I am always reading and following the MMD posts, and I have
learned a lot of great information from a bunch of knowledgeable
people.  It is a pleasurable experience to read the exchange of
ideas and techniques in this fascinating field of mechanical musical
instruments.

Now, having said that, let me express my opinion on glues.  Only
too recently have I been blessed with not having to contend with
white/carpenter/plastic/rubber cement being used in a previous
restoration that I now have to contend with.

The wrong glue used in _any_ place is a nightmare!  Yet, I still
read of people using the wrong glues time and time again.  So,
out of my latest frustration -- a simple reed organ where the
previous guy used tons of white glue to recover the bellows --
I am forced to say this.

Hot hide glue is the _best_ way to do most jobs in this line of
work.  Properly and correctly used, it will last for an eternity!
It is so easy to remove from pneumatic boards of all types that even
the thought of using any other product is hateful to me.  Recovering
striker boards, medium pneumatics, large bellows, wood-to-wood joints
that may need someday to be broken apart (such as unit valves and
pneumatics), felt to wood, the list goes on and on.

I would _never_ use white, carpenters, RV adhesive, plastic glue,
rubber cement or a number of other beastly glues to do the job that hot
hide glue _should_ do.  Granted, it can't do everything, nor is it
applicable for everything; those other glues have their places.

But please, folks -- use and advocate hot hide glue!  'Cause if
I face another pneumatic stack or reed organ botched up with the wrong
glue, I may become dangerous!

I will close with this: in the actions and instruments where a previous
restorer used hot hide glue, I will inevitably find the rebuilder's
name and date.  But for those that slop an action back together with
crud, well, I have never found a name or a date.

I will always work to use the right materials and techniques, and as
such, I will always sign and date my work.  My 2 cents worth...

Burnley Cook