glue on the fingers

[Dean May]

>>I figure the screw is no uglier than the situation that required it's
installation, so it stays...

I love that line. It keeps things in perspective.



Dean

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

Terre Haute IN  47802


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Ron Nossaman
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2007 11:06 PM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: glue on the fingers


> That's funny, Ron, because you ain't used enough CA until you've got a 
> couple of fingers glued together, or fingernails glued to the underlying 
> skin. :-)

I've used plenty of CA, on and off of fingers. I just don't 
consider it to be the first choice in all instances, or even 
in many. I guess I'm just not as impressed by it as you 
apparently are.


> I, too, sometimes use the screws to pull the ribs together. But on a 30 
> year old piano that nobody will look at the back I wouldn't worry about 
> plugging the screw holes. I still use the CA even with screwing the ribs 
> together, but I've had just as good results not doing the clamping. I 
> just fill the joint with CA. Remember what kind of pianos we are working 
> on here. I dare say reversibility will never be an issue on any of the 
> soundboards I have used CA on.

It's been well over 10 years, maybe 15, since I've put a screw 
through a rib to effect this repair. If I were doing three a 
day, I'd likely just dip them in CA out of despair, if nothing 
else, and get on with it. As it is, I'll use the screw and 
Titebond the next time it comes up on the wheel.


> The problem with doing all the cosmetic work, plugging, sanding, 
> finishing the plugs, etc., is that is very expensive work. You should be 
> charging the customer for all that time and effort, and you may be 
> forcing them to pay for a lot of unneeded cosmetic work that they would 
> just as soon skip. 

I've scrupulously avoided unnecessary cosmetic work for 30 
years now, so it's not likely to become critical any time real 
soon. I don't plug screw holes and buff up the scar to enhance 
income by arbitrary customer massage, when it serves no 
non-glandular function. I leave the screw just where I put it, 
since I put it there for what I considered to be a valid 
reason in the first place. I figure the screw is no uglier 
than the situation that required it's installation, so it 
stays, and I don't make a habit of screwing my customers by 
inventing unnecessary work to charge them for.

I try to do, and will continue to try to do what I consider to 
be the best I can for the money I charge. If CA doesn't fit 
that criteria in any given situation, by my estimation, then 
it won't be used by me until it does.
Ron N