Refinishing ebony keys

[Thomas Cole]

 Pianotek has a liquid jet-black ebony dye for sharps. I haven't used it but
I'd think there isn't anything blacker than jet black.

Tom Cole

John Gunderson wrote:

> I am servicing a totally restored 1948 Steinway "M" .  The original ebony
> keys were refinished by the restorer at the time of the restoration but a
> short time later, in the customer's home, the finish proceeded to "flake
> off" leaving little flakes of black paint on the white keys and unsightly
> chips on the surface of the ebony keys.  The restorer took the ebony keys
> back and re-refinished them, but again, a short while later, they started
> to flake.
>
> I suggested to the customer that the best solution to the problem was to
> strip the ebony keys completely and stain them with ebony anniline stain,
> leaving nothing on the key's surface to chip.  She accepted this solution
> so I took the keys and completed the work.  The result was very nice, the
> finish being satin and uniformly dark in color, but not as dark as when the
> keys were finished with black lacquer.  Although the customer is willing to
> accept this finish as a compromise, she would like it more if the keys were
> darker.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions to this problem?
>
> Thanks fellow piano-techs.   John Gunderson, RPT.  NJ Chapter
>
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