[pianotech] Contact Cement...was PVC-E yada yada

Ron Nossaman rnossaman at cox.net
Sun Jan 3 09:13:18 MST 2010


Chuck Behm wrote:

> Joe - In the case of this particular set of keys, I'm pretty sure it 
> wasn't contact cement or PCVE, but rather some type of ordinary 
> woodworking glue - perhaps Elmer's. The undersides of the keytops were 
> shiny, and the glue residue on the upper portions of the keysticks was 
> slick and glossy - very little adhesion involved. Didn't have the look 
> of contact cement, anyway.

Then this was not a suitable example for this thread, as it 
didn't make a point other than some people are ignorant enough 
to do anything.


> The "craftsman" involved left other tell-tale signs of inexperience on 
> this job. The keys installed were molded keytops with fronts. The old 
> fronts had been left in place with the new fronts covering them. (The 
> keyslip was shimmed out with matchbook covers to compensate.) The sides 
> of the tops were filed only far enough to avoid hitting their neighbors. 
> The notches around the sharps were not particularly squared off, just 
> filed to miss the sharps. A lovely job in all respects. The type of work 
> that gives restoration work a black eye.

Yes, it does. It's mention in the context used also slanders a 
first rate plastic keytop adhesive by implying that this will 
happen with PVCE. I have definitely seen it happen with 
contact cement and spray adhesive, but never with PVCE. In the 
case of this "example", these tops would have come off in 
normal play soon enough without a texting baby sitter.

Ron N


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