S&S 1098 finish problem...

[pianolac]

Jay,
I would definitely try Mike Brachter's suggestions.  If that doesn't work
and the customer still holds you responsible, you can try the following:

Thoroughly clean the area with a citrus based cleaner, and wipe clean with a
water dampened rag until all traces of dirt are removed.  Lightly sand with
#320 paper.  Spray several thin coats of Krylon laquer (not poly or
acrylic), on a dry day (humidity over 50% could cause blushing).  Wait 2
weeks, then follow Mike's procedure.

What probably happened, is the sunlight caused the plasticizer in the laquer
to evaporate, leaving the "alligator" crack lines.  The stain leached up
into the sun softened coating, resulting in the color coming off on the rag.
The above procedure might fill in the cracks and re-plasticize the lacquer.

Good luck.
Arthur Grudko
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jay Mercier" <jaymercier@hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, August 02, 2002 11:22 PM
Subject: S&S 1098 finish problem...


> Greetings List,
>
> I serviced a mid '70's Steinway 1098 Vertical today.  Everything went well
> and as I was about to walk out the door the customer asked about finish
> care.  Her Steinway manual states to "use nothing except a lightly
dampened
> cloth to clean the finish."  She was wondering about the thin cracks that
> were appearing.  I told her it was due to many years of prolonged sunlight
> hitting the surface. (the piano sat near a window with direct sunlight
> during the afternoon hours.)  I showed her the other side of the piano
that
> doesn't get the sun, and of course there were no cracks in the finish.  I
> brought a few finish products in from the car and showed them to her - one
> being Cory All Brite.  I told her that I use this and other piano finish
> care products on pianos that could use it, but that her piano would
probably
> need a complete refinish job to remove the cracks.  Out of curiosity I
> applied the All-Brite to a small area on the sun-beaten area of the piano.
> To my horror the finish turned from a walnut gloss (laquer, I think), to a
> walnut satin.  I tried restoring the gloss with McGuire's #3 and then #9,
> but with no luck.  Then I asked her to get a clean, damp cloth like
Steinway
> says in the brochure.  I asked her to wipe a different area affected by
the
> sun and not touched by me  - same thing happened.  Now that Cory All-Brite
> is not at fault here, I'm trying to  think of a way to restore the shiny,
> gloss look so the customer will not have to wipe the entire piano to a
satin
> look.  (After the damp rag was wiped on the finish, it left the color of
the
> stain on the rag).  This happened with both the All-Brite and the damp
rag.
>
> She claims she has never used anything on the piano except a "lightly damp
> cloth."  The cloth today was not drenched with water either.  I'm thinking
> right now that maybe the sun did this finish in to a point of melting the
> properties of the laquer, thus wiping it would cause it to "smear" thus
> bending the light rays in however they bend with the satin look.
>
> Any thoughts or suggestions?
>
> Jay Mercier
> Associate member,
> Twin Cities Chapter PTG
> Glenwood, MN
>
>
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