Preemptive CA in bridges?

Mark Schecter schecter at pacbell.net
Wed Apr 5 22:52:48 MDT 2006


Hi, all.

Speaking of CA to fill the gaps around bridge pins, let me make a few 
suppositions, then advance a thought.

1. Besides filling the gap, the CA also penetrates the wood surrounding 
the hole, and then solidifies into a sleeve which is custom-fit to the 
pin and its particular hole. So, to the extent the CA adheres to the 
pin, it not only corrects the fit, it also locks it into the bridge cap 
and root.

2. Presumably, the CA we choose to use is as rigid as wood or more so, 
and therefore would conduct vibration as well or better (is this true?).

3. Because it is a type of plastic, the CA'd bridge resists 
humidity-cycle-related dimensional changes better than naked wood would.

4. Therefore, besides filling gaps, it seems to me that CA _possibly_ 
improves the bridge and cap functionally, above and beyond just 
repairing looseness.

So this all makes me wonder: What would be wrong with preemptively 
treating all the bridge pins in the whole piano with CA, before there is 
ever a problem, to prevent the development of loose bridge pins and 
related possible falseness, tuning instability, and ugly cracking? The 
penetration of the glue into the surrounding wood spreads the 
side-bearing load into a larger mass, thus reducing ovalling and 
improving both dimensional and therefore tuning stability. The enhanced 
stability might prevent cracking at the notches from ever getting 
started, thus preserving both tone and appearance.

Has anyone noticed any kind of drawback to the use of CA, especially 
tonal, or is its effect always somewhere between zero and positive?

Inquiringly,

-Mark Schecter
Oakland, CA


John Formsma wrote:
 >
 > What besides filling gaps would CA do? It wouldn't add mass.
 >




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