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Gluing Bellows Cloth
By Sam Harris

Sonja Lemon mentioned that they iron bellows cloth after application
of the glue.  I also used this method on my last bellows and it is
a great technique.  It's not the only one but it is a very good one.
Just be careful not to over heat the glue while ironing.  You must
not boil the glue.  You only want to reheat it incase it began to gel
before applying the cloth.

One problem I have had in the past is to have small leaks at the
corners.  To eliminate this problem make sure the corners are perfectly
square.  I have also had great success at reducing corner leaking by
using tape as a clamp.  Just place a piece of masking or duct tape to
the cloth and stretch it over to the bellows board securing it a little
till the glue sets for a few min.  I have read of using small tacks at
the corners as clamps but I never though I would like the small pin
hole left once the tack was removed, therefore I just use a little
tape.  No more corner leaks!

Again I do as the Lemon's and do not clamp striking pneumatics while
gluing them to their deck boards.  Just be sure that the deck board
_and_ the pneumatic boards have been refaced and is perfectly smooth.
My first player I did not resurface anything and just let them "fit"
back together as they were.  Bad move!  Always glue using two flat
matting surfaces -- always!

Sam Harris - Greenville, North Carolina


(Message sent Wed 10 Mar 2004, 20:43:21 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Bellows, Cloth, Gluing

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