crazy jane Posted January 5, 2004 Report Posted January 5, 2004 One of the (genuine) ivory plates on our piano's keys is loose. Is there a simple home repair, or do we need to have the piano technician do it? Thanks, J.
nicolo Posted January 5, 2004 Report Posted January 5, 2004 Here's a cut and paste from the "Piano Owner's Survival Guide." You can check out the whole site at: http://www.stevespianoservice.com/piano.htm "When an ivory key top comes off, glue it back on at once. Use white GE silicone ONLY. If you use Elmer's carpenter's glue, it is water based and will cause the key top to curl up horribly. It is best to open the piano (See Chapter Five), and take the key out so that you can clamp it (As in Key tops- White and Black), noting the diagram there on gluing and clamping."
Tropicalfruitmom Posted January 10, 2004 Report Posted January 10, 2004 It's amazing how many people use a water-based wood glue on Ivory. This is a relatively easy repair, but just be careful to protect all of the surfaces from the clamps.
crazy jane Posted January 11, 2004 Author Report Posted January 11, 2004 Thanks for the advice, Nicolo & Tropicalfruitmom. Since the repair involves key removal & clamping, and since we're due for a tuning, anyway, we'll just leave it to the technician. The ivories are still in perfect condition, despite the piano being almost 100 years old. Beautiful. J.
Tropicalfruitmom Posted January 12, 2004 Report Posted January 12, 2004 It's amazing how well some of these older pianos hang in there. I used to work at a school that had a grand built in 1898. It had suffered through numerous indignities including a broken leg (it broke while I was playing it and nearly fell on me), being used as a saw-horse during a theater renovation, and being set on fire by a student who didn't make the show choir (how the piano had anything to do with it, I'll never know). At last report, it outlasted a new grand that the school bought three years ago who's soundboard cracked!
crazy jane Posted January 15, 2004 Author Report Posted January 15, 2004 The technician just left. He used (gasp!) Superglue and replaced the ivory at no cost. J.
doug_westlake Posted July 26, 2005 Report Posted July 26, 2005 Well, if it was no cost, he just reglued the old ivory. I have a fair stash of old ivory and I don't part with it cheap. Superglue might be ok, I can't rightfully gasp because I'm a bit of a cowboy myself. I usually use contact cement on unglued or broken key tops, I think lots of technicians do.
meth999 Posted August 10, 2021 Report Posted August 10, 2021 i have some dowsil 738 multi-usage electric sealant would it do a nice job or should i think about another product
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