See attached. :-) On Tue, May 8, 2012 at 9:19 PM, Dale Erwin <erwinspiano at aol.com> wrote: > Hi Will > Wow...you must a been a fly on our wall this week. Thanks for the > detailed information. We may try this asap. > As one who has struggled at times with the plate spray procedure this > sounds quite predictable and with finishes, that's really what I am looking > for is a predictable outcome. > The problem I've had with Poly urethane clear coats is that they attract > dust like a magnet. So even with a spotless environment, inevitably there > is a the dust. So how was that defeated in you process? > We ahve used acrylic lacquer for 14 years & most the time I like it. The > clear is easy to mange by a clean room and wetting the floor. Spray and get > out. No fan till it flashes off ten minutes later. > Our process is very similar to yours and its generally easy to touch up > and fairly idiot proof. But on occasion Murphy comes a round and then I'm > unhappy. > > Murphys my Uncle > Dale > > > *Dale Erwin... RPT > ** Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S pianos > www.Erwinspiano.com > 209-577-8397 > * > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Encore Pianos <encorepianos at metrocast.net> > To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org> > Sent: Tue, May 8, 2012 6:44 pm > Subject: [pianotech] plate finishing > > Recently I revisited my plate finishing process for my rebuilds and > have made some changes to my process. I am using automotive paints and > primers. While these materials are more expensive than throwing some plate > gold into a can of Nitro lacquer, they will give a better finish and are > more durable. > > Automotive paints are more evolved than the lacquers that we use in our > case finishing. But it’s a big industry and can be confusing when trying > to find your way to good products that will best meet your particular > needs. It is invaluable to be able to deal with an experienced paint pro > at the automotive finishing department at your local auto parts store. I > spent a lot of time talking with a fellow named Joe Red Cloud, whose been > doing this stuff for 25 years, and he has done (and still does) auto > painting on the side. His wife runs the video store in my town and I have > known him for years. He is a film buff like me, so I was lucky to have a > very friendly helping hand to guide me. > > It is important to have a clear sense of what you want the paints to do > for you. > > I started using auto paints 10 years or so ago when I was having some > adhesion problems that persisted through a couple of plates (I was using > nitro lacquers and metallic gold powders). So I wanted to go to a system > that could give me consistent results. So I was advised primer, base coat, > clear coat. At that time, I was able to find a particular color of gold > auto paint that matched the old Steinway color pretty much dead on the > money. I used to love to bring a customer into the shop and show them the > plate, telling them that I was able to find these extra special materials. > They’d look at it and say, “It’s so beautiful”. I’d say, “ask me what it > is”. “What is it?”, and I would reply with a smile, “Dodge Dart Gold”. > > They no longer make it, and it is pretty hard to find gold paints, > particularly ones that you like. Instead of a pre-mix gold, I will add a > gold metallic powder to my base coat. I have been able to find a couple of > good sources for various shades of Gold. Larry Buck turned me onto a > company called Crescent Bronze, which has many colors of gold. They are > at, http://www.crescentbronze.com/order_products/chromatone. > Unfortunately, the color charts online are all but worthless, so you would > need to order some color charts from them. Not so for at > https://www.nnigroup.com/glandmp/default.aspx . They have about 75 > shades of gold, and large circular patterns that clearly show the color. > Prices vary depending on the color, but generally about $20 for 6 oz., $41 > for 16 oz. Those amounts will do a lot of plates. > > I start with the primer. Primer is important for a couple of reasons. It > will adhere to the sanded surface of the original paint and bond well with > the top coats. Also, primer will sand more easily than the top coats and > can go a long way to having a level and smooth surface for the succeeding > coats to adhere to. I will have washed the plate and wet sanded it with > 220 wet and dry paper. Putty the dings and wacks with bondo or another > filling putty and sand level and even. > > I discovered a new primer that I really, really like because it sands so > easily, but gives you a very smooth surface when you are done. It is SEM > High Build Primer Surfacer, and is available in 5 colors. It only comes in > 20 oz. aerosols, (about $17) which was surprising to me – it is not > available in quarts or gallons. That is not necessarily a bad thing. The > aerosols spray well and lay finish quickly. If you sand through your > primer and need to touch up a few spots, you don’t have to clean the gun. > 1 to 1 /2 cans is enough to do the average plate, spraying on 3 coats at 10 > minute intervals. > > I was amazed at how easily and quickly it sanded, powdered right up and > did not clog the paper. In fact, I found it better to use Scotch Brite > Scuff Pads, starting with Maroon and going to Grey. They worked as quickly > as the sandpaper, but had the added advantage of conforming to the > irregular curves of the plate readily. Less sand through. I spent about > 2 hours scuffing the plate smooth as a baby’s bottom after priming. > It’s the best primer I have used. It’s really important to spend your > sanding time here to get a good surface to lay the paint on. The sanding > will never be any quicker or easier than at this point, and you are laying > the foundation for top coats that will lay down smoothly. Joe told me that > the collision guys love this stuff because it works so easily and is > fantastic for spot repairs. Highly recommended. > > It used to be my practice to mix the gold powders with the top coat clear > and spray it on, then follow with the clear. > > There is a better way to do it than that. Joe turned me onto what is > called an Intercoat Carrier. That is a clear that is specially formulated > to mix with metallic powders or pearls. It will hold the particles in > suspension better than a straight clear, and flows out and levels better. > I sprayed a couple of test panels, one with regular clear, one with the > intercoat clear. Night and day difference – the intercoat carrier > definitely lays down much better. The one that I use , Deltron DBC-870 > Intercoat Carrier is $108 per quart. But you mix it 1:1 with reducer, so > that’s really 2 quarts, and you will use about 2/3 quart for a plate. > Three wet coats at 15 minute intervals. Let sit for ½ hour and you can > then clearcoat. Otherwise you will need to scuff before you clearcoat. > The intercoat carriers do require a top clearcoat. > > For the clearcoat, I use Dupont ChromaClear HC-7776S Clearcoat, with > Dupont ChromaBase 4 to 17765S activator reducer. Since I do not like the > high gloss glitter of the clears, the Chromaclear is mixed with One Choice > SU4985 universal matting agent. This allows me to control the sheen, which > I prefer as a semigloss. This will give depth to your finish and > accentuate the curves of the plate with a bit of glow, and draw out the > colors more. 2 to 3 coats at 5 minute intervals. I do not sand or > polish the top coat. > > For plate lettering, I used the Shachihata Artline 400XF paint marker, > which I got from a local art supply store. It’s a felt tip, and the > pigment in the paint covered well, comes in 2 sizes. > > I don’t pretend to be an expert here. Rather, I am sharing the expertise > of others and reporting the positive results that I have had, so that > others may benefit if they are so inclined. I would love it if others > share what they have learned along the way that has brought them good > results. > > > Will Truitt > > > > > > > > > -- John Formsma, RPT Blue Mountain, MS -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20120508/c930078f/attachment-0001.htm> -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 4863 bytes Desc: not available URL: <https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20120508/c930078f/attachment-0001.jpeg> -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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