[pianotech] CA glue technique on grand

[jhjpiano at sbcglobal.net]

I'd like to share a technique which I have use twice on grand pianos and 
which has worked well.  Both pianos had wooden plate bushings and I had poor 
results treating the blocks with CA glue.  The pins were still not tight 
enough to allow a decent tuning. In each case, I removed the action and lid, 
turned the piano completely upside down (on a plastic drop cloth just in 
case) and treated the pins from the bottom side of the block.  I filled the 
tuning pin hole up with as much CA glue as it would hold and I know that it 
was getting to the tuning pin this way.  The next day, after setting the 
piano up again, the tuning pins held well enough to get a good tuning.

A word of caution.  You will be laying on the ground with you head in the 
keybed cavity and the effects of the CA glue fumes will be greatly 
concentrated, especially in your eyes.  I used a fan blowing directly on the 
area I was treating, but it was still pretty bad.  I think next time I will 
try those special glasses that are made to wear while chopping onions.  A 
respirator would also be recommended.

If you have poor results on the first treatment, you might like to try this 
as well.   Let us know what your results are.  After only two pianos, I'm 
not ready to pronounce it a proven technique.
Jim Johnson