Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Regarding the old Story & Clark I tuned

Today I came across an older model Story & Clark vertical "church piano." This thing was a wreck. The thing that stood out, though, is that I could see the pins had been doped with CA glue; something I've heard a lot about but have never tried. It looked terrible. It looks like accelerator was used. The bushings were all caked with glue, there was some on the strings, etc. Very sloppy.

Worse yet, the pins were still very loose. I had to drive some of them in before they'd hold. Is this typical of the results when using CA glue as a pin tightening agent? I've used instant Pin-Tite with very good results when restringing/repinning/replacing the piano wasn't an option, and the job looks a lot neater.

From your description it sounds as if the CA glue was used without tipping the piano, then gravity did the rest.

No doubt Loren, that person did not lay the piano onto its back. I have encountered many a tuner that puts it on without doing so and then either way, do not bother to clean up the left over mess. It must be laid on its back first if one expects the CA to go around the pin and not everywhere else.

If you spray the accelerator onto it, it dries immediately and yes, it turns white. It will then, never have a chance to penetrate down where it is meant to go because it dried before it ever had a chance.

Thanks, everyone. And yes, you can see all around the plate area and on some of the strings where accelerator has turned the CA white. Pins still very loose, so it seems to be just what you suggest, glue didn't penetrate because of the vertical positioning and accelerator being used.

I'm guessing you wouldn't want to use accelerator at all, right? Let the glue soak deep into the block and let capillary action do the work.

Loren - Do you have a repair truck to lay the piano on its back? Chuck Behm

A thicker CA glue, rather than the ultra-thin CA glue may have been used.

But if the pins are holding, now that they have been tapped in, is it necessary to do more?

I do, Chuck. One of the metal Schaff ones that I bought from them around 20 years ago.

Yes. Most of the pins are now tapped almost down to the coil and are just tight enough to hold, and that's at the onset of the dry season here. By March, I'm certain the pins will not be tight enough to hold. Thing is, if accelerator was used, whoever did the doping job has pretty much sealed the block against any more doping, I'm figuring. It's a mess, really. Looks terrible and didn't do anything to help the pins.