hosen 'er down

[Dean May]

>>I would see no reason to fix anything else that wasn't buzzing by pouring
>>CA into every other joint in the soundboard at the customer's expense,
>>when there was no indication that it was either necessary or appropriate

Personally, I see value in making sure that all the rib joints and rim
joints are as solid as they can be. It helps with sustain and tone. I've
heard it. And the expense is pretty minimal. 


Dean

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

Terre Haute IN  47802


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Ron Nossaman
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2007 11:51 PM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: hosen 'er down


> Fair enough, but my challenge to you is to try it on the next old piano
you
> save. Use your tried and true Titebond and screws on the obvious
separation.
> Then apply thin CA to the rest of the ribs. I bet you a dollar you'll see
it
> disappear into the glue joints in more than one place. Next thing ya know
> you'll be doing the rims, too.  With all that power at your disposal you
> just won't be able to stand the thought of sending that piano off with
glue
> joint voids.

Where to start? I haven't put a screw into a rib for a long 
time. I fortunately don't have to (hopefully forever more) 
service old uprights. If I did put a screw or twelve into ribs 
to fix separations, it would be because they made noise. In 
thirty years, I've heard fewer than a half dozen buzzing ribs. 
Call me lucky, but there it is. Having fixed the prevailing 
buzzes with screws and Titebond, I would see no reason to fix 
anything else that wasn't buzzing by pouring CA into every 
other joint in the soundboard at the customer's expense, when 
there was no indication that it was either necessary or 
appropriate. With the soundboard falling apart, the rest of 
the piano is likely pretty much toast, and I'd consider that I 
was already putting lipstick on the corpse and trying to pass 
it off as a prom date by putting in the screw, without selling 
them the corsage as well. Watching CA soak into an area 
exhibiting no specific problems that the CA will have 
detectably fixed after the fact doesn't strike me as 
justification for the procedure. Maybe I'm just behind the curve.


> Actually, I've used it to quiet buzzes caused by rim separation where it
> would have been near impossible to force any Titebond, let alone pull the
> joint together. Go ahead, hose 'er down. It won't be any uglier than what
> caused the usage in the first place.

The four or five rim separation buzzes I've found through the 
years - always on verticals, and at the top, have responded to 
Titebond quite satisfactorily. Again, maybe I'm just lucky - 
or deaf.


> Dean-o the dino (not the crooner, I'm not that handsome or rich)
> 
> Dean May    

Not Dino, that's gas - like Hud-tane, and they're extinct now.
Ron N