Day 44: Gluing the Sharps

I finished gluing up the sharps last night. The interesting thing about this step is that it required using a "rub joint". This is a simple operation in which you spread glue on one or both surfaces and rub it until it firms up. Some say this pushes the glue into the pores of the wood. I think it may do that a bit, yet it also help dry up the glue, making it more sticky to the point where the surfaces adhere pretty solidly together. I must admit it was a bit odd not clamping with a clothespin or small clamp, yet it worked quite well.

In preparation for gluing the sharp pieces to the keys, I weighted down the back of the keys and then lightly clamped a straightedge across a line I drew when the keyboard was still a large piece of jointed wood.

When I posted this photo to the Facebook project page, my Australian observer suggested I finish capping the naturals before proceeding with gluing the sharps. He reasoned that I would be able to adjust the positions of the sharps easier if the naturals were completed. I emailed Mr. Miller, author of the eBook Most Excellent about it and he said that it's done both ways and that it's a matter of personal preference. Because his directions have thus far not steered me wrong, I decided to continue to follow them and move ahead with gluing the sharps up. We'll see what I learn from this as I cap the naturals in a later step.

For now, the sharps are glued and I'm preparing them for painting.

Until next time...