[pianotech] Bolduc glue

[Ron Nossaman]

On 2/24/2012 11:17 AM, David Doremus wrote:
> There always seems to be some mystique about glue, and no solid answers.
> I have been assured for years by a few of the 'earlier than thou'
> instrument makers that Titebond is completely unacceptable for
> instrument work as it creeps and doesn't dry as strong as hide glue. No
> one can prove this, as far as I know, and I have a 5 8va clavichord I
> made, starting almost 20 years ago, the soundboard panel, bridge plys
> and keyboard panel as well as every joint were glued with Titebond and
> show no signs of any failure yet. I'd love to see glue data like that
> before making a decision on what to buy rather than relying on what is
> accepted wisdom in some circles but not in others.

Del always maintained that conventional wisdom is an idiot. I think he 
understates his case. This isn't anywhere near subject specific but is 
obviously proven and reinforced every time the subject of glues comes 
up. Basic information should be the easiest thing in the world to get 
from the manufacturers who make the stuff, but for some unknown reason, 
the hardness measurement of a specified thickness of glue film is 
universally not available. Perhaps the presumption is that no amount of 
provided information will result in intelligent decisions and that may 
well be the case, but we ought to be allowed to indulge our fantasies of 
minimal competence in making decisions by being allowed some real 
information by which to make our own mistakes rather than adopting 
others' in ignorance. You get the typical marketing hype written for the 
consumer who needs someone to point to the bottle for them to find 
"glue", and you can get temperature ranges for use, open working, and 
cure times, and sometimes ultimate strength. How about hardness on an 
established scale like the Shore D? That doesn't seem all that 
difficult, and would give us some ammunition against the "I've heard" 
nonsense and those who continue to divide PVA glues by "white" and 
"yellow", and insist they creep.

At the very least, we should be seeing Titebond creep sightings reported 
in the National Enquirer with Sasquatch, Elvis, and the latest alien 
baby. That ought to lend some credibility.

Ron N