Piano refinsihing question

[Greg Newell]

Mark,

                Thanks SO much for the detail! I knew this by another name
but it’s good to have it spelled out, again. Perhaps it will sink in this
time!

 

All the best,

 

Greg Newell

Greg's Piano Forté

www.gregspianoforte.com

216-226-3791 (office)

216-470-8634 (mobile)

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Mark Potter
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:59 PM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: RE: Piano refinsihing question

 

Greg Newell <gnewell at ameritech.net> wrote: 

Mark,

                Could you describe a formal rubbed ebony finish? Please?!
Thanks in advance!!

 

Hi Greg -

 

Well, it's late, and to describe the process in detail would require an
entirechapter in a finishing book, but here's an outline...

 

The basic concept is to manipulate every square inch of the applied finish
by sanding, rubbing, etc to produce a finished surface far superior in look
and touch to anything that could ever come straight off the gun (or brush).
Rubbing to hi-gloss is a bit of a different animal, but not drastically so.
Personally I like to rub to a satin or semi-gloss surface. This entails
leveling the finish(after all topcoats are applied) by sanding, either by
hand with long straight strokes with a flat block/pad, or for those going
the ultimate route - using an in-line sander. Once everything is flat, say
with 600 paper, you start bringing the sheen up to where you want it, using
wool or scotchbrite or abralon or other pad of your choice, with lubricant
of your choice, again going in long, straight strokes, with ever finer grit
of pad.  The scratch pattern created by these strokes needs to be very
uniform for the end result to be stunning.  

 

It is good to remember that you are ultimately removing a fair amount of
material, which therefore requires you to apply multiple coats to a surface
you have leveled several times, otherwise you will most certainly rub thru
the finish at some location in the process. Bad juju.  The most dangerous
areas for this to occur are the edges, of course, where you just can't pile
on material, and where sanding strokes can easily get destructive.  Rounding
slightly every sharp edge before the finishing process begins will go along
way towards minimizing this inherent danger.

 

That the basic idea, and if it sounds like alot of work, you're absolutely
right. It is, however, IMO, the ultimate finished surface.  Hard to keep
your hands off it...so enticing...

 

Mark

 

 

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