hammer realignment

[Delwin D Fandrich]

Jeff Tanner wrote:

> Something I learned from Dennis Curtis, a piano technician for over 45
> years and an RPT for over 25, is if you are using wood glue, to let the
> glue set out over night in a cup to let as much moisture evaporate as
> possible (you will have to peel off the top layer).  The glue gets really
> thick and sets fast with less warpage of the wood parts.  Apply it with a
> wooden coffee stirrer.  I realize though, that this normally isn't
> practical in the field, but is good shop practice.
>
> Jeff Tanner

-----------------------------------

Not necessarily.

As moisture is removed from adhesives such as TiteBond or TiteBond II they lose at
least part of their ability to wet-out the wood surface.  One part of the glue
joint is called the 'interpenetrating' area.  This is the region of wood in which
the solvent used in the adhesive -- in this case water -- has penetrated the wood
fiber carrying 'glue liquor' with it.  If a considerable portion of the water has
been deliberately evaporated out of the adhesive prior to coating the wood, this
region will be smaller -- thinner -- than it should be and the adhesive joint will
be some weaker that expected.  The effect is much the same as with a 'cold' joint.
Yes, you can still make a bonded joint this way, but the margin for error becomes
increasingly small.

If you need a thicker adhesive, you can always use a small amount of thickener with
both TiteBond and TiteBond II (and their competitive cousins).  We have used shell
flour with some success.  Also, Garrett Wade sells a thickened adhesive -- they
call it a gap-filling adhesive -- that works well.

Regards,

Del