Solvent for PVC-E Glue

[Jurgen G]

Is there a solvent for PVC-E glue?
I have a nifty plastic glue applicator dispenser ( see photo)  in which I left some keytop glue for too long.  It  has thickened and now I can't get the gummy residue out of the tube of the dispenser.

It does not readily dissolve in water, although keeping water in it keeps it from hardening altogether.  What can I use to dissolve it?

[Barbara Richmond]

Sometimes I've been able to peel it out of containers....  It's better when there is a wide opening.

Barbara Richmond

near Peoria, IL

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From: "Goering, Jurgen" <piano...@pianofortesupply.com>
To: pian...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2014 8:29:31 PM
Subject: [pianotech] Solvent for PVC-E Glue

[Ron Nossaman]

On 6/23/2014 9:16 PM, Barbara Richmond wrote:
> Sometimes I've been able to peel it out of containers.... It's better
> when there is a wide opening.

Yep. That's it. Not to be confused with dissolving or anything like it.
Ron N

[Euphonious Thumpe]

Try ammonia. Thumpe (Please let us know if it works.) Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad

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From: Ron Nossaman <rnos...@cox.net>;
To: <pian...@googlegroups.com>;
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Solvent for PVC-E Glue
Sent: Tue, Jun 24, 2014 2:43:30 AM

[Mark Potter]

Agreed.  I am not personally familiar with Jurgen's "nifty applicator", but have found that soaking my PVC-E applicator tip in very hot (near boiling) water makes the clog more malleable and far easier to clear manually.  Piano wire/guitar wire/toothpicks to the rescue;)

Mark Potter

[Dan Silverwood]

Drop the tip into a mild surfactant like dish soap and leave it for a while.

[Larry Fisher RPT]

From time to time I've used lacquer thinner to get dried PVC-E out of my clothes  .........  with limited results.  Soaking helps.  Nifty container indeed.  Lacquer might melt it.  Depending on the plastic hot water might distort it. 

[Jurgen G]

I had the dispenser filled with water for about a week. Then I immersed it in a pot of simmering water for a while. Luckily the plastic did not distort at that temperature. I was able to get 90% of the glue residue out by putting small pieces of rag into the openings and manipulating it with wires and sticks.
Thanks everyone.

[David Skolnik]

Jurgen -
You never got around to trying high pressure air or water.  Too bad.  Meanwhile, I'd be interested to know more about the applicator bottle.  Very cute.  My suggestion would be to fill (or partially fill) it for a particular application and then empty it and soak it in water, before the glue has a chance to dry.
Interesting how challenging it was to find any technical reference to PVC-E, but all this glue stuff is interesting.  Thanks
David Skolnik
Hastings on Hudson, NY

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[beng...@rocketmail.com]

It is called a Glu-Bot. You don't have to wait for glue or leave your glue bottle rolling around on it's side on your bench. I love them. Great for quick repetitive little dabs of glue.

http://www.rockler.com/glu-bot-glue-bottle-or-babe-bot-glue-bottle

[Jurgen G]

No doubt, not letting the glue grow old in an applicator is probably a good idea....  Guilty as charged...  To be open, I don't really like PVC-E and not being reversible is one of the reasons I hardly use it for anything except keytops.  The one thing I use it for, hence the glue bottle, is gluing backing felt onto bass damper felt strips.  In this application, it does not need to be reversible, unlike just about every other felt glued in an action.  Its flexibility when cured is one more advantage when I put backing felt onto bass  damper strips. The strips remain bendable and I don't have to ship them in tubes or 28" long packages.

I think the applicator design is European but I am not certain.  At any rate you can save yourself $2.50 if you get them from my favorite secret tool place, Lee Valley Tools.
Warning: don't click on this link if you are a woodworking tool junkie.  It could be your downfall.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=48304&cat=1,110,42967