[pianotech] Attaching Ivory

[John Delacour]

At 06:33 +0000 06/03/2011, limhseng at gmail.com wrote:


>Need some tips too! Attached is shown the underside of a pc of 
>ivory. Should I scrap off the serrated lines(looks like a white glue 
>stuff) completely? I will go with contact cement.

The serrations are there for a purpose and you'll find them on the 
underside of almost all ivory.  That purpose is to provide better 
mechanical adhesion.  There is "polar adhesion" and "mechanical 
adhesion" and both are at work when you stick ivory to wood.

If you use contact adhesive you will be unable to get the tail and 
the head perfectly level and without a visible gap.  Ivory should be 
stuck with a thinnish animal glue thoroughly whitened with either 
zinc white or titanium white and using the proper clamps (always both 
head and tail clamps), heated in hot water just before attaching. 
Any other method is an unsatisfactory fudge.

JD