Varnish on Soundboards

[Joseph Garrett]

I once did an evaluation of a Bechstein 7' Grand, that had been
"Re-what'evered" in Europe. It had a Polyester finish and was quite nice
cosmetically. However, it had about as much power as a 5' Wurly! Several
techs had looked at it and none could find out why. I crawled under the
piano and looked up at the nose bolt holes. There was big globs of Polyester
sagging down around the holes. On very close inspection, there was an
extremely THICK coat(s) of Polyester finish on the board. (BTW, there was
adequate crown). That finish killed the sound, IMO! My experience with
varnish on boards, is extensive. I put 1or2 coats of the highest grade Spar
Varnish on first. Sanding between each coat. This, I call my "color and
sealer" coats. Then I apply 2-4 coats of Varathane, (Professional Grade).
Sanding between each coat. The final end result is a very thin, smooth
finish, that allows the board to vibrate as it should and has a very nice
look. Varnish, over time, gets very Hard. This is a given. Varathane, on the
other hand, takes much longer to get hard and has a nice elasticity to it,
that, I believe, does not "bind" up the board. This is my way/philosophy, in
regards to Varnish. Hope this helps.
This system, takes a WHOLE LOT OF TIME, so it's not for the "in a hurry"
group.<G>
Best Regards,
Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)

Been There, Didn't Like It, So I'm Here To Stay! [G}