Ivory replacement

[Vanderhoofven]

Dear Friends,

I am replacing some ivory head and tail pieces, using ivory wafers (glue
impregnated cloth pieces) and the brass pieces with clamps.

Art Reblitz' book "Piano Servicing, Tuning and Rebuilding" (Second Edition)
gives the procedure.  Prepare the surface of the key, and the underside of
the ivory.  Take the brass plates and heat them in boiling water.  Dip the
ivory wafer in water, apply it to the surface of the key, position the
ivory piece on top of the ivory wafer.  Take the brass plate out of the
boiling water, put it on top of the ivory, and clamp it.  When the glue has
dried, take the clamp and brass plate off.  Then finish the edges, sand the
ivory pieces so they are level, and then buff and polish the keytops.

So far, so good.

Three Questions:
1.  How long do you need to dip the ivory wafer in water?  Just dip it in
and out of the water?  Or leave it in the water for 10 seconds?  30 seconds?

2.  How long do you need to leave the brass plates and clamps on the ivory
before removing them?  The brass plates cool down in an hour or so.  But
the  ivories warped at the edges (evidently some moisture remained in the
ivory).  Do I leave the brass clamps on 4 hours?  8 hours?  24 hours?

3.  Someone mentioned the possibility of reactivating the glue on the old
ivory wafers.  Is this fact or fiction?  I am charging a goodly amount of
money to do this job, and I don't want to have to come back in a year and
reglue a bunch of loose ivories that popped off, if I opt to reuse the old
wafers again.  Please describe the procedure.

Thanks Muchly!

David

David A. Vanderhoofven, RPT
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