MMD readers will be relieved and delighted to learn that sealed,
uncured RTV silicone adhesives have shelf lives of several years,
especially if kept cold.  Even once their package seals are broken,
they will remain usable for many months if all air is expelled and
they are hermetically resealed.

Uncured RTV pastes and liquids thicken only slightly in low
temperatures, and their excellent grabbing characteristics are very
consistent.  Standard moisture-catalysed RTV sets somewhat slower in
colder, drier conditions but the final bond is not degraded.  Hot glue
is chill-sensitive and parts to be glued with it must always be kept
very warm to prevent premature crystallisation causing weak bonds.

Among adhesives, cured RTV  -- engineering grade, that is, not
"bathtub caulk" -- has the one of widest service temperature ranges
and bond strength vs. temperature curves.  It will withstand domestic
oven temperatures without breaking down, yet does not embrittle at
well below sub-zero temperatures, and so is used widely in airframes.

RTV's bond is every bit as much a molecular bond as any other
adhesive, hence its remarkable strength even between smooth and
disparate surfaces.  Being a tough elastomer it is superior at
withstanding shock loadings and so is ideal for striker pneumatics.

Cured RTV, unlike hot glue, is unaffected by humidity or desiccation.
Dampness (the colloquial word for elevated humidity in air, wood,
masonry, etc.) and central heating are responsible for countless
hot-glued furniture joints failing.

Used as I've recommended, RTV can be treated simply as a superior
version of animal glue without the problems.  What an adhesive is made
of is irrelevant, providing it's effective and reliable yet does no
damage and is reversible when necessary.

After 35 years experience of piano and fine-arts conservation I shall
continue to use and advocate techniques which I have found fittest for
the purpose in rebuilding players, including using RTV and other
materials as appropriate.

I'm grateful for the numerous emails I've received recently in support
and appreciation of my published findings.  I am always willing to
correspond privately but also to share my experience on the MMD as long
as subscribers think it worthwhile.

Paddy Handscombe
Wivenhoe, Essex, UK