Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > March 2011 > 2011.03.15 > 05Prev  Next


Hide Glue vs. Silicone for Rebuilding a Pianola
By Paddy Handscombe

There seems to be some obfuscation going on, intentional or not.
I have never spoken about repairing furniture with PVA or RTV, and
in rebuilding some piano parts I have sometimes used hot glue.
However, I note that a friend of mine who produces famous bespoke
modern furniture such as desks costing between £40K and £60K rarely
uses any hot glue but appropriate and superior modern adhesives.

But that was not the point -- I was speaking throughout about
re-covering pneumatics, in which PVA gives undoubtedly superior and
longer-lasting results but causes no future rebuilding problems, and
about the surest method of sticking striker pneumatics to decks --
again reversibly using my method.

I would certainly never stick any pneumatics onto decks using PVA
and from the earliest days have never even attempted to!  Even without
trying it's obvious that PVA gives the wrong kind of bond for this and
I'm surprised that Ralph Nielsen ever used it.  Not that hot glue is
any better, even with interleaves.  I have seen so many cracked boards
and split decks that I wouldn't dream of using it for this either.  And
I hate to think of the number of frustrated and disappointed rebuilders
who've failed repeatedly to achieve airtight joints first time.

One of the great advantages of using RTV as I've described is that
clamping is totally unnecessary to achieve a perfect air-tight joint,
yet the striker pneumatic can be shimmied into exactly the right
position for several minutes if necessary and stays exactly where left.
And if RTV is used correctly the pneumatic to deck height will be no
different from original.  Providing a stack is airtight in all the
right places and set up correctly it should do what's asked of it.

To hear what properly rebuilt reproducing pianos are capable of
I offer a couple of recordings of pianos rebuilt using PVA and RTV
where appropriate:  http://www.pianolist.org/music/lark.mp3 
and  http://www.pianolist.org/music/staccato.mp3 

Patrick Handscombe
Wivenhoe, Essex, UK


(Message sent Tue 15 Mar 2011, 15:10:31 GMT, from time zone GMT.)

Key Words in Subject:  Glue, Hide, Pianola, Rebuilding, Silicone, vs

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page