[pianotech] plate finishing

[Encore Pianos]

I replace my plate screws with the plated ones ordered from Pianotek, and
use the WNG plate bolts.   Do this:  take your old plate screws and put them
in the holes.  Spray the plate per usual.  After coating and before drying
lift each screw and spin it so  that it won't adhere to the at the sides.
Repeat this every time you spray.  Only takes a minute.  Then remove them
and you will have a hole and tapered sides that have no paint in them.
This way there is no glog of paint to distort as you tighten your screws
down, with much lower likelihood of munging things up.  

As for chipping, nothing is perfect.  But these paints localize only to the
point of impact without migrating as the nitro lacquer does.  You can do a
couple of things to aid in areas of likely impact with tools or wire, such
as the plate struts around tuning pins.  You can use some paint tape from
the auto parts store that they use to tape paper to the car, this peels off
easily without pulling the paint.  I also use some Duck vinyl contact paper
as better protection which I cut to the shape I need.  It will peel off
easily if not allowed to set a long time.  

As for those things that leap twenty feet across the room to chip the paint
and the case, there is no cure for that.  :-)

Will


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Joseph Garrett
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2012 11:17 PM
To: pianotech
Subject: [pianotech] plate finishing

Will,
Excellent write-up. I printed it out to show to my refinisher.<G> Just
wondering how this stuff is in regard to "chipping". I've yet to find any
finish that will resist chipping unless it is less than a week old, (i.e.
still soft ). I've found that using an appropriate counter sink on the screw
holes, right after the initial finishing process, helps to eliminate some
chipping, but ya really have to have all your ducks in a row to get the
plate stuffed into the carcus and get the strings on before the darned stuff
sets up hard. Any suggestions?
Regards,
Joe


Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I