Glue for hammer tips

[shmuelyosef]

It's been years since I replaced hammers on a Rhodes, so my memory fails me. Those pianos are long gone...this one I am refurbing. I have some contradictory recommendation regarding the glue. Having just removed what I think were original hammers from a 1973 Stage 73, I was pleased how easy it was to gently slice the glue off removing virtually no wood from the hammer and leaving a clean, flat surface. The bottoms of the hammers had a sawtooth texture to them that left little rods of glue.

I just received my hammer kit from VintageVibe and the hammers have flat bottoms (I'm cool with that). There is some confusion about which way is up to mount the new hammers but I'm assuming that the narrowest edge goes up and farthest from the action rail. Please post alternate views if I'm mistaken...but I meander...

The kit included cyanoacrylate glue (the thin super glue, not the gel) which strikes me as odd. Seems like you would want a thin layer of elastomer in between the hammer tip and the wood hammer, also it seems with super glue (which sets up brittle) the hammer might be hard to get off the next time without damaging the wood.

dhnarkosis recommends 3M weatherstrip glue, which I am inclined to believe in, and in the absence of other inputs, will probably go out and buy to do this job. I imagine that one 5 oz. tube is plenty for the 73 little dots that I will have to apply.

Comments???

[Rob A]

Quoting http://www.fenderrhodes.com/service/hammer-tips.php

Originally the glue was weather stripping adhesive (3M 8001), which was normally used on car doors. Later we changed to super glue (cyanoacrylate).

Everyone is right.

[shmuelyosef]

I have no doubt that both glues have worked and will work. Just curious about opinions. The factory didn't necessary optimize assembly materials for rework down the road...

[garagebandking41]

When I did this job to a '74, I didn't know what to use, So i used both. Superglue and Gorilla Glue. It worked. Gorilla glue expands after application so i'm not sure if it did that much work, the superglue held it on, and the gorilla glue just required some clean up. Either way, I played it 45 mins after application at a jam session, and everything held up. (and still is).

My logic was that the superglue would bond instantly and the gorilla glue would make sure it stayed. again, not sure if thats realistic or even makes sense, but it worked.

My opinion would be that superglue definitely works, and that it definitely smells up the place.

[pianotuner steveo]

My 2 cents worth regarding glues..

It's been my experience that super glue does not hold the tips on forever.

I have used the 3M glue and contact cement.(Both with success)

Gorilla glue is very strong, but is very messy too-and probably difficult to remove if you need to change them again in the future.I have never tried it on tips and I doubt that I will.

[shmuelyosef]

Since it appeared that my original hammer tips were affixed with the 3M 8001, that's what I will use this weekend. I just scored a tube of the yellow 8001 from my local ACE hardware (the glue I just scraped off was yellow). It will be the one thing I do where 'original' will be followed. Thanx for the info...keep it coming as I used the search and couldn't find a repository of opinions on this...I also found an old dried-out tube of the same stuff in my glue drawer (way at the bottom) so this was what I had probably used on previous pianos...I've been in the same shop since 1983, so have tended to accumulate history!

[pianotuner steveo]

Yes, I forgot to mention that I prefer the 3M glue myself.

[shmuelyosef]

Steve,
I found it easier to use the 3M as directed rather than just pressing the hammer into the wet glue...more like contact cement. How about you?

[pianotuner steveo]

I believe that's how I've done it too-let it dry a little first. It's been a couple of years since I've done it but that sounds right.