Bridge cap materials

[Farrell]

You might want to consider turning down the turbothrusters on that dehumidifier! Your cited climatic conditions will yield an equilibrium moisture content of 3.1%. That is really dry - perhaps more dry than is good for any piano - like the case, etc. And then hitting it with a heat gun? I certainly could be wrong, but seems to me the heat is a bit on the high side with this schedule.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "gordon stelter" <lclgcnp@yahoo.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, October 18, 2002 11:35 AM
Subject: Re: Bridge cap materials


> Thanks Terry!
>      Actually, that was sort of a "trick question", as
> the last bridge I impregnated with epoxy was in the
> portable shed ( 10'x12' aluminum ) that serves as my
> hot box/finishing shop. I kept a Kenmore (TM)
> dehumidifier in there cranked up full blast for about
> a week before filling the soundboard cracks and doing
> the bridge. When I reglued the bridge pins with Epotek
> 301, the temp was about 115 and the humidity 15%. Then
> I wafted a heat gun from about a foot, and brushed the
> "squeeze out" over the cap and down the bridge sides.
> By the time it was done all done, it looked as though
> it was nicely finished, not "candy coated". 
> A pleasant surprise was that, after very easily
> scraping the epoxied bridge tops with a razor blade to
> ensure that they were truly flat, a #2 pencil rubbed
> over them  made them very nice and silvery, with
> plenty of control for neatness.
>      Thump

SNIP