CA glue

[Alan Barnard]

Certainly what you say is true.

 It's a matter of degree. I have done the judicious squirt, where in the
past I might have sandpaper shimmed. But other pianos ... 

 I've had three or four that, in previous times, I'd have condemned. Now,
for these, I tilt and I squirt and squirt and squirt. Wait a day or two and
it's like a brand new piano.

Sadly, there was one georgious Victorian that is now a home for wayward
fish, I think. It could have been saved and kind of haunts me, but I'll get
over it eventually.

Alan Barnard
Salem, Missouri


 > [Original Message]
 > From: Susan Kline <skline@peak.org>
 > To: <tune4u@earthlink.net>; Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
 > Date: 08/15/2005 6:02:00 PM
 > Subject: RE: CA glue
 >
 > Alan, everything you and some of the others write makes me want to say,
 > "YOU'RE USING TOO MUCH!"
 >
 > Have you ever tried using less? For instance, have you ever tried
treating
 > only the pins which are too loose to tune? If a few other sort of loose
pins
 > stop holding later, you can always treat them later.
 >
 > The beauty of CA for pinblocks, in my experience, is that it doesn't
have to
 > be a big deal. No special appointments, no arranging for the customer to
 > be gone, no setting up fans or using special masks. I just put a few
drops
 > on the seam where the tuning pin emerges from the block, try it in ten 
 > minutes,
 > maybe put on a few drops more, and get on with the tuning. A few drops
won't
 > gas you, or drip through onto the action, or make your shop clothes
smoke.
 > Much less chance of it getting in your eye, too, if you aren't sloshing
it
 > around by the ounce-ful. I still keep acetone in the car. I once glued my
 > thumb to my forefinger when replacing a rubber button, by having a
little bit
 > of white glue on the forefinger when applying the CA.
 >
 > Just MHO,
 >
 > Susan
 >
 > P.S. I like Lock Tite for a brand. They stopped calling it Quik Tite,
and 
 > now it is just sold as super glue, but it still has the tapering small 
 > spout, just right for reaching the base of a tuning pin, and the needle 
 > built into the cap. It lives in a little pouch in my kit, and the small 
 > plastic bottle is good for a couple of months, usually. I use it every 
 > couple of days, and toss it if it starts to gel in the bottle. Sometimes
I 
 > have to unclog it with a voicing needle in a pin vise, but sometimes 
 > bottles stay good and keep coming out right down to the last, without
aid. 
 > I never leave the lid off for more than a few seconds.