polyester refinishing?

[pianolac]

List.

If you take 3 cured samples of polyester, lacquer and PianoLac (waterborne
lacquer) and polish them to the highest degree of luster (wet sanding to
#1500 and compounding with progressively finer compounds, ending with the
finest Menzerna bar with the softest airway buff) you would likely discover:

1.  The polyester will have the "jettest" black giving the most apparent
shine.
2.  The lacquer and PianoLac will be a close second, almost
indistinguishable from the polyester.
3.  If you scratch the polyester, the inside of the scratch will look gray,
while scratched lacquer or PianoLac  will look black.  It's also much more
difficult to touch up than either.

Lacquer is more brittle than either of the other two, and nowadays, more
likely to crack over time.  This is because of the VOC laws that mandate
removal of chemicals such as plasticizers from lacquer.  PianoLac is VOC
compliant all of the country (even in Southern Ca.).
Even though polyester solvents are extremely toxic and the dust is toxic, it
is VOC compliant by viture of its high solids/low solvent nature.

Arthur Grudko
----- Original Message -----
From: <Kdivad@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 8:22 AM
Subject: Re: polyester refinishing?


> In a message dated Wed, 21 Aug 2002 7:40:36 PM Eastern Standard Time,
cmpiano@attbi.com writes:
>
> >
> >
> >
> > Terry, the harder a material is the higher the potential shine.
Polyester I'm told is 7 times harder than lacquer, so it will take a much
greater shine. A diamond much more so.  FWIW.
> >
> > Carl Meyer  Assoc. PTG
> > Santa Clara, California
> > cmpiano@attbi.com
>
> Hello Carl, I have also heard that polyester is harder than
> lacquer but in my experience I'm not sure if harder is the correct word,
maybe stronger would be better.  No scientific facts here just observation,
lacquer appears to be more brittle than polyester.  I have polished out both
and can find no difference in the final sheen quality.
> Does anybody know more facts?
>
> David Koelzer
> Vintage Pianos
> DFW
>