Hot Stuff Red and its fellow glues, Super T Orange and Special T Green, can do some amazing things for you. As you get to know them, you will discover more daily. We have collected some ideas to get you started.

Products:  Super-T, Special-T, NCF-Hot, Super Solvent

Method:  Soak the glue into the various cracks and fracture, as well as the part of the balance key button that has come loose. When you are sure that the key is straight, spray it with NCF and wait 20 seconds before letting go. Sand excess glue off if neded. Wait a couple of minutes before hitting the key hard.

Products:  Super-T

Method: Drill out hole or wrap cord around jack backside. Apply a dab of glue on cord. Spray with NCF. It’s ready to use!

Products:  Hot Stuff, Super-T

Method: The selection of glue will depend on the amount of gap where the buzz is located. If you need the glue to crawl into an existing glue joint, then, use Hot Stuff Red. If the joint is open or the soundboard is separated, use Super T Orange. Remember though, that if there is a gap, you will need to draw the soundboard and ribs together prior to spraying on the NCF. Hot Stuff Red is wonderful in searching out buzzing soundboard buttons. It crawls right in and stops the noise.

Products:  Super-T

Method: This once thankless job is made incredibly easy with Super T Orange. Line up 5-10 shanks at a time and apply Super T Orange to each side of the knuckle as well as the top of the molding. Insert the knuckles and align with whatever tool you normally use (like a small strip of 90-degree angle iron). When you are sure the knuckles are aligned, spray on the NCF. Wait 20 seconds before releasing the guide. With Super T Orange, you can get the job done quickly without messing with clamps.

Products:  Hot Stuff

Method: Apply a small drop of glue onto the button. Spray with NCF and allow to dry. Place the button in correct position and hold for 5 seconds.

Products:  Super-T

Method: Apply glue to one or both sides of shank. Realign shank/hammer so that the splinters mesh (More or less) and hammer is straight. Spray on NCF while holding hammer in place. Apply a glue collar around hammerhead base just as you were taught in school. Re-spray with NCF. (You can also use Hot Stuff Red after the first application to crawl into any crevices that might not have been filled with Super T Orange) Hammer can be played in about 30 seconds.

Products:  Special-T

Method: Damper Felts are meant for Special T Green. The super thick viscosity means that the glue won’t just soak into the felt like white glue will. Apply Special T Green to several waiting damper felts. Spray NCF on the wood damper block and allow to dry. Because Special T Green takes a bit longer to harden, you have a few seconds to position the felt correctly before the glue sets. Hold the damper in place for about 20 seconds.

Products:  Hot Stuff

Method: Set pin in place. Apply a small amount of Hot Stuff Red at the base of the pin opposite the side that the string rests on. Let the glue soak into the bridge as it creeps down into the hole. Spray on NCF and wait a few seconds. Repeat the procedure if necessary. If the pin is very loose (ie: an enlarged hole), use Super T Orange.

Products:  Hot Stuff

Method: Although no piano company is immune, there is a Japanese piano maker who had a problem about 10 years ago with hammerhead glue joints. These hammers would click when played. In fact, almost all the shank/butt joints, including the backcheck shanks, in these actions eventually failed. Before Hot Stuff Red, these shanks had to be popped off and re-glued. With Hot Stuff Red, the job takes minutes, not hours. Turn the action so that the hammers are upside down. Apply enough Hot Stuff Red to the glue collar to insure that all the cracks in the joint are filled. Spray the joint with NCF-wait a minute and then re-apply the Hot Stuff Red. If you are doing an entire section, each step can be done in groups. Backchecks can be done the same way.

Products:  Hot Stuff, Super-T

Method: If the ivory or key top has not come completely loose, use the crawling powers of Hot Stuff Red. Using a Pro-Tip, wick red glue under ivory. Make sure that no glue has gotten on top of the ivory (so you don’t stick your finger to it). Spray NCF into the area and immediately apply pressure onto the top of the key top. Wait 5-10 seconds before checking the joint. If the ivory is completely off or ivory is completely removed from key, use Super-T Orange on one side of the joint, and line up the parts. When you are sure they are lined up, spray NCF around the edge of the joint while applying pressure to the key top. Make sure you check that no glue has gotten onto the key top!

Products:  Hot Stuff

Method: See-Loose hammerheads

Products:  Hot Stuff

Method:  Use the crawling ability of Hot Stuff Red to get into the hole and tighten up the post. SEE LOOSE BRIDGE PINS.

Products:  Hot Stuff

Method:  In Grand pianos, remove piano action. In vertical pianos, lay piano on its back. Apply Pro-Tip applicator on Hot Stuff Red, put 5-10 drops of glue around the base of the tuning pin until the capillary action stops. Do this in groups of 15 pins. Go back a second time and add a few more drops proceeding onto a new group. When this step is completed, spray NCF around the base of each tuning pin. Wait 15 minutes and tune! To do entire piano you will need 2 two-ounce bottles.

Products:  Hot Stuff, Super-T, Special-T

Method:  Use Hot Stuff instead of screws.

Products:  Hot Stuff

Method:  Line up the jack flanges (push down with tweezers) and make sure that they are snug against the wippen arm. Because you are using Hot Stuff Red, which is normally too thin for wood, spray the joints all the way up and down the action with NCF first. This will prevent the glue from soaking into the wood. Allow the NCF to dry. Next, apply 2-3 drops of Hot Stuff Red at each joint. Wait l minute. Test a joint-if it fails, repeat the application of Hot Stuff Red, then, re-spray with NCF. (Seldom needed except for older, dirty actions).

Products:  Hot Stuff, Super-T

Method:  When you are trying to fix very small chips (pin head sized) or large pin holes in the finish, it is difficult getting the polyester to flow into such small areas. Hot Stuff Red and Super T Orange can oftentimes help. The repair will not be as good as a proper polyester repair, but in many cases, the size of the repair makes this unimportant. On pinholes use Hot Stuff Red. Small chips are better filled with Super T Orange. Make sure the hole is clean. Work the glue into the hole with a pin if necessary, then spray on the NCF. Allow at least 30 minutes between applications and sanding/buffing.

Products:  Hot Stuff

Method:  The cold crack must be clean and free from polish or grease. To clean, rub the length of the crack with lacquer thinner on a clean, lint free cloth. Allow the thinner to dry completely. With the crack in a horizontal position, apply a bead of Hot Stuff Red on top of and along the crack. Hot Stuff Red will soak into the crack over the next minute. When you see the outline of the crack in the bead of glue, add more glue. Continue until the glue stops soaking into the crack. Apply a very fine and light mist of NCF along the crack and allow the glue to harden very slowly. Re-spray with NCF after 30 seconds. This will prevent the glue from hardening too quickly, which will cause foaming. If the glue does foam, there is no guarantee that the crack will be properly sealed. Once the glue has set, you can sand the bead down and buff it to a high gloss just like a polyester repair. If you allow the piece to sit for 24 hours, you will get excellent results and you will be able to use a power buffer for the final polishing (after sanding to a level of 1500 grit). If you wish to complete the repair ASAP, let the glue harden for a minimum of 30 seconds before proceeding. NOTE: If on a black finish the crack appears white after you wash it with thinners, pass over the length of the crack with a permanent black marker.

Products:  Hot Stuff

Method:  White patches are caused by the polyester lifting away from the veneer. The air pocket no long allows light to reflect properly and the lifted polyester takes some of the stain away from the wood. Normally, you would have to cut out the polyester, re-grain the wood as best you could, and complete the polyester repair. With Hot Stuff Red, the crawling ability of the glue will fill in these gaps and return the area to its original color (if the wood is damaged, this procedure will not work successfully, but will provide an excellent base to begin repair). Put a few drops of Hot Stuff Red on top of the damaged area. Allow the glue to seep into the cracks and watch color return. If the glue is not able to seep into all of the white patches, assist it by carefully prying up the polyester, pushing the polyester up and down with a stir stick, or poking the finish with a compass needle. You should be able to remove all the traces of white this way but if some damage to the wood has occurred, the grain might appear discolored. When you are sure the Hot Stuff Red has done its job, soak up any extra glue that is sitting on the finish with a clean paper towel. Spray the area with NCF and wait one or two minutes before proceeding. An excellent polyester repair will follow if you scoop out a shallow duck pond over the repair area. (Don’t go deeper than half the depth of the finish). Color the floor of the repair to hide any small discolorations if necessary. Continue with a normal polyester repair as outlined in “Polyester Repair Manual”. Note to Polyester Technicians: In any polyester repair involving cracks or bullet holes in the finish, it is not possible to put polyester repair over a cracked finish. The cracks you cover will re-appear on the surface of the repair patch during buffing. You must either go right down to the wood at the crack location or seal the crack with Hot Stuff Red.

Products:  Super-T

Method:  Cut cloth to correct size and shape. Put bead of glue on plate to follow cloth pattern. Spray back of cloth with NCF. Apply very carefully.

Products:  Super-T

Method:  Put a drop of glue on screw slot. Spray NCF on screwdriver. Blade will hold well until you get screw started.

Products:  Super-T

Method:  Under normal conditions, technicians prefer to use white glue for this operation. However, there does come a time when you mess up the angle of the hole in the butt. With Super T Orange you can open up the hole a bit so that the hammer can be set straight. Pour in enough Super T Orange so that hole will be filled when the shank is inserted. Line up the hammer, and then spray with NCF while holding the hammer in position. Wait 15-20 seconds before releasing the hammer. Also, remember to check that the hammer shanks line up at the bottom as well as the top before spraying the joint.

Products:  Super-T

Method:  Apply one drop of Super T Orange on the backcheck shank (or whatever you plan to glue the strap to). Spray the bridle strap with NCF. When you place the strap on the shank, it should take only a few seconds for the glue to set. (You can save time by doing 5 straps at a time).

Products:  Hot Stuff, Super-T

Method:  Open soundboard crack using shimming tool or router. Spread Super T Orange in soundboard crack (just like Titebond). Insert shim, then wick in Hot Stuff Red. It will find any surface that does not have glue on it. Spray with NCF, wait 5 minutes, then shim away.

Products:  Super-T, Special-T

Method:  Apply enough Super T Orange to the crack so that it doesn’t quite squeeze out when you draw the bridge together. Make sure the pins are in their proper position and draw the crack together with a clamp. Spray on NCF. Because the NCF will only speed up the curing of the outside of the joint, it would be best to leave the bridge clamped for 3-5 minutes and avoid tension on the bridge for 20 minutes. If you want to speed up this time and you have become quite familiar with the drying time of this glue, you can spray the glue while the crack is still open and then draw the crack together with the clamp.

Products:  Super-T, Special-T

Method:  Use Super T Orange for hard woods; Special T for soft woods. Fill the hole with the glue. Spray the screw with teflon to prevent the screw from sticking in the glue. Insert the screw in the hole and spray the area with NCF. When the glue is hard, unscrew the screw, and re-spray. Wait a few minutes before applying load to repair.