Vincent Morgan wrote:

> A friend bought a barrel organ some time ago and discovered that the
> pipes were glued in with epoxy.  Does anyone know of a way to remove
> the pipes for repair without destroying the organ?  Is there a solvent
> for epoxy?

Hi Vince,  You friend has two problems.  The first one is to find
whoever used epoxy to 'fix' that organ so that he or she can be severely
reprimanded for using epoxy to ruin the organ.  Perhaps a little epoxy
applied between his fingers and toes would get his attention!

Addressing the problem (rather than the problem-maker), I see several
approaches.  Epoxy can be softened with heat and with chemicals.
I don't see him getting the wooden parts hot enough to soften the epoxy
but making them warmer will speed the action of the chemicals.  Watch
out for fumes.

There are products designed to remove epoxy (like "Attack"); search for
"epoxy remover".  However, several hours exposure to the chemicals in
paint stripper will usually soften epoxy.  I think that either acetone
or methylene chloride is the agent.

I'd try the orange stripper first to see if that less offensive stripper
would work.  If not, get a can of something like BIX stripper and try
that.  Cover it with plastic wrap[*] to reduce evaporation.  Either way,
it takes several hours to convert the epoxy to a thick colloidal mass.

If the offending repair person used the epoxy inside the hole instead
of just around the foot of the pipe, it may well be impossible to
remove it.  In that case, I'd carefully cut through the foot of the pipe.
The old hide glue should let him easily remove the remainder of the
foot from inside the bottom of the pipe.  With the top (pipe board)
removed from the chest, he can then drill out the epoxy and reshape the
hole to accept a new foot, turned from maple or basswood.

Before starting this process, he should ascertain that the 'epoxy'
isn't really shellac or hide glue or even white glue.

Good luck!  He'll need it!

Craig Smith
Rochester, NY, USA

 [ * The chemical fumes might dissolve the plastic wrap, too!
 [ Make some tests beforehand.  -- Robbie