Piano Finishes

[John Delacour]

At 12:48 PM -0800 12/11/01, Joseph Garrett wrote:

>  You make the decision. IMHO Lacquer or Varnish are the
>only "proper" finishes. I wouldn't consider the Polyester finishes, because
>that stuff is extremely Carcinogenic when it's in a liquid state. (according
>to EPA)

Me too.  I started in the trade by learning to frenchpolish to a 
glass finish and that's how I do it now.  Now all the old-timers are 
dead, there are less than a handful in the country that know the art 
and I treasure the knowledge.

In between I've experimented with umpteen different finishes and 
hated them all.  Most of all I hate polyester.  The only product that 
came near to giving a thin hard bright finish was an acid-catalysed 
melamine lacquer I tried, but the fumes were horrendous as it cured.

JD