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I sometimes order parts because I cannot be bothered to go and find the ones I know are somewhere.

Guess I am due for a cleanup. And better organizational skills!

Then I refuse to throw stuff away. Many times old parts recycled have saved my butt.

It's a dilemma when you get lots of parts.

Flanges, wippens, let-off rails, hammer rails, fallboards, pedals, pedal springs etc....

Old hammer sets, in case I should need to replace one of them someday. Yeah right!

Ivories, two full big drawers of them, taped together by sets etc... thousands.

You need room for that stuff, and after a while, it takes a lot of room.

Tools? Well that's another story, but the basic principle applies.

I guess my New Years resolution will be to clean-up and make choices.

Seems to. I think I heard about this first from Ryan Sowers and, when I needed something in a hurry, I went to a local beauty shop supply store and picked up a couple of different appropriate-looking colors of powder along with the liquid that goes with the powder. Smells about the same which is to say they both smell equally bad. Use with plenty of ventilation.

I've had some repaired keys out there for several years that are doing just fine.

It's a lot easier and, I think, better than trying to match original ivory heads.

ddf

Thanks very much!!!

I am so tired of trying to match them, and reticent to separate them.

My daughter used to sell Mary Kay products. And I can see how the cosmetics industry, given the profits involved, would have come up with a product.

I believe I can now find what I am looking for.

Thanks again Del!!!!!

PS and thanks to Ryan Sowers as well!

I have a couple of questions, this is an interesting thread!
Is this kit for repairing cracks or filling in chips? How would one apply if you were to use fingernail acrylic?

I believe it is chip fill and done in the same way that false nails are filled in at the cuticle as they grow.

I have not used it for cracks but I believe it would work.

We're not talking about "fingernail acrylic" as in the stuff women paint on their fingernails to make them colorful.

This is the powder/liquid stuff used to build up and/or create "artificial nails" and to make repairs to broken or damaged fingernails. Your beauty shop supply people will know the difference.

ddf

It does but you generally have to open up the crack a bit. Rather like opening up a soundboard crack to work the shims in. But in miniature. You have to be able to get the material down in there.

ddf

Please forgive me, but this thread has caused some delightfut chuckles from the way it has turned.

It's time for a new forum called the Tuner-Technician-Fingernail Salon.

I have find the white powder and monomer (not expensive)

They are very easy to use, but the final colour is slightly translucide.

Do some tried to mix with some white powder (as titanium white) ?

The mix is so strong and hard once set (very fast) I suppose it can accept a little neutral power and/or a trace of yellow acrylic colour.

The smell is awful !

If you are getting the stuff from a source that sells to "beauty shops" you are probably getting the translucent stuff intended to emulate human fingernails. Go back and ask them for the opaque variety.

In the U.S., at least, both types are available. As are powders of slightly different colors.

ddf

Thanks Del, I thought it was white because of the poweder , indeed it emulate natural fingernails.

I asked if yellow was available, and get a smile ! may be to emulate heavy smokers fingernails

Anyway a very interesting product, I used it to reinforce the plate of a speaker (where the wiring is, it was broken)

The guy told me to use the product little by little, no mix just pour the brush in the monomer then in the powder, it is almost immediate...

"...seems to work as well as the stuff used by dentists..."

I was just thinking that very thing--- that is, "Ask a dentist." They use all kinds of interesting and durable materials, which would certainly stand up as keytops, if they can stand up to living in a mouth. And, they do pretty close color-matching.

Some guys might not want to be seen going into a beauty parlor, anyway. But a dentist's office is ok.

Yeah, but have you seen how much a dentist charges?!

(And what if one of your keys needs a root canal...)

I used it today. I wanted to make a short video on the procedure, but was time constrained. So here is the final result, recorded with my iPhone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piOrzv5TFMM&feature=youtu.be

The key on the right, had the right corner chipped. The key on the left had a typical half moon chip in the middle.

I am very happy with the result.

I did experiment on quite a few spares. Seems to me that the recipe in the literature provided does not ask for enough powder.

I used the pure white at first, given the excellent state of the ivories, and ended up with a darker shade. The reason was that is was still translucent. By adding more powder, the acrylic becomes more opaque, but dries a lot faster. It turns into a paste as you apply it, which, now that I have worked with it. is actually nice. You can even reapply more and it sticks.

So, all in all, I will be visiting my local fingernail specialist soon.

Very nice job Jean. I couldn't see it!

Thanks Jerry,

It's very difficult to properly photograph or film. The video is not very good.

If you look at the reflections, the repairs can be seen. Then again it might be because I know where they are.

But it sure beats trying to match a new head. And the stuff sands and buffs just like ivory. The challenge is the mix of powder and acrylic and proper preparation.

Who knows, if the piano business goes as some pessimists say, I can always go into the fingernail business.!!!

The product I find does not need to be mixed, the brush is dipped in monomer, and a small quantity of powder grips on it, not mixed but begin to melt,

When you apply it with the brush, more monomer is added from the brush and the product have the perfect consistency. They use cat tongue shaped brush so the monomer is in the brush as in a bottle.

I was explained to make small touches , not one big. Little powder.

I used a covering white acryl an monomer for nails . Thanks Del for the opaque info, the natural quality is not adequate

It can be used to repar usual acryl glass keys too, I suppose.

Used some masking tape to avoid too much thickness on the top if the key, but it fies not make a clean surface. A brushing with almost only monimer smooth the surface if wanted .

I will go to fingernails institute to see how they use it and also how thwy work with the Dremel. They polish with grit 1000 - 4000 but the acryl is covered with Uv drying products, may be harder.

Excellent tip, the nail trade have also excellent hammer files 100-180, white and large.

You don't go into a "beauty parlor" to get this stuff, you go into the store that sells supplies to beauty parlors.

Men, even "manly" men, are allowed. Just bring money.

ddf

But you can go to a beauty parlor to ask for addresses (and telephone number) ...