glue on the fingers

[John Ross]

Screws through ribs are out of sight, behind an upright.
I suppose one could say on a grand, that the cosmetics are more important.
So ask the customer, if they want to pay the extra, for the cosmetic fix, as 
well as the actual fix of the problem.
The screws, and glue were the fix.
Removing the screw, and replacing with a wood plug, are the additional 
cosmetic fix.
We are of course using a plug cutter, and matching the grain, and colour, 
too.   :-)
John M. Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
jrpiano at win.eastlink.ca
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dean May" <deanmay at pianorebuilders.com>
To: "'Pianotech List'" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 10:12 AM
Subject: RE: glue on the fingers


>>>I figure the screw is no uglier than the situation that required it's
> installation, so it stays...
>
> I love that line. It keeps things in perspective.
>
>
>
> Dean
>
> Dean May             cell 812.239.3359
>
> PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272
>
> Terre Haute IN  47802
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On 
> Behalf
> Of Ron Nossaman
> Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2007 11:06 PM
> To: Pianotech List
> Subject: Re: glue on the fingers
>
>
>> That's funny, Ron, because you ain't used enough CA until you've got a
>> couple of fingers glued together, or fingernails glued to the underlying
>> skin. :-)
>
> I've used plenty of CA, on and off of fingers. I just don't
> consider it to be the first choice in all instances, or even
> in many. I guess I'm just not as impressed by it as you
> apparently are.
>
>
>> I, too, sometimes use the screws to pull the ribs together. But on a 30
>> year old piano that nobody will look at the back I wouldn't worry about
>> plugging the screw holes. I still use the CA even with screwing the ribs
>> together, but I've had just as good results not doing the clamping. I
>> just fill the joint with CA. Remember what kind of pianos we are working
>> on here. I dare say reversibility will never be an issue on any of the
>> soundboards I have used CA on.
>
> It's been well over 10 years, maybe 15, since I've put a screw
> through a rib to effect this repair. If I were doing three a
> day, I'd likely just dip them in CA out of despair, if nothing
> else, and get on with it. As it is, I'll use the screw and
> Titebond the next time it comes up on the wheel.
>
>
>> The problem with doing all the cosmetic work, plugging, sanding,
>> finishing the plugs, etc., is that is very expensive work. You should be
>> charging the customer for all that time and effort, and you may be
>> forcing them to pay for a lot of unneeded cosmetic work that they would
>> just as soon skip.
>
> I've scrupulously avoided unnecessary cosmetic work for 30
> years now, so it's not likely to become critical any time real
> soon. I don't plug screw holes and buff up the scar to enhance
> income by arbitrary customer massage, when it serves no
> non-glandular function. I leave the screw just where I put it,
> since I put it there for what I considered to be a valid
> reason in the first place. I figure the screw is no uglier
> than the situation that required it's installation, so it
> stays, and I don't make a habit of screwing my customers by
> inventing unnecessary work to charge them for.
>
> I try to do, and will continue to try to do what I consider to
> be the best I can for the money I charge. If CA doesn't fit
> that criteria in any given situation, by my estimation, then
> it won't be used by me until it does.
> Ron N
>