David - To rule out the markings being in a waxy buildup, (which seems unlikely in such a new piano), the first step should be to thoroughly clean the surface with naphtha or mineral spirits. This will definitely leave you with a surface free of wax, oil, etc... With any luck, your cloudiness will also be gone. If not, the problem is moisture trapped in the finish. The two ways I know of to remedy this are: 1. As Jon suggested, use alcohol. You should use a lint free cloth dampened with the alcohol and swing your arm like a pendulum, making contact with the bench top at the bottom of the swing. Do not stop your swing. The alcohol should draw out moisture. Sheen can be matched back up with 0000 wool and some wool lube (or any other lubricant - Murphy's will work) I have also had luck removing moisture from finishes with just mineral oil and fine wool. I have even heard of slathering on some crisco, leaving it on for a few hours, and then wiping it off, the moisture gone. Haven't tried THAT one, though... 2. As your source recommended, you can 'rub out' the cloudiness, in all likelihood. Rubbing compounds come in a variety of grits of aggressiveness, and it is always best to start with the least aggressive and only go coarser if necessary. Automotive stores carry pretty complete lines of rubbing compounds. Meguiar's is one name, but there certainly are others. I have even used toothpaste on numerous occasions "on the job" with good success. It's not very aggressive, but it sure is handy! You will notice on the containers an indication of how coarse or fine the compound is. "Rubbing" compounds are coarser than "polishing" compounds. If this works, then after the cloudiness is gone, match sheen with 0000 wool and wool lube. Repairing this problem is one thing, but I can't help but wonder if the finish will need to be redone as a permanent remedy. After all, didn't you say this was only 6 months old? There's not a good reason I can think of to expect this won't happen again with this finish, unless you ascertain that indeed it was just a waxy film on the surface causing the problem. You could just wet sand with 400 paper to a uniform flatness and scratch pattern, clean with naphtha, and top coat with something more durable - like a moisture resistant lacquer, or a polyurethane. Two coats should do it. You could do the whole thing in about an hour in your shop. Even easier, of course, is to put a bench pad on the thing and forget it! Mark Potter bases-loaded@juno.com On Tue, 21 Dec 1999 23:33:26 -0600 Vanderhoofven <dkvander@clandjop.com> writes: > Thank you all for your responses. Jon, I would appreciate more > comments > about the use of denatured alcohol to remove water marks or stains. > > Jim Coleman wrote > >Hi David: You might get better advice if you could determine the > type of > finish on the piano bench. Is it Polyester, Lacquer, or > Polyurathane? I'm > pretty sure it isn't varnish or shellac. Jim Coleman, Sr. < > > Hi Jim, I am not certain what the finish is, but it looks like > lacquer. I > am pretty certain it isn't polyester or polyurathane. > > Another technician locally suggested the following options: > 1. Polish the bench lid with a rubbing compound to remove the > marks, and > then use a 3M pad or fine steel wool to make it a satin finish again > 2. Refinish the bench lid if the marks can't be removed > 3. Buy a new bench or bench lid from Baldwin > > Question: What rubbing compounds and materials would be suitable > for a job > like this? > > I appreciate your replies. If there are more suggestions, suggest > away! > > Sincerely, > David Vanderhoofven > > >
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