Automotive finishes

[Frank Weston]

I'm not sure what automotive finish you have in mind that would be cheaper
and easier to apply than NC lacquer.  Also, automotive finishes are
generally more brittle and less accommodating of expansion and contraction
of wood.  An automotive finish may look good now, but in a short time it
might begin to check and crack.  I'd stick to products designed for wood.

Why would you want a poly-like high gloss look?  Its a ton of work to get it
smooth enough not to show defects, and it generally just looks cheap.  Go
for an ebony satin using lacquer.  Steinway does.

Frank Weston

-----Original Message-----
From: robert goodale <rrg@nevada.edu>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2000 1:00 AM
Subject: Automotive finishes


>Hey there...
>
>I'm working on applying a black lacquer finish over what was a
>light walnut studio upright.  The finish was damaged enough that
>any repair would still look like patch work so filling and
>sanding it down and shooting it with black lacquer seemed the
>most economical solution.  I'll rub it down and it should have a
>nice satin look.
>
>As I was working on this project today a thought occurred to me.
>What would it be like to apply an automotive finish to a piano?
>Polyester seems to be impractical for the small shop if you want
>a glossy finish, but a glossy automotive finish might be the
>ticket.  It would be harder than lacquer, more resistant to
>scratches, and have a poly-like appearance.  It would also be a
>more practical and workable material to spray in a small shop.
>
>Anybody ever experimented with this?  What do you think?
>
>Rob Goodale, RPT
>Las Vegas, NV
>