<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Ron wrote: Maybe it's just a lingering conviction that it ain't <o:p></o:p> fixed until you've got some (glue) on your finger…<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> That's funny, Ron, because you ain't used enough CA until you've got a couple of fingers glued together, or fingernails glued to the underlying skin. :-)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I, too, sometimes use the screws to pull the ribs together. But on a 30 year old piano that nobody will look at the back I wouldn't worry about plugging the screw holes. I still use the CA even with screwing the ribs together, but I've had just as good results not doing the clamping. I just fill the joint with CA. Remember what kind of pianos we are working on here. I dare say reversibility will never be an issue on any of the soundboards I have used CA on. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I used to use the Titebond, but rarely anymore. My comfort level with using the CA is very high because of the large numbers of soundboards I have glued with it over the last 15 years, with no call backs. CA will also get into places where I can’t get Titebond, places where there is no visible problem. So if you do choose to use the Titebond for the obvious problem areas, I’d heartily recommend you go ahead and treat the rest of the rib joint areas with CA. Any time you get enough separation to cause buzzing, all of the rib joints and rim joints should be highly suspect. Treat ‘em with the CA and head off future problems at the pass. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The problem with doing all the cosmetic work, plugging, sanding, finishing the plugs, etc., is that is very expensive work. You should be charging the customer for all that time and effort, and you may be forcing them to pay for a lot of unneeded cosmetic work that they would just as soon skip. Of course that is partly a reflection of me: I am cheap and into function, and I wouldn't want to be paying $80/hr to someone to perform unnecessary cosmetic work- work that the average customer certainly wouldn’t be able to appreciate, nor their friends. The only real reason to do it is the next technician who would come by to see it and use it as an opportunity to rail against my “sloppy” work. I can live with that. In my book, I try to give my customers maximum bang for their buck and not be too worried about some other tech trying to make themselves look good at my expense. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Dean<o:p></o:p> <u1:PersonName u2:st="on"><st1:PersonName w:st="on">Dean May</st1:PersonName></u1:PersonName>             cell 812.239.3359 <o:p></o:p> PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 <o:p></o:p> <u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Terre Haute</st1:City></u1:City> <u1:State u2:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">IN</u1:State></st1:State>  <u1:PostalCode u2:st="on"><st1:PostalCode w:st="on">47802</u1:PostalCode></st1:PostalCode></st1:place></u1:place><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> </div> </body> </html>