Piano Finishes

[Farrell]

Well, a couple of reasons I choose to try refinishing.

1) I have alot of experience and have had very good luck with marine
finishing. I know pianos are different (although I have often thought of
just getting a can a good spar varnish and brushing on about 12 coats!) and
that is why I am at the beginning stages of the process.

2) I have had lousy luck getting someone to refinish pianos. People say they
will, and then when its time to refinish - "my son quit and I am
understaffed and am not doing pianos anymore". Or the one guy I found that
did it - WOW what a nightmare of an experience. I ended up paying the %^%ing
(^)(*&@ $3,000 and had to rub the piano out myself.

3) I tend to be VERY picky regarding finish quality. It's a problem in my
life. At least this way I have control and if it is less than perfect, I
know who to talk to about it.

Also, I am not yet convinced that I have the best finishing materials (or
good enough), or the best equipment (or good enough). I am well aware than
one needs skill, but I also know that you will never put a fine finish on a
yacht with paint from Kmart. So I search and ask you fine folks. I may have
made my first post on this subject a bit too whiney. Sorry & thanks for your
input. All the while I am researching and trying this refinishing, I am also
on a continuing hunt for someone to sub my refinishing to. I do however,
feel that I need to develop the ability to do it, at a minimum for those
times when I find I cannot rely on a refinisher - like now!

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Glenn Grafton" <glenn@graftonpiano.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2000 10:49 AM
Subject: Re: Piano Finishes


> >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 :-(.
>
> Why are you attempting the refinishing if that's not your particular
skill.
> Your posting does not say whether or not this is your first attempt or not
> at refinishing.
>
> We have a super piano tech here at the store and I saw his personnal piano
> that he refinished himself. The refinishing did not at all match the
> calibre of work he did on the rest of the piano. Most of the pianos we do
> he handles the rebuilding end and another in our guy shop  does the
> refinishing.
>
> Maybe you would be better off getting a piano finisher to do the
finishing.
> One of the things one has to come to grips with to be sucessful is what is
> that you do well and stick to that. There are a number of steps involved
in
> doing a top notch refinishing job-stripping, veneer and wood repair,
> sanding, staining, filling of the wood grain, burn-ins, toning to match
> various shades, sanding sealer, top coating, final sanding and rubbing out
> the finish. You can get all the supplies and equipment, but just like
> tuning pianos or building a house, having the tools and equipment is only
> part of the equation.
>
> If it's something that you're doing as a personnal project and want to see
> what you can do that's one thing. If it's for a client that you're
> rebuilding their piano for that's another. You may not want to have the
> customer have to settle with the results of the learning curve.
>
> Glenn Grafton
> Grafton Piano & Organ Co.
> Souderton PA
> http://www.graftonpiano.com/
> glenn@graftonpiano.com
> 800-272-5980
>
> The box said "Requires Windows 95, or better." So I bought a Macintosh.
>
>
>