I've been using it for years on dozens of sets of keytops. I just apply it to the key with a disposable brush (which I rinse out and reuse because I'm cheap :-) ). The stuff I get from Schaff I thin about 5 percent at first, then 5-10 percent again near the end of the jar. You absolutely must clamp it. I use the spring clamps with a wood caul. Schaff sells them as a set. I cover one side of the caul with wax paper (taped on so you can change it when it gets torn) to keep stray glue from sticking to the caul. The technique involved to juggle the key, keytop, caul, and clamp takes a bit of practice. One tip is to make sure one hand never touches the glue, even by mistake. That hand manages the keytop and the clamp. Minimum dry time is about an hour, but I usually allow two or three, overnight if I'm not rushed. I do whole sets of tops, so I have seven clamp/caul sets to do an octave at a time. Once you get the hang of it, an octave takes about half an hour. Another important point is to make sure you have a way to get the old tops off without tearing up the wood. You also have to make sure that you shave off the front and top of the key so that the finished product is no longer and no thicker than the original was, otherwise they'll bind on the keyslip, jack up the fallboard so it jams on the music desk, and other kinds of trouble that you don't need. I've built jigs to do this with a router for the top and a bandsaw for the front. Have I left anything out? Patrick Callanan, RPT 2468 Freetown Dr. Reston, VA 20191 703-620-8906 http://www.patrickcallanan.com pcallanan at patrickcallanan.com -----Original Message----- From: ed miller [mailto:edmiller3 at hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 3:59 PM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: PVC-E glue and Keytops Could anyone please share their procedure for glueing plastic keytops using pvc-e glue? What is the proper way to apply it? Is clamping necessary? Dry time? etc.... Thanks in advance. Ed
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