Burnt Shellac?

[Les Smith]

Can you believe it? The guys at Schaff and APSCO lied to you! PVC-E
stands for Poly-Vinyl Cloride-Emulsion Glue. The emulsion part meaning
that--get ready for this!--the PVC glue, an immiscible liquid, is held   
in a colloidal suspension in water by agents called emulsifiers. When    
the water evaporates, the glue remains. This is about as inert and in-         
offensiver glue as you can find. Since water is the carrying agent, it
can be both thinned and cleaned up with water, but likewise you have to
keep it from freezing. If it gets too cold, you wind up with one huge
mass of gunk that cannot be thinned down again. PVC-E glue is easy to work
with, has many applications, and--apparently-- no toxic fumes which you
have to worry about--like CA, for example.  

Les Smith


On Wed, 20 Aug 1997, John R Fortiner wrote:

> Dear Les and List:
> While we are on the topic can anyone tell me just what the letters PVC-E
> stand for?  I have asked the people at Schaff and Apsco with the best
> response - so far - being poly vinyl chloride ester.  I don't know if
> this is correct or not and would like to find out just what this really
> good adhesive really is.
> Awaiting your response(s)
> 
>                                                                 John
> Fortiner
>                                                                 
> pianoserv440@juno.com
> On Wed, 20 Aug 1997 12:45:07 -0400 (EDT) Les Smith <lessmith@buffnet.net>
> writes:
> >Hi, Sue.
> >
> >Burnt shellac is usually made in quantity, which means that you have 
> >to
> >start with at least a half pint of thinned shellac and a full pint is
> >probably better. The alcohol won't get enough oxygen to burn off when
> >the shellac is still in a regular can. You have to transfer the 
> >shellac 
> >to a wide shallow pan like a cake-pan to burn it off. You also need a
> >tight cover for the pan so that you can estinguish the flame 
> >afterwards.
> >Once the burnt shellac has cooled, it will be the consistency of thick
> >molasses. It's best applied--and kept--by putting it in a plastic
> >squeeze bottle such as carpenter's glue comes in. Make sure that you
> >keep a top on it to keep it from getting too thick. When appling small
> >amounts you can squeeze some out on to a flat surface like a metal jar
> >lid and then transfer it to where you want it with a small brush. Try-
> >ing to make thickened shellac by evaporation, in sufficient quantity,
> >just doesn't seem practical. I will repeat, however, that the PVC-E
> >glue makes a fine substitute for the more traditional burnt shellac.
> >The burning off of the alcohol from thinned shellac is a dangerous
> >operation.
> >
> >BTW, the only "dumb" question, especially on a super-friendly list 
> >like
> >this, is the one that goes un-asked!
> >
> >Les Smith  
> >
> >On Wed, 20 Aug 1997, Susan Kline wrote:
> >
> >> Hi, Les --
> >> 
> >> Just a question, disregard if dumb. If you wanted to remove the 
> >alcohol
> >> without the risk of combustion, couldn't you put some shellac in an 
> >open
> >> dish and just leave it for awhile, maybe stirring a little, till it 
> >was the
> >> right consistency?
> >> 
> >> By the way, if anyone needs to see your post about threaded damper 
> >wires, I
> >> still have it and could send it to them.
> >> 
> >> Regards,
> >> 
> >> Susan
> >> 
> >> 
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> 
> >> At 10:35 AM 8/20/97 -0400, Les wrote:
> >> >Hi, Lance.
> >> >
> >> >Burnt shellac is just that, burnt shellac. You take regular, 
> >already
> >> >mixed shellac, and burn off the excess alcohol. It's a somewhat 
> >tricky
> >> >proceedure because alcohol burns with an almost clear, hard-to-see 
> >flame.
> >> >Since you probably wouldn't want to risk burning down your shop, 
> >it's
> >> >a job best done outdoors in a clear area, on a windless day. 
> >Fortunately,
> >> >there is a modern alternative that works quite well--PVC-E glue. 
> >Just
> >> >apply a small amount with a small artists brush to where the damper
> >> >wire enters the flange, or damperhead and let dry. Carpenter's glue
> >> >won't hold a wood to metal bond and will eventually let go; CA glue
> >> >will wick so deep that you most likely won't be able to unscrew the
> >> >wire from the flange again, without risking breaking something. 
> >PVC-E
> >> >glue is probably the way to go.   
> >> >
> >> >Les Smith
> >> >
> >> >On Wed, 20 Aug 1997, Lance Lafargue wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Not long ago someone talked about securing damper heads to wires 
> >(those
> >> >> that rock back and forth) with burnt shellac.  Is that 
> >orange-brown stuff
> >> >> that comes in flakes that horn repair people use?  Where can I 
> >get that? 
> >> >> How is it prepared? Is that what Steinway and others used to 
> >finish
> >> >> soundboards? I was thinking of putting a drop of superglue or 
> >carpenters
> >> >> glue on them.  What do you think? 
> >> >> Lance Lafargue, RPT
> >> >> New Orleans Chapter
> >> >> Covington, LA.
> >> >> lafargue@iamerica.net
> >> >> 
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> Susan Kline 
> >> P.O. Box 1651
> >> Philomath, OR 97370
> >> skline@proaxis.com
> >> 
> >> "When all other means of communication fail, try words."
> >> 			-- Ashleigh Brilliant
> >> 
> >> 
> >
> >
>