[pianotech] Bass Top Bridge

[John Ross]

That is really good to know, about the shelf life of the West System Epoxy.
I had always been leery of buying it, as I don't use much, and it is 
expensive.
That wood restorer that Webb sells, I bought it twice, great stuff, but both 
times it hardened up before I could use it. So all I had was the powder, 
with no catalyst. That is what the liquid is, right?
Too bad he didn't sell it separately
Anyway, next time I am in Lee Valley, I will purchase the West System.
Any recommendations on a basic kit to start?
John Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 5:39 PM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Bass Top Bridge


Mike is correct. In your case Noah, you might think that your bridge crack
is wide enough that you could squish the thick JB-Weld-type epoxy in there -
and you're right, it might work just fine. But I really like the West System
because you can use their two-step bonding method of wetting out the
surfaces with thin epoxy (that way you are sure to get good penetration into
the wood) followed by application of thickened epoxy (check out their web
site). Plus West System has a wide selection of fillers for strength,
laminating, fillets, fairing, etc. And Mike is correct also that the shelf
life is on the order of a zillion years or so. Years back I had a
half-gallon that I used on some boat work I was doing that I know was back
in the late 70s - I still had the can when I moved to Florida 20 years ago -
and I used the epoxy several years later and it was just fine - that was at
least 15 to 20 years it sat on the shelf!

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Spalding" <mike.spalding1 at verizon.net>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 8:35 AM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Bass Top Bridge


> Noah,
> Do you mean the little tubes?  Too thick to penetrate cracks, sets up too
> quickly.  Yes, a gallon of West is a big expense, but it has infinite
> shelf life (unless you abuse it) and infinite uses.
> Mike
>
> Noah Frere wrote:
>> Does it have to be West Systems Epoxy? Are none of the readily available
>> hardware store brands up to it?
>>
>>
>
>