> Date: Mon, 11 Aug 1997 15:38:11 -0500 > To: pianotech@ptg.org > From: skroeker@MTS.NET (Stan Kroeker) > Subject: Re: Polyester Repair > Reply-to: pianotech@ptg.org Thanks Stan for the informative post. Thanks to Paul, Phil and others for their info! I think I'll take the plunge... David ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA > >> Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 13:23:08 -0500 > >> To: pianotech@ptg.org > >> From: skroeker@MTS.NET (Stan Kroeker) > >> Subject: Re: Polyester Repair > >> Reply-to: pianotech@ptg.org > > > >Stan, > > > >I would like some advice on buffing out polyester pianos. What > >kind of buffer is the best. Polishes? What to look out > >for when attempting this work. I have many pianos that could > >really benefit from this work and I would like to be able to > >offer the service. Many years ago I help prep pianos for a > >dealer at a "warehouse". They had a great touchup man who used > >this hand-held electric buffer. I believe he squirted on some > >kind of a polish as he buffed the finish. > > > >Thanks in advance... > > > >David ilvedson, RPT > >Pacifica, CA > > David, > > I own a Black & Decker (industrial grade) 'Buffmaster' electronic polisher. > Although the Milwaukee mentioned in another post is a high quality machine > as is the Makita, they are quite a bit more costly than the B & D. Look > for a machine with variable speed (mine is 0 - 3000 rpm). I think they all > have trigger locks which make for less discomfort during long buffing > sessions. > > Another post mentioned the foam pads which attach to the buffing adapter > with velcro (I think 3M makes these 'Hook-It' pads). Although I have not > used these, I have heard encouraging opinions. My understanding is that > these pads work best in the final stage of polishing. For more protracted > repairs and scratch removal I believe the flannel wheels charged with the > appropriate compound are more efficient. > > These wheels also require a special adaptor to attach to the spindle of the > buffer and are designed to buff on the edge of the wheel rather than the > face of a bonnet type. The Menzerna compounds I use come in bar form > (should be available from your Konig distributor) and are applied to the > edge of the spinning wheel. When buffing on the edge of a 10" wheel, a > great deal of heat is generated and the machine must keep moving across the > part being polished. The wheel must be cleaned of old compound after > roughly 15 minutes of buffing either with the use of special 'rakes' or > simply a dedicated wire brush held against the rotating wheel. If you use > different grades of compound it is best to have a separate wheel for each > grade. > > In practice, I prefer to go from the finest sandpaper (1500 micro-fine) > directly to the finest polishing compound. You must evaluate each piece > being buffed as to whether the scratches are fine enough to simply buff > out, or whether they must be wet sanded first. When buffing the rather > large sanded area that results from a relatively small polyester patch, it > is recommended that you polish the patch area using the hand applied > rubbing compounds (part of the Konig kit) and then use the machine to buff > the rest of the area. This avoids the need to wait 24 hours for the > material to cure to its hardest, and minimizes the risk of shrinking the > patch with the heat generated from the buffing wheel. > > After machine buffing there is usually a great deal of compound dust > sticking to the static charged cabinet. I sometimes use Windex on a > polishing cloth to pick up most of this dust and then polish by hand with > the Cory High Gloss Polish. > > Hope this helps, > > > Stan Kroeker > Registered Piano Technician > > Kroeker & Sons Piano Experts > 59 Quiring Bay > Winnipeg, Manitoba > Canada R2G 1Y5 > > Ph. 204-669-5881 > Res. 204-661-5621 > > > >
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