> I'm corn-fused.  What silicone glues don't use acetic acid to cure?
> I think I may have missed the full postings, but what type of glue, and
> what thinning agents, and method of application is used?  I remember
> Craig recommending thinned silicone grease.

I'm glad someone else has missed the thread.  I thought it was only me.

Let me summarize my understanding of the matter:

The easily available silicone caulk cures by the absorption of water
vapour and the release of acetic acid. After the rubber has cured there
is and cannot be any residual acetic acid smell -the rubber is non
porous-it has long been certified for use in the food industry .
If the acetic acid is a problem because of smell or because of corrosion
on certain metals being bonded-there is available a "neutral cure"
silicone which does not release acetic acid. Contact Dow or GE technical
service to get names of stockists .

On the MMD in the last number of weeks two possible uses for silicone
rubber have been suggested--

1. The use of silicone as a general glue or sealant

This is where I believe the question of acetic acid smell arose. I'm not
at all sure of the legitimacy of using this material for general player
restoration.  That is really a completely separate issue.

2. The use of Silicone rubber as a pouch sealant

In digest 970410 and 970412 I reported on the use of thinned silicone
rubber caulk as possible pouch sealing material. The thinner
recommended by Dow was naptha(lighter fuel).  Toluol(unknown hardware
store solvent) seems to work as well. Mix 50-50 with caulk to make a
thick paste. Apply to pouch then immediately wipe away excess until pouch
is dry. I suggested that the silicone rubber seals better than any other
material that I tested AND that it stiffens the pouches less than any
other material tested. After application the rubber has cured and the
acetic acid smell has disappeared within a couple of minutes .

This is NOT the same material as the Silicone Grease 111 that Craig B
has been using. The silicone rubber does not appear to saturate the
leather but rather remains more on the surface as an air tight film.
Since the rubber cures within seconds there can be no question of
silicone migration. You can even seal the pouches BEFORE gluing. If you
do this the pouch appears to much less vulnerable to over stretching.--To
change the subject slightly -- could not a leather supplier treat a
whole skin this way and thus provide a very flexible leak tight material
for pouches and general restoration ?

Since the use of silicone rubber as a pouch sealant is something new
,there must obviously be some concern about its life. In the air and
sun, silicone has an estimated life of 35 -40 years . Sealed away in a
piano who knows how long it might last.

I hope the above may have eliminated some confusion

Phil Dayson