Another Ivory Key Tops Question

[MICHAEL MORVAN]

Rob,
    I have had the pleasure of receiving several ivory keyboards painted 
white over the years and yes, have been asked to restore them. It has been 
my experience that the paint is hiding something, either cracked ivory, 
discolored etc.. The only thing you can do is lightly sand off the paint and 
buff. This will take you more time than most clients are willing to pay for, 
and unless the client painted the keys themselves, no one will know what is 
under the paint until several hours of labor have been exhausted. Good luck. 
Mike

Michael A. Morvan
Blackstone Valley Piano
Dedicated To Advancing The Art Of Keyboard Restoration
76 Sutton Street
Uxbridge, Ma. 01569
(508) 278-9762
Keymaestro at verizon.net
www.pianoandorgankeys.com
www.thepianorebuilders.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rob Mitchell" <tpa2sfr at pacbell.net>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 12:47 PM
Subject: Another Ivory Key Tops Question


>A client of mine has a 1903 Waters upright.  The ivories are in pretty good
> shape except that they appear to have been "painted".  In the middle
> octaves, the coating has been partially worn away through playing.  But
> towards the ends the paint is largely intact. The paint can be scraped 
> off,
> but it would take a fair amount of work to clean up the entire set.
>
> Is this painting normal practice?  Is there an easy way to clean things 
> up?
>
> Rob
>
> Mitchell Piano Service
> www.mitchellpianoservice.com
> (415) 994-1030
>
>
>