Joel Gauthier wrote in MMD 061002:

  I have read many articles that say that when you
  finish a pneumatic, it should be able to
  "fall open and closed" under its own weight.

I believe it was Craig Brougher that started this.  It all depends on
how thick and how flexible the cloth is and how it is applied.  If you
use the silk-covered cloth offered by PPCo, and use good gluing
techniques, then it will close under its own weight.  If you use the
standard cloth, it will spring open all by itself, even if you glue it
right.  The problem being that as the cloth on the side of the pneumatic
gets closer to the hinge area, it folds and can bind.  The cloth also
acts like a spring, forcing the pneumatic open again.  Both are related
to how stiff and thick your cloth is.

When the players were built in 1920, they didn't worry about having the
pneumatics falling closed under their own weight.  They didn't have the
technology to make this possible.  In fact, the pneumatics having a
slight spring to them helps in overcoming friction in the linkage and
helps air enter through the open valve.  This should help in repetition
when returning the key back to the resting point.

You mention having glue come out when you press the cloth to the wood,
but there should be very little that comes out.  If it looks completely
dry along the entire edge, then I would use more.  There is a very fine
line between whether you use too little or too much.  What you don't
want to happen is the glue beading up on the inside edge of the
pneumatic, especially near the hinge, where it will cause binding
problems.

I use my finger to lower the cloth to the gluing surface.  By running my
finger across both surfaces of the wood to press the cloth to the wood,
I put more pressure on the inside edge of the wood, which squeezes glue
from the inside edge to the outside.  This must be done carefully since
you don't want to drag glue to the inside of the cloth.  This can happen
if this is done after the cloth contacts the glue.

Regarding your glue consistency, I have never had to pour off water
after soaking the glue crystals.  You did use too much water.  I add the
crystals to the pot dry and then add water until they all have about 1/8
inch of water covering them.  If you let it sit, all of the water will
be absorbed.  You can let it stand overnight or just turn on the pot and
let it come up to temperature.  You will have to stir the mixture a few
times over then next 1/2 hour before it is ready for use.  Adding more
water will be necessary as the crystals dissolve more completely.

I would use a candy thermometer to verify the temperature, if you are a
first-time user.  If the pot is too cold, you will tend to use more
water to thin it down, which is bad. If the consistency is thin, you can
add more crystals directly to the heated glue.  You will have to stir
and wait about 30 minutes before using the glue though.  It should be
perfectly smooth when you stir it, no tiny bumps.

Pete Knobloch
Tempe, Ariz.