Hi all, regarding gluing ivory keytops back on the key of a existing
keyboard covered with ivory.

In my 30 or so years in this business we always reglued ivory tops the
old way with animal glue, often splitting it because the water in the
glue tends to warp the old ivories.

About 5 years ago we discovered Cryanoacrylate glue (clear) works the
best of all.  The reason for this is that ivory is a porous substance
(elephant tusk, and sometimes bone ivory).  When dried out for many
years it becomes brittle, and begins to crack, chip and split.  It will
warp when any type of water-based glue is used.

What we discovered is that Cryno, commonly known as Krazy-glue, dries
almost instantly, not allowing the ivory to warp.  Use surgical gloves,
and then to prepare the key use a one-sided razor blade, the type you
use to take paint off windows.  Scrape the wafer part clean of any old
glue; if the white wafer is gone then scrape clean to smooth and
flatten.  Then paint on the surface (wood part) of the key some "Liquid
Paper", ivory color, and allow to dry.

Then with the Krazy-glue apply on the key part a small bead in a
figure-8 in the area to be glued.  Also make sure that the underside
of the ivory is clean and smoothly slide it on the top of the key,
making sure it's perfectly straight.  Hold it tightly for one minute,
then wipe off the excess glue with a paper towel.  If you follow what
I'm telling you it will come out just like at the factory.  Hope this
helps.

Kim Bunker