[pianotech] CA Glue and Ivory

[David Weiss]

Joe,

Thanks for reminding people about not using CA glue on ivory, sorry you had
to endure such a dastardly job.

At the end of the email you said you were no longer using the Sate-T-Planer
to plane the top of the keytops.  Just wondering, how are you doing it now?

David Weiss

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Joseph Garrett
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2012 10:05 PM
To: pianotech
Subject: [pianotech] CA Glue and Ivory

I'd like to pass on some info.
 I just spent an exhorbitant amount of time removing a hodgepodge set of
ivories, in the preparation to replace with Ivorine, (plastic/pyralin). Why
did it take so long? Because someone decided to "save" the set with CA Glue.
I am a proponent of using CA glue for certain applications. Keys is not one
of those applications! I had seen the set before this "tech" did the
dastardly deed. It was for one of my long time clients.  She was informed,
by me, that the set was bad and she had decided to do them after the piano
was refinished. The piano was sent in to another "tech" to be refinished. In
the process the "tech" convinced my client that he could "save the Ivories"!
Groan! This set was a hodge-podge of mis-replaced ivories, with glue wafers,
(originally & later), contact cement, PVC-E and then the piece de
resistance, .....CA glue. The CA glue penetrated into the glue wafers and
welded them to the wood. (Really efficient stuff) Every head that had the CA
glue was a very big hassle to remove the ivory and wafer w/o causing major
damage to the key stick. Wheee! I'm really having fun with this process.
...NOT! What should have taken an hour, took about
4-5 hours...with a 24 hour wait in between the Ivory removal and the sanding
of the key sticks to get the wafers off. BTW, this was on about 2/3s of the
set. In the past I've used the Safe-T-Planer for this job, but I've quit
that, since I've not been happy with the inconsitency of the keys coming out
Square. O.k., end of rant...er...almost.....Please!!???!!! don't use CA glue
for key tops. I know it's a real quick/easy/way to put them back on, but you
can kiss the recycling of the ivory goodbye and give someone like me a
reason to hate you.<G> Think long term with all repairs.
Please?<G>
Thanks for listening/reading.
Joe


Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I