it gets torn) to keep stray glue from sticking to the caul. The
> technique involved to juggle the key, keytop, caul, and clamp takes a bit
of
> practice. One tip is to make sure one hand never touches the glue, even by
> mistake. That hand manages the keytop and the clamp. Minimum dry time is
> about an hour, but I usually allow two or three, overnight if I'm not
> rushed.  I do whole sets of tops, so I have seven clamp/caul sets to do an
> octave at a time. Once you get the hang of it, an octave takes about half
an
> hour. 
>
> Another important point is to make sure you have a way to get the old tops
> off without tearing up the wood. You also have to make sure that you shave
> off the front and top of the key so that the finished product is no longer
> and no thicker than the original was, otherwise they'll bind on the
keyslip,
> jack up the fallboard so it jams on the music desk, and other kinds of
> trouble that you don't need. I've built jigs to do this with a router for
> the top and a bandsaw for the front.
>
> Have I left anything out?
>
> Patrick Callanan, RPT
> 2468 Freetown Dr.
> Reston, VA 20191
> 703-620-8906
> http://www.patrickcallanan.com
> pcallanan at patrickcallanan.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ed miller [mailto:edmiller3 at hotmail.com] 
> Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 3:59 PM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: PVC-E glue and Keytops
>
> Could anyone please share their procedure for glueing plastic keytops
using 
> pvc-e glue?
>
> What is the proper way to apply it? Is clamping necessary? Dry time?
etc....
>
> Thanks in advance.
> Ed
>
>
>