Piano Finishes

[bases-loaded@juno.com]

Terry -

I have used Target Coatings Premium Spray Lacquer (PSL) on my last 3
grands.  I can whole-heartedly endorse it as a great WB finish.  In
particular, an ebony job I did using their products (black production WB
lacquer and 3-4 coats PSL clear gloss) is the best looking ebony job I
have ever done, with as litle fuss as you can expect on a job like that. 
I rubbed to satin/semi, but am told that, unlike many WB finishes, the
PSL also rubs to gloss beautifully.  I found it to be very user friendly,
sprays much like NC lacquer, levels well, dries quickly without the soft
belly, sands and rubs wonderfully well, and is superior to NC lacquer in
durability and mar and chemical resistance.  And the 100% burn-in quality
is a real plus, and is not time sensitive.  In other words, you do not
have to recoat within a certain window to keep the burn-in effective.  

They also have a finish that is very nice called Oxford Hybrid Varnish,
which is easily the warmest looking WB finish I have ever seen.  Somehow
there is an emulsified tung oil in the finish that really warms the look
in a big way.  There is a cross-linker available with this finish that
increases its durability considerably.  I used it on an old upright and
it really had a nice heirloom or vintage look to it, similar in apearance
to an oil varnish, but is a WB and I sprayed it on.  Very forgiving
finish and easy to use, but not appropriate when buffing to gloss.  It
was probably the quickest route to a good looking finish that I have
experienced in a long time.

I think Target Coatings is a quality supplier, and Jeff Weiss is always
willing to help out with any technical problems with his products.  Jeff
Jewitt thinks highly of Target's products, too, and I have found his
opinions to be very trustworthy.  In fact, last time I talked to him
(July 2000), he was completely phasing out his use of NC lacquer because
of how much he liked the PSL.  

That's high praise.

Mark Potter
bases-loaded@juno.com    


On Sun, 19 Nov 2000 10:48:16 -0500 "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
writes:
> Well, here I sit boxed into refinishing (or making ill-fated attempts 
> to) a
> piano again. I am stuck on waterbase. I am eyeing OXFORD PREMIUM 
> SPRAY
> LACQUER (1000 Series) water-base finish by Target Coatings. Has 
> anyone tried
> it? Two features it claims attracts my interest: 100% burn in, so no
> "witness lines" when flat-sanding final coat and ease of
> flat-sanding/polishing - the big one being 100% burn-in. That is 
> where I
> have had problems in the past. Anyone????????
> 
> I haven't even started yet, and the desperation & out-of-control 
> feeling is
> already setting in :-(.
> 
> Terry Farrell
> Piano Tuning & Service
> Tampa, Florida
> mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
>