[CAUT] Steinway D Case Repair & Refinishing (Institutional)

[Ed Sutton]

Paul-

You can do a very effective stage repair of the side of the case, using auto 
body filler from the auto supply store.
Don't skimp. Go through the grades of filler putty. Use all the grades of 
abrasive with support pads to blend it in absolutely flat. Find black 
primer. Try different kinds of spray black until you find the best match. 
Mask off at the edges so the tone change occurs unseen on the corners of the 
rim, and fade and blend around the tail. Practice until you find the right 
touch for satinizing the finish.

Consider sending the fall board to a professional refinisher. This is what 
the performer sees, and with some clever touch up around the front of the 
case, the performer will see "new piano."

This could be a real winner in faculty relations, as people who know nothing 
about pianos will respond in amazement if you make the old clunker look new 
on stage.

have fun!

Ed Sutton
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Milesi, RPT" <paul at pmpiano.com>
To: "PTG CAUT List" <caut at ptg.org>; "PTG Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 3:33 PM
Subject: [CAUT] Steinway D Case Repair & Refinishing (Institutional)


> List,
>
> As you may recall, I wrote a few months back about the possibility of our
> music department finally claiming possession of a 1970 Steinway D which 
> has
> been in the Chapel on our campus, and moving it to the Recital Hall within
> the Department of Music.  Approval for a move to our Recital Hall has just
> been granted!  The piano was a bequest to the School of Music in 1970 from
> the former head of piano studies.  The piano was new at the time it was
> received, and was placed in the Chapel because there was no recital hall 
> at
> that time.  This piano will, hopefully, become our main "recital piano,"
> replacing a 15-year-old Yamaha C5.  The D has new hammers, shanks and
> flanges one year ago (original reps).  Key bushings were replaced.  Needs
> full regulation and voicing, pulley keys fixed, and other things.
>
> For years this D has been stored in a narrow alcove with a metal railing 
> on
> one side, and the piano is scraped along it every time it is used.  (SEE
> ATTACHED PHTOTOS.)  Don't ask me why...I don't know!  This kind of 
> treatment
> is incomprehensible to me.  You can also see that the fallboard is not 
> only
> worn, but actually scalloped from finger nails.  Is there a way to "fill"
> those scallops, or would you recommend a new fallboard?
>
> Anyway, I'm trying desperately to save this instrument at absolute minimal
> cost (we barely came up with moving money).  We would like the piano to be
> presentable in terms of visual aesthetic for recitals in our 120-seat
> recital hall.  Estimate for refinishing the whole piano was $10-13K, and 
> we
> simply don't have the money.  And basically the case is OK, showing some
> wear, except for the gross damage you see in the photos.
>
> So here's my question: What are some reasonable options for an acceptable
> "fix" of this case?  Should I undertake myself to fill with putty, mask it
> off, and spray with a can of lacquer?  I say this somewhat jokingly, but
> also know if I did that very carefully, the damage would at least be less
> obvious--like a racing stripe, perhaps.  ;)  It will be hard to make it
> worse, I think, unless I spread paint or putty on good parts of the case
> finish.  I've seen spray paint repair done on some institutional pianos in
> hotels, schools and churches, but have always detested that "masking"
> approach.  Perhaps now I'll be forced to adopt it myself?  :(
>
> Seriously, what should I do?  We'd like to get this done this summer, 
> while
> I work on the action and lyre.  I'm pretty ignorant of what would need to 
> be
> done here, wood-wise, other than to somehow "fill" the gouge and then 
> veneer
> and refinish, blending with current finish?  I don't know...is "blending"
> the finish even possible?  Please help me out with your takes on this.
> Remember: I have minimal woodworking experience.  :)
>
> One other consideration: The piano must be moved up 3 flights of stairs --
> at considerable expense -- to the Recital Hall, as there is no elevator 
> that
> will accommodate it.  I just thought before moving it up there, perhaps it
> should go to somebody's shop to have the face fixed, saving another
> in-and-out move at a later date.  The one piano refinisher I know gave me
> the above quotes, and thought anything less would not be doable, that it's
> quite a mess.  I don't know anybody else to do it, although I have a 
> couple
> inquiries out.   How do I accomplish an acceptable intermediate solution
> over the summer without making a worse mess?  Can this work be done, now 
> or
> later, while the piano is on the Recital Hall stage?
>
> Sorry, I got rather long-winded.
>
> Paul Milesi
>
>