[pianotech] CA Glue and Ivory

[Joseph Garrett]

David,
I'm using a "Sanding Board". It's a board w/a lip that butts against the
front edge of my Key Bench. the bottom surface has sandpaper attached and
so does the top. On top of that, I put the grit, (usually 80), paper that
will do the job of sanding the crud off and leaving a glueable surface.
With careful attention to how the crud is being removed, I get the key
surface square with the sides. It's my Olde Way of doing it. It works, for
now, but hard on the hands and very "Labor intensive", to be sure.
 BTW, some key sides are NOT square with top or bottom of the
keys...they've been messed with, either by the maker or some other tech.
I do like the Safe-T-Planer. However, the special table, I have, does not
allow consideration to bushing cloth sticking up above the key bottom
surface. That causes problems. I intend to make a "Sled" that allows for
that contingency. Just haven't gotten to those "roundtoits" yet.<G>
Regards,
Joe


> [Original Message]
> From: David Weiss <davidweiss at embarqmail.com>
> To: <joegarrett at earthlink.net>; <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Date: 1/24/2012 5:17:02 AM
> Subject: RE: [pianotech] CA Glue and Ivory
>
> 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
>