At 9:10 PM -0600 1/13/02, Ron Nossaman wrote: >TB II contains a nasty yellow dye that stains everything it touches, >including my hands. It doesn't wash out of anything, and I tend to >be somewhat less than timid when I'm spreading glue. That's it. >Personal preference. That could well be bichromate of potash. This can also be added to animal glue to render it moisture-resistant and is a very old remedy. I can't be sure I've ever seen a piano using this additive in the glue, but quite possibly some tropicalized export pianos used it in the old days for export to very hoy and humid climates. The only use I make of bichromate of potash is for darkening and reddening certain types of mahogany. Not all types will respond, and there are a few other woods that will respond in different ways. Given the right wood, there is nothing more effective as a stain, since it bites right into the wood and stains it chemically to a good depth. Great care is needed in getting the strength of the solution right, since you can't undo things by washing off. The color of the solution is a deep yellow tending to orange and will stain your hands for days. JD
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