Refinishing Success at Last!

[Farrell]

Comments interspersed below:

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Wilsons" <wilson53@marshall.edu>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 9:29 AM
Subject: Re: Refinishing Success at Last!


What is PSL?

Oxfore Premium Spray Laquer from Target Coatings (targetcoatings.com)

Where do you get it?

Homestead Finishing Products in Cleveland, Ohio (homesteadfinishing.com)

and I think an academic question for
this list is one regarding spray method mentioned below vs brand of
waterbase topcoat.  Webb Phillips recommends HVLP because of the warming
benefit.  It is suggested here that the warm air in HVLP may be a hindrance
to good finish.  Comments?

Yeah, I know. I am using the HVLP, but it is a conversion gun that runs off
an air compressor. I believe you are referring to an HVLP gun that runs off
a turbine. I had heard that the turbines were the way to go a while back.  I
may have experienced trouble with the turbine because I am often spraying in
warm weather. Perhaps that is why I seem to be having better luck with the
conversion gun. I'm not sure what the warm air from the turbine does - does
it make the paint less viscous and it flows easier, or does it heat it up
and make it dry faster and not let it flow out completely?

I know that there are many folks that use brand Y or X paint and syle R or S
gun and bla, bla, bla. I think the thing to do is to talk to as many people
involved in refinishing - especially those that have had good results and
try it yourself and see. Keep trying until you get something that works for
you. Perhaps its like drilling a pinblock. Joe uses type A material and
drills with a size P drill, while Fredricka uses type B material and drills
with size Q drill - and they all work fine. Whatever works for you.

Wally Wilson, RPT
Ravenswood, WV
Columbus, OH  Chapter

At 07:54 AM 1/22/01 -0500, you wrote:
>Well, yes, the PSL is waterbase - at least that is what the can says. I'm
no
>expert with any of this stuff, but the
>others I tried did all sorts of weird things and this one just seems to go
>on easy and sands so very easy (I have no doubt that some of the problems
>were directly associated with my lack of spray experience). I put six coats
>on one day and six the next
>(wanted to be sure I did not sand through!). Let it dry a week and it
sanded
>so very easily (I hit it with 600 grit, then 800 and then hand-rubbed for
>the satin - for the gloss I went to 1000 wet-sanding, then 1500, and then
>buffing).
>
>The Oxford PSL is not the only thing that is new for me in this process. I
>did not have a good experience with water base grain fillers and stains. I
>went back to the oil-based paste wood grain filler/stain that I have used
>for years refinishing mahogany yachts. I am also using the new 3M 216U
>Production Fre-Cut Gold sandpaper that Mark Potter posted on. Fabulous
>stuff. I also got a new spray gun, an Asturo ECO/S - its an Italian,
gravity
>feed, HVLP conversion gun (runs off air compressor - I guess turbines tend
>to heat spray up and can cause problems). So, yes I changed topcoat
product,
>but I also changed some other major components of the process. But I
finally
>feel confident that I can reliably put a finish on a piano that is fully
the
>equivalent of that found on any new high-end piano.
>
>Terry Farrell
>Piano Tuning & Service
>Tampa, Florida
>mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Greg Newell" <gnewell@ameritech.net>
>To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2001 11:04 PM
>Subject: Re: Refinishing Success at Last!
>
>
>Terry,
>    Being this happy as you are, are you sure this is water based stuff?
>:')
>
>Greg
>
>Farrell wrote:
>
>> I have posted several times regarding troubles I had been experiencing
>> trying to lay down a decent topcoat on a piano. I just thought I would
>> briefly post that I have finally had success.
>>
>> I prepared several test panels of mahogany, walnut and birch veneered
>> plywood and did several different stain colors (red, brown, etc.) with
>clear
>> topcoats and two panels in ebony (black). Sprayed them with Oxford PSL
>> (Premium Spray Laquer), rubbed them out and made a couple hi-gloss and
>> several satin. The ebony is good, but in good light I can see that I need
>to
>> adjust my sanding schedule just a bit (hey - it was my first try!) - in
my
>> home, I can't tell the difference between it and my ebony Boston grand.
>The
>> satin stained and clearcoated pieces came out fabulous. Perfectly flat,
no
>> imperfections, NO WINDOWS BETWEEN SPRAYED LAYERS, no pinholes, no nuttin'
>> but beautiful red mahogany/brown walnut grain and a warm satin finish.
And
>> it all sanded very, very easy - I know now I will have no difficulty
>getting
>> consistent good results!
>>
>> Thanks Mark Potter for a lot of help from you!
>>
>> I am sooooooooooooooooooooo happy!  :-)     :-)     ;-)
>>
>> Terry Farrell
>> Piano Tuning & Service

>> Tampa, Florida
>> mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
>
>--
>Greg Newell
>Greg's Piano Forté
>19270 Harlon Ave.
>Lakewood, Ohio 44107
>216-226-3791
>mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net
>