CA Glue for pins [was Re: Aaaaarrrrrgh, Part Deux

Michael Magness IFixPianos at yahoo.com
Thu Sep 27 10:51:13 MDT 2007


On 9/27/07, John Delacour <JD at pianomaker.co.uk> wrote:
>
> At 21:50 +0100 26/9/07, Richard Brekne wrote:
>
> >...I myself am a sceptic to CA in this context
>
> If I had not read hundreds of postings to this list lauding the
> effectiveness and harmlessness of superglue, so would I be, but I am
> certainly enough persuaded by now to begin using it experimentally,
> and not on worn-out old heaps -- simply because such beasts don't get
> near my workshop.
>
> Anything that can obviate the need to use larger pins is surely
> desirable.  I have just acquired a fine Lipp upright that has had a
> few strings untidily replaced, almost certainly due to tuner error
> since, like the proverbial Rolls Royce back-axle, "Lipp strings don't
> break", and the strings otherwise are good for at least another 50
> years.  This piano has agraffes all the way through, so restringing
> with a size larger pin would be slightly less troublesome than with a
> pressure bar piano. Generally speaking an upright piano is designed
> for the original size of pin and many pianos, even from the best
> makers, do not take well to the use of a larger pin : the strings
> scrape against each other and it is difficult to get the strings to
> stay put in their proper position, even with a slight increase in the
> size of the wrestpins.
>
> In spite of the many postings on this topic, I am still a little
> unsure of the best way to apply the glue and which variety to use.
> Can someone who has used the method seriously and considers himself a
> good workman please give a simply account of the procedure.
>
> JD
>
> Hi John,


I don't differ a great deal from what the others had to say, the only
exceptions and they are just my personal preferences are that I always tip
the piano down. I first place a tarp on the floor under the piano, I have
never had a spill, but it only takes one! I just use the cheap 6X8 vinyl
tarps you can buy at the home repair stores.
I buy my CA from my local hobby shop, it comes in a sealed bottle, 2oz and
1oz. in several vicosities, I use the very watery one. The hobby shop has
tops similar to the oiler tops at a fair price so I have those but I've
found if I cut the tapered top open at the smallest point, I don't need them
but I have them and occasionaly use one. In grands I remove the action and
spread a thick layer of newspaper over the keybed.
The only other difference is I prefer to allow it to sit overnight and in
winter(I'm in Wisconsin) I make sure there is adequate humidity available
for the proper cure of the CA. Open pans of water sitting nearby with a fan
blowing across them seems to be sufficient. I find if it sits overnight it
is fully cured and I don't have to deal with the strong vapors, that much CA
will have your eyes watering without adequete ventilation. I usually
schedule the treatment as an end of day appointment with a next day tuning.


The tarp is from years ago when we still used pin dope, I hadn't bought a
tilter yet. I had laid a Jesse French spinet down using a couple of 2X4
blocks to rest it on. I was treating the entire block and remember thinking
how awfully thirsty it was I had refilled the syringe I used for about the
7th or 8th time when I looked to my left and saw a puddle of Pintite forming
underneath the back of the piano and spreading outward on the customer's
celery green carpet!! I was alone in the house until just that moment when
she returned from her grocery shopping, saw the puddle and calmly said " I
guess we'll see how good that Stainmaster carpet is"! I stood the piano up,
got a tarp out of the truck, came back in and helped her soak up what had
leaked out and that carpet saved my bacon!
I have since never treated a pinblock with anything without a tarp under it!



Mike

-- 
A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging
their prejudices.

Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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