[pianotech] Thumpe returns... and the shellac on old plates.....

[Euphonious Thumpe]

To Most Esteemed High Captain of Tool Police, De-Luxe:
 
   Hast been off-list for 2.5 years because yahoo started bouncing these posts ( probably because I had about 50,000 emails backed up in my inbox) and then the Pianotech server apparently got fed up and evicted me. But after I cleared my inbox, repeated entreaties to be put back were ignored. ( Because of some personal animosity on the part of the then-moderator?) But I tried again last week and......VOILA! Glad to be back!!! ( And a super-extra-special-big-thanx to whomever it is who let me rejoin! THANK YOU!!!)  
 
     On to bizness: dab some denatured alcohol on an old plate and see what happens. (Only shellac melts with it, as I'm sure you know.) Actually, I never did this; but surmised it was shellac because I use "Purple Power" (diluted) to clean old plates. ("Super-Clean" clone--- but without the lye in it "Super-Clean" now apparently has, that leaves a stink behind ---- consider yourself warned!) And noticed that what came off LOOKED like old shellac. (Dark orange- brown stuff, leaving the plate bright-and-shiny gold colored.) I've also used such cleaners on old shellac, and they do, in fact, dissolve it. (But leave a tinge because of the purple dye in them, if used on wood. So am about to try some stuff--- "Spray-66" has been recommended --- from a restuarant supply store, because it has far less dye.) In light concentrations, these concentrated soaps will just clean the dirt off old plates. Slightly heavier, they will remove the dirt and some of
 the shellac. Full strength, they will take everything off right on down to the black "Japaning". ( Which I believe is a form of coal-tar emulsion, or asphalt.) I also have a very intelligent acquaintance who agrees with me completely about shellac having been used as the vehicle for the bronzing, after coming to the same conclusion indepoendently. ( And shellac does not get brittle for weeks after applying.) He says he has had great results by attempting to replicate this plate-finishing method, but I'd like to find a "modern" substitute that works as well. (So I'm now off to read the last week's posts. Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!) 
 
Much Peace,
Euphonious Thumpe
 
P.S. (By the Grace of God) I've devised a felt cutter that is super-accurate (to thousandths), quick ( I can cut a set of backchecks from a strip in about 3 minutes) and uses replaceable blades. I may start producing and selling them, or do it through collaboration with one of the supply houses.  
P.P.S In my small, low production, one-man shop, I've generally used Pianotek's spray cans for plate "gilding", but have found DEFT in spray cans to be by far the best top coat to use, because it does not disturb the bronzing anywhere  nearly as much as all the other top-coats I've tried.
 

________________________________
 From: Joseph Garrett <joegarrett at earthlink.net>
To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org> 
Sent: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 4:04 PM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Plate refinishing
  
The Thumper(!) said: 
"Plates were originally finished with shellac as the base ( with bronze
powder in it) which takes a?long time to become brittle. Hence no chipping."
Euphonious Thumpe

Thumper! 
Where hast thou been?? <G> Now to the subject: Where prey tell did you get
that bit of bull pucky?
Regards,
Joe aka Curmudgeon
Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
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