Key top repair advice?

[Canbox]

Have about 8 treble key tops showing some separation from the keys.

1. What is the recommended glue to use between plastic (celluloid) and wood.

2. Can it (removing/reattaching key top) be done without removing the key. (The main challenge is clamping)

 

[Dingo40]

A thought about clamping : is it possible to lay the accordion down so you can weigh down the affected key with a suitable weight (with a suitable pad or spacer between the key and weight) ?
Here's Valdet Jakubovic demonstrating how he does it. He uses "DAP Weldwood Contact Cement" glue and plastic cable ties for clamps:
See here :

And here:

DAP Weldwood Original Contact Cement 00272 - Google Search

 

[Canbox]

A thought about clamping : is it possible to lay the accordion down so you can weigh down the affected key with a suitable weight (with a suitable pad or spacer between the key and weight) ?

Thanks for the suggestion. It would be one of the options.

 

[debra]

Have about 8 treble key tops showing some separation from the keys.

1. What is the recommended glue to use between plastic (celluloid) and wood.

2. Can it (removing/reattaching key top) be done without removing the key. (The main challenge is clamping)

1. The recommended glue is what I learned as "celluloid glue". You make a glue out of celluloid dissolved in acetone until it becomes a paste (for glue it should be more liquid than for celluloid repairs). you smear a bit of glue (very thin layer) between the wood and the key top. Then clamp.
Note that for a good result the used celluloid should be of approximately the same color as the key top. (So don't use black celluloid to fix a white key.)
2. Maybe it can be done without removing the key but really it shouldn't. For good clamping the key needs to come out.

 

[Canbox]

A thought about clamping : is it possible to lay the accordion down so you can weigh down the affected key with a suitable weight (with a suitable pad or spacer between the key and weight) ?
Here's Valdet Jakubovic demonstrating how he does it. He uses "DAP Weldwood Contact Cement" glue and plastic cable ties for clamps:
See here :

And here:

DAP Weldwood Original Contact Cement 00272 - Google Search

Thank you for the good demo clip.

 

[Canbox]

1. The recommended glue is what I learned as "celluloid glue". You make a glue out of celluloid dissolved in acetone until it becomes a paste (for glue it should be more liquid than for celluloid repairs). you smear a bit of glue (very thin layer) between the wood and the key top. Then clamp.
Note that for a good result the used celluloid should be of approximately the same color as the key top. (So don't use black celluloid to fix a white key.)
2. Maybe it can be done without removing the key but really it shouldn't. For good clamping the key needs to come out.

Thank you. I might have to remove the key since I'm not good enough as the master in the video clip.

 

[Alan Polivka]

Thank you. I might have to remove the key since I'm not good enough as the master in the video clip.

I have done this successfully on many keys without removing the key. In fact, if the key top is entirely separated from the key, I advise leaving the wooden key installed because that makes it easier to ensure you have the key top properly aligned with respect to the other keytops before the glue dries and you could find you have a misalignment issue that can be a bigger problem to fix.

Clean (scrape) the surfaces to be glued as best you can before gluing (i.e., try to remove old glue). If the key top isn't entirely separated from the wood, this may be difficult ... just do the best you can without breaking the keytop. If the keytop isn't fully separated from the wood, you probably don't want to try to fully separate it because you might break it. The older the keytop, the more brittle it may be.

If the separation you're repairing is at more than just the end shown in the video, you can use a heavy weight to apply pressure while the glue dries. Being in the railroad business, I often use rail spikes for weights because they are heavy and about the right width for a key. Before applying glue, prop up the underneath of the keyboard so that the keys are level. This reduces likelihood that the weight will move or fall off during the drying process.

 

[Canbox]

Thank you for the advice, The separations are about 1/4 - 1/3 of the key length. Clean out the old glue residue will be another challenge without removing the key top completely.