Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum CA Glue + Baking Soda

I never saw this before. I knew about exhaling on super glue to speed up drying. But, i never saw anyone use baking soda to create a solid filler.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slCMkvEfK_U

I have used ivory dust and super glue to repair a chip on a keytop.

Hi, Joe
Are you want using this ( 2 component) for restoring of a pinblock?

I recently repaired a chipped Ivory key-top on my Yamaha C7, when I replaced the key-bushings. I sanded the key-chip flat with the front of the key and cut/filed a small piece of ivory from another old key-top I had from an older upright piano. I super-glued the small piece of ivory to the key-top, let dry (which didn't take long) and sanded and shaped the repair, and then polished. The piece of ivory I used for the repair is not exactly the same color as the original key-top, but it looks better than the chip, and has help up well after some hard playing.

I've seen videos of the ivory key-top chip repair with the resin kit they sell. I think the CA glue and baking soda idea is good, but from my experience, the CA glue dries very fast. You'd have to act quick to use that method. I'm thinking clear epoxy with the baking soda added might work well too, but I've never tried it.

Rick

Thanks Joe. Looks very helpful. I'm a big CA glue user and can't wait to use this combination.

There are various youtube videos showing CA with baking soda for guitar nut repairs. And there has been discussion of using CA with acrylic nail powder, as a much cheaper version of AcryliKey ivory repair system.

I'd think it would be wise to compare the use of baking soda with other fine powders. It may be that the surfaces rather than the actual chemical involved is what triggers the cyanoacrylate to harden. Maybe try the dust from sanding drywall compound. Baking soda decomposes above 80 Centigrade, and releases CO2 and water. It's not particularly strong.

There is no need to mix CA glue with acrylic nail powder. Standard nail powder, along with the
liquid hardener, is all that is needed to repair ivory chips.

AcryliKey is really just nail powder, repackaged, and OVERPRICED.

So save yourself some money, and just get off the shelf nail powder and hardener.

You'll thank me for it......

Yes, Musicdude, thank you!

Yes. I have used CA glue to repair loose pinblocks. But, I don't use the second component. That is, i don't use the accelerator. I use the thin CA glue only.

The reason i do not use the accelerator is because it is too difficult to direct. It might spray on the tuning pins, strings, coils, and other parts, and cause damage.

Yes, the consensus of opinion is that accelerator is not needed when using low viscosity CA for pinblock treatment. The CA works quite quickly on its own.

Musicdude,

This Is the first I've heard about nail powder. Can you suggest what and where to purchase? Definitely interested in this since it sounds like there could be more applications for this than simply keytop repairs.

Pwg

Just do a search on FleaBay for standard nail powder with the liquid hardener, or go to your
local beauty supply store (Sally's, etc...).

There will be different colors, but you will obviously want white. You won't have to add titanium
dioxide, because it will already be in the powder.

For color matching, get some yellow chalk, or yellow pastel from your local art supply store, and
rub it into some sandpaper to generate a powder to mix with the white. You won't need to add
much.....just a tiny bit will do. And often you won't need to add any at all, as the raw nail powder
will be just right.

You'll find the powder and hardener will act EXACTLY like the AcryliKey instructions.

A teflon block can be used to shape and form the bottom front edge of the lip that overhangs
the keys. This can significantly reduce the filing and shaping work required once the acrylic
has fully hardened.

Finish off with sandpaper attached to wood paddles with double-sided tape, then use #0000
steel wool, and finally a good polish with automotive scratch remover paste, and.....

It will take even YOU a few moments to find the repair!

Nice tip!

Question though: Is the hardener as smelly as the Acrilikey liquid? I find I have to use a respirator with that otherwise I will get a serious headache.

Pwg

Yes, the hardener smells pretty bad.

It's the exact same stuff.....

There are kits for repairing damaged plastic auto parts. They have a grey plastic powder that you use and then set it with thin CA.
BDB's tip works too but controlling the making of ivory dust fine enough to really work well is difficult. One needs very fine ivory dust like what an 800 grit or higher paper makes and trying to capture the dust cleanly is tricky. Maybe BDB will tell us his method of ivory powder preparation.

It was an emergency repair, and not done particularly well. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do!

Nail salons have all the different powders in every shade of white and you can buy the acrylic by the liter.

thanks for your message Joe
Trying to analyze a clip "repairing the guitar's bridge", I came to the conviction that the composition obtained as a result of the mixing is simple physical basis "dry plastics." We never try to "cram" it's into the pinblock's hole, I suppose. The Maximum that Max can afford is an innocuous, but multicomponent corrugated cardboard tire into cram
regards,

Hi Max,

If you are successful with your cardboard shim, then I believe that it's OK to use it.

But, CA glue is useful for many types of repairs. CA glue is a good option for repairs in the home when the glue needs to dry/cure quickly.