Finishing questions

[Greg Newell]

Mark,
         Good advice, all! I AM using the trans tint dyes from powder and 
have mixed them to what I thought was pretty dark. It just seems to sit on 
top but I swear all the finish is off. Perhaps talking to Jeff directly 
will reveal some light on this. The owner (I called her) swears that this 
piano does not get direct sunlight as it sit only near a northern exposure 
window but not directly in front of it.
I have not tried to spray it on. Perhaps that is what I am missing but it 
seems to bead up on top when I use the brush. I'd rather get closer so as 
not to have to use toners if I can avoid it. I've never liked the result 
after using those the few times I have. Seems to muddy the finish a bit. 
Thanks so much for your timely response! I wish someone would write an 
article or a book about the common refinishing problems we face and how to 
deal with them. I've read through peoples "steps" and sometimes I come away 
with more questions than answers.

Many Thanks,
Greg



At 11:05 PM 2/16/2005, you wrote:
>Hi Greg -
>
>As you probably know, the two-tone look on the lid is a very common 
>finishing problem due to the half-lid being left folded over for decades 
>and the light fading the colors out (especially the reds) on the exposed 
>back-half of the big lid.  Dyes are definitely the best approach, IMO.  If 
>the wood is not taking dye appreciably, either you have not fully stripped 
>the surface and you are using water dyes, or your dyes are too diluted to 
>give you much color shift.  After you determine which of these problems 
>you have, I recommend using TransTint dyes, which are metallized dyes and 
>will greatly retard the fade problem in the future as they are VERY 
>colorfast.  You should be able to blend the colors back fairly even by 
>spraying the dyes heavier, and with more dwell time, on the lighter 
>surfaces.  Just get it pretty close, then seal with a thin wash coat ( I 
>like shellac), then use toners to finish the final color matching.  ! This 
>process allows you to "sneak up on it", rather than try to get lucky in 
>one shot.
>
>I believe you are in the Cleveland area?  Homestead Finishing is in your 
>neck of the woods and has everything you will need, with no minimum 
>order.  Call Jeff Jewitt, the owner, for advice on product selection.
>
>Mark Potter
>
>Greg Newell <gnewell@ameritech.net> wrote:
>Greetings artisans,
>I am faced with yet another finishing dilemma that I don't have
>the experience to solve on my own. I am working on the main lid of a
>smaller piano where the color seems to get progressively lighter from the
>point where the half lid folds over to the end of the lid. It does not seem
>to want to take stain or especially dye. What do I do?
>I am thinking of applying a filler to level off what may have been
>lost from the stripping process. What filler should I use and where is a
>good place to get it. Is it common to put on stain and filler in one
>process? I have used a very dark filler in the past but I was working for
>someone else at the time and have no idea what product it was or where it
>was obtained. Hints?
>I hate finishing but I think it's mostly because I'm just not very
>comfortable with it yet. I know ther! e is a learning curve but i'd rather it
>wasn't at my customer's expense. ANY hints will be gratefully received!
>Thanks!!
>
>Greg Newell
>Greg's piano Forté
>mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net
>
>Wasn't there a list just for finishing topics?
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives

Greg Newell
Greg's piano Forté
mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net