Soundboard installation with hide glue

Berley Antoine Firmin II firmin1 at bellsouth.net
Tue Jan 15 17:30:21 MST 2008


Stephane,
While I have never glued a soundboard with hide glue, I have glued large 
things, so, in my experience, it is very important not to apply the glue to 
cold surfaces. You will have more work time and a better joint if you gently 
heat the surfaces to be glued using heat lamps. I use those new portable 
shop-lights with the long cylindrical bulbs....they get very hot and the 
reflector is useful to direct the heat. I suppose the piano frame could be 
gently heated with a light underneath and a temporary cover over the top, 
like a large piece of cardboard or thin paneling. Just be careful of getting 
things too hot to scorch or flame up!! Just get them warm to the touch and 
you'll be fine.
I also "size" my pieces with a very thin hide glue first...just a quick 
brush on of a very thin layer. It doesn't matter if it dries or sets....it 
will make the final gluing go on much smoother with fewer runs.

So....heat, size, re-heat..then glue and clamp.

Berley 




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