Dear Vlad-- I am sure that my understanding of the problem is faulty, but since you mentioned a "clean" break, I would suggest that the emergency situation would be best repaired by an application of glue Hot Stuff. I know that it is heresy to suggest anything less than rebuilding the thing with fresh wood and hide glue, but due to my interactions with woodcarvers and a similar emergency, I was led to this glue. although it is not a hide glue, it does have a solvent if you ever want to dissassemble the instrument. It involves merely squeezing the water-like glue in the problem area, after which you have about 10 seconds (I've been able to use a window as large as 20) to clamp it into place. I have closed checks in very hard woods by putting the glue into the crack, then clamping the thing an a vise, then spraying the accelerant. Works like a charm, and never saw the fault again. There is a thicker version if the break is not clean or perfect, but I have never used it. Then you can wait a few hours for a full cure, or spray on the handy-dandy accelerant, which cures it instantly. This glue has done emergency repairs to fingers on carved wooden puppets, and other things that would otherwise be considered too tiny or too much under stress to repair in any other way. My memory seems to also hint that I've repaired an instrument that way, which accounts for my sudden emergency to find a quick fix, but the details elude me. You might or might not want to lightly sand the area with 200 grit sandpaper, but I have never done so, and if the item ever broke again, it was not along the original break line. I would like to stress that this is not Super Glue, which gives you like a year's service, then gives up. I just had to repair a chipped eyelid on a puppet , which was very, very thin, and found that I was carving on it and then was enchanted to find that when I applied finish, the glue did not discolor at all, even though there was some on the surface. This will give you a view of the product: _http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/hot/hoths-4.htm_ (http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/hot/hoths-4.htm) It is available all over the US, and probably obtainable in the UK. Suggest you get the thinner, in case you glue yourself to the product, but I have never needed it, because by the time I had clamped the item, I was spraying the accelerant from 4 inches away. Alice In a message dated 7/27/2011 12:38:00 A.M. Central Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
Dear all, Sorry that I've been mostly lurking the list these days--my new job in Ireland has been keeping me quite busy! I'm writing to ask for a small bit of help: Just yesterday when I was taking out my organistrum that I use with ensemble Sequentia, to my horror I discovered that the lid had come clean off--by cracking cleanly across the weak areas of the key slots on the back of the keybox. Since the keybox is open in the direction of the wheel, and the glue line on the tuning pins end failed, there is nothing keeping the back of the keybox from coming off, so I now have a lid and a chunk of keybox held together by hinges, and the rest of the organistrum itself, keys in just the front slots of the keybox. Mirculously, whatever prompted the break of the keybox didn't cause any damage to the rest of the instrument, so it plays the strings fine. I am enroute to Vancouver from Ireland (writing this as I travel to the airport) and arrive tonight, Wednesday. This weekend I have a concert with Sequentia, and teach a two-week workshop (need the HG for the concert, not essential for the course, but would be nice). I'm confident I can repair it before then, and so I brought a first-aid kit of tools and some small 'harigane' clamps with me. However, I couldn't get any wood for the repair, and so I am wondering if there are any luthier friends in the area, on the list or folks some of you may know, that might be able to help me source some wood I'll need for the repair (not yet sure if I will just make cleats for the back inside of the keybox wall, or make a thin but strong reinforcing wall to glue to the inside of the keybox once the pieces have been mated. Any thoughts on this would also be appreciated, as I haven't done this kind of repair before. So, if any of you are, or know, luthiers (any kind!--or even good woodworkers) who might be able to help me with this some time Thursday, that would be great. THanks so much! Vlad -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster.
