<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>HTML Message</TITLE> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none"> Here's the question: Does the chemical nature of the alcohol or vinegar (acetic acid) make any difference or is it the H20 doing the heavy lifting and the organic molecules just acting, as they do, as surfactants (reduce surface tension and make the water wetter)?   Would isopropyl or ethanol work just as well as the methanol?   Might wallpaper remover also work on case parts? It sometimes seems to take forever when removing old felt, hammer shanks, etc., even with heat. Alan Barnard Salem, MO Joshua 24:15 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "Isaac Sadigursky" <irs.pianos@earthlink.net> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> Received: 08/22/2006 10:53:52 PM Subject: RE: Comin' Apart >Hi,Terry! IMHO,Vinegar works to "MELT',soften any type of hide glue.Try it >on a vertical  or Grand Hammer shank:apply a little,wait 1-2 minutes and >with traditional tools and technique Hammer can be pulled apart >effortlessly,Same applies to the piano side.A few times I had to remove >mortised legs on Yamaha verticals after 1994 earthquake.Vinegar trick did it >Hope,it helps...Good luck.. Isaac   </BODY></HTML>