---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment In a message dated 11/2/2003 6:09:56 AM Pacific Standard Time, pianobuilders@olynet.com writes: Personally I see no reason to put any kind of finish on the bridge cap at all. The graphite mixture was intended to make the bridge surface lubricous and allow the string to render over it easily. Of course this theory ignored the bridge pins and the string offset. If the idea is to hermetically seal the bridge against water vapor it's going to take about 1 or 2 mm of epoxy. Nothing else will do. So, what's the point? Other than, perhaps, for looks. But no clear finish known to man (or woman, and, believe me they use some finished men have never heard of!) is going to stand up to the spot forces imposed by a taught string passing over it. So, use a nice hard wood and leave it alone. Or, if you must, spray on some kind of dry Teflon product and rub it down with some nicely. Del I see the points you made but here's the ones you didn't. If for nothing else it's way easier to clean off the dust! A coating of (shellac or whatever) does slow absoption of R.H. &also slows the hygroscopic & potential staining/poluting effects of various kinds of fluids spilled in the piano ,enough so, that hopefully they can be cleaned up before they can have long term effect. Bob Hofs article on bridge work sometime ago mentioned that considering the porousness of maple, the wicking in effect of shellac would seem, to my mind case harden the wood a bit as he suggests. I personally use shellac in the notches as well with lacquer or varnish coats over that. Sure it's more than appearance but that's important too. Yes, I see that it won't completely seal it but think it still prudent to apply something. After all the inside of a grand piano has a certain aesthetic beauty which our customers comment on. Although graphite serves no functional purpose it does allow for visual reference of lines while laying out & cutting notches which is perhaps while it's always been done. Are you applying nothing to the caps you install? Regards-Dale ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/a0/e5/a3/77/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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