Fred, With all the things that have to go right for this stuff to work, doesn't it make more sense to just rebush? David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "Fred Sturm" <fssturm at unm.edu> To: caut at ptg.org Received: 3/12/2009 3:40:17 PM Subject: Re: [CAUT] VSProfelt vs alcohol/water/softener vs steam >On Mar 12, 2009, at 10:36 AM, Dan Reed wrote: >> Fred, Thanks for researching this.I'm very interested in using steam >> for puffing up compacted felt, and am looking forward to your >> technique. How to keep the glue contact surface intact in the key >> bushings is my question. >> >> Dan Reed >> Dallas, Tx > It's a matter of timing, of how long you apply the steam. If you are >removing bushings, you need quite a few seconds, maybe even a minute >or so, to loosen the glue joint enough so the bushings will come out >easily. Bushings and the glue that was used do vary, so you do need to >pay attention. But I have found that a fairly rapid steaming as I >described, where the bushings get one second or so of steam, possibly >repeated once, does not loosen the glue joint enough to make the >bushing loose. Most of the time, the felt swells and the glue joint >isn't affected at all. And following with the key bushing iron, again >paying attention to time (less than one second per bushing, possibly >repeated), this will tend to reset the glue if it has become loosened >a bit (kind of like ironing veneer to get it to restick where it has >bubbled up). > I iron all my rebushing jobs. Occasionally I'll have a bushing that >wasn't quite glued tightly - usually because I let the glue get too >cold before inserting the felt and the caul. I find that the iron will >melt the glue and set the joint adequately. But you don't want too >high a heat, or too long a time. Or you will melt the glue enough to >pull it into the felt. > It's not as touchy as the description makes it sound. Just common >sense. Like ironing clothes, where you can scorch the fabric if you >have the iron set too hot, or you don't keep it moving. But it's not >real hard to iron clothes successfully. There is plenty of leeway if >you are paying attention. > The best way to learn this technique, and not be worried about the >result, is to try it next time you have a rebushing job. Just try it >on a section of bushings, running the steam and following with the >iron. I think you'll find that there isn't a lot to worry about. >Regards, >Fred Sturm >University of New Mexico >fssturm at unm.edu
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC