refinishing frustrations

[Robert Edwardsen]

Hi Greg,

I scrape carefully with even pressure only removing the finish and not
digging into the wood at all.  If the stain is uneven (as is the case with a
sun damaged piano in my shop now) I bleach the case.

Rob

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Greg Newell" <gnewell@ameritech.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 8:38 AM
Subject: Re: refinishing frustrations


> Rob,
>          I'm worried about the same issue with scraping that I am with
> sanding. How do you prevent going through in spots and what are you doing
> to even out the color? Are you using the color exactly as it is under the
> old finish or darker? This is exactly what I am struggling with. Seems the
> old color underneath the clear coat is quite dark indeed. Almost black!
>
> best,
> Greg
>
>
>
> At 06:08 AM 4/27/2005, you wrote:
> >Hi Greg,
> >
> >Another option is to scrape as much old finish off as possible to avoid
> >working with stripper, nasty stuff, and only bleach when there is color
> >variation that needs to be evened out.
> >
> >Rob E.
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: <mailto:bases-loaded76@sbcglobal.net>Mark Potter
> >To: <mailto:pianotech@ptg.org>Pianotech
> >Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 5:47 AM
> >Subject: Re: refinishing frustrations
> >
> >Hi Greg -
> >
> >When you say the wood seems to end up darker than you would like when you
> >try to even out the color are you referring to evening out the color from
> >one piece to the next (i.e. - making the legs the same color as the
> >fallboard), or evening out some color 'blotchiness' you may encounter on
> >an individual piece?  If you are referring to blotchiness, I would say
you
> >are inflicting this on yourself in the stripping process by being more
> >aggressive in some areas than in others in either scrubbing or sanding.
> >In my experience, if you just let the stripper remove the finish to the
> >point where a putty knife will easily scrape it off, that avoids pitfall
#
> >1 - scrubbing real hard in stubborn places to remove finish still
> >adhering. Then if you lightly scrub/rinse WITH THE SAME EVEN PRESSURE
> >THRUOUT using either a water/alcohol, lacquer thinner, or TSP rinse (or
> >combination of all 3)with #1 steel wool or maroon scotchbrite pad, you
> >should have all pieces stripped clean, free of any blotchiness.  I am not
> >a big fan of inflicting further aggression on the wood after achieving
> >this state other than a light sanding with 150 - 220.  My personal
opinion
> >is that bleaching robs the wood - especially mahogany - of some depth
that
> >is not retrievable. Just my opinion, FWIW.  Nor have I found it necessary
> >or desirable to go after the old filler with scrub brushes, but to each
> >his own.
> >
> >As far as keeping the color as light as possible, I will generally pick
> >the darkest piece of the lot, and only dye as necessary to get the rest
of
> >the pieces to that shade. I would consider this then to be the lightest
> >this wood wants to be.  I prefer to take what the wood is giving me and
> >work with it, rather than to impose a completely different color regimen
> >that is much lighter in tone and requires bleaching to get there.  Seems
> >to me this is like "askin' for a fight".... ;-)
> >
> >I will say that of the three common liquids I use for cleaning after
> >stripping - alcohol, lacquer thinner, TSP - the TSP removes the most
> >color.  FWIW.
> >
> >Mark Potter
> >
> >Greg Newell <gnewell@ameritech.net> wrote:
> >list,
> >I wonder if you all (as many opinions as I can get) would
> >enlighten me on what you do in the stripping process. I'm specifically
> >interested in everything that comes before repairs and coloring etc.
> >Perhaps more to the point is whether or not you are seeking to make the
> >wood as bare as possible i.e. devoid of any color, or are you simply
> >removing topcoat, then repairing, even out color and re-topcoat? It seems
> >that my attempts seem to bring the finished product darker than I would
> >like by attempting to make everything the same color. I have only removed
> >finish in the past but am contemplating bleaching. Is this necessary in
> >order to get the lighter colors I'm after? Would you be kind enough to
> >describe exactly the steps and materials and tools you use in the
stripping
> >process? Thanks in advance.
> >
> >Greg Newell
> >Greg's ! piano Forté
> >mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>
> Greg Newell
> Greg's piano Forté
> mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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