Klarinet Archive - Posting 000171.txt from 2006/09

From: "Lelia Loban" <lelialoban@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Senile burp
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2006 10:54:34 -0400


Re. removing old glue from clarinet key cups, Bruce M wrote,
>>It's not rubber cement, it's some sort of
>>clear crap that dries harder than rubber
>>cement and seems to be impossible to
>>remove from the key cups.

Susan Macy wrote,
>Usually, heat with a cotton swab will remove
>the adhesive. Failing that try using a solvent
>of some type. First try denatured alcohol, then
>naptha (lighter fluid), finally acetone should do
>the trick.

Lots of luck--there are a number of different formulas for hot melt glue.
Also, the material in the pad cups might not be hot melt glue. It might be
silicone caulk, the curse of the stained glass repair business--or
something else.

The first time you use heat to try to melt the glue out of there, please
work in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves, goggles and a respirator,
in case this unknown stuff ignites or gives off toxic fumes when it heats
up. When dealing with an unknown glue, to avoid damaging the work (or
myself), I try to chip out samples and test various ways of dissolving the
product, away from the musical instrument or the stained glass. I don't
test more than one product on the same sample if I can avoid it, to avoid
mixing substances that may react dangerously with each other.

Denatured alcohol, naptha and especially acetone are toxic. Please be sure
to wear protective gear, keep naptha and acetone off your skin and make
sure the products don't mix with each other or with other solvents. Clean
each solvent off completely and rinse with plain water before applying
another solvent or before using heat. That's especially important with
acetone, a carcinogen.

Lelia Loban

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org