Hello MMD.  When I was rebuilding the steamboat pump from my upright
Steck Duo-Art, I had to face the problem of regluing the big exhauster
pneumatics to the pump's central trunk.  I knew that it is important
to get the exhausters aligned as exactly as possible with the cams
that open and shut them, and I also knew that, with my slow gluing
speed, hot glue would have started to gel before I got it around all
four edges of even one exhauster.  So I bought a bottle of Titebond
(to my surprise I discovered there is a dealer here in Tasmania who
sells it), and proceeded at a leisurely pace.

The Titebond afforded me a little wriggle room to make small
adjustments to each exhauster after I laid it in place.  When I had
got the three exhausters on one side of the pump into position, I sat
a 4-litre can of paint on top of each, to apply a little downwards
pressure.  Two days later, I turned the pump over and repeated the
procedure for the other three exhausters.

It's about six months later, now.  I haven't been able properly to
test the pump, because I'm waiting for a new pulley to attach to the
pump's electric motor, but the indications are that it is working well.

My question is: what is wrong with Titebond?  I know that some MMD
contributors won't have a bar of it.

John Phillips - in Hobart, Tasmania

 [ Titebond products are described at http://www.franklinglue.com/ 
 [ -- Robbie