--- On Fri, 12/5/08, kurt baxter <fortefile at gmail.com> wrote: From: kurt baxter <fortefile at gmail.com> Subject: [pianotech] Refinishing ebony sharps? To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org> Date: Friday, December 5, 2008, 11:28 PM Ok, what are my options to re-black worn ebony sharps? <snip> Can I make then look better (if not perfect) without stripping them? Kurt - Yes, you can, but it is still a fair amount of work. First, scrub all keys with TSP using a maroon scotchbrite pad. After fully dry, sand where necessary to level rough surfaces. Then thoroughly clean all keys with naphtha and 4/0 steel wool (Liberon is best - no wax in fibers). Spray with dewaxed shellac tinted with black dye. A couple passes of a 1 lb cut should be sufficient to seal in any remaining contaminants. If you don't have spray equipment you can first wipe the sharps with black dye, then coat with Zinsser's spray shellac (it's clear) that comes in a can - it is dewaxed. Wait about an hour, lightly sand with 600 to level surface where necessary, and top coat with whatever black stuff you wish - lacquer will work fine over dewaxed shellac, as will enamel, urethane, etc.. I would avoid hi gloss in that it will show every tiny imperfection. Flat or satin is much more forgiving. Mark Potter -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech_ptg.org/attachments/20081206/79c0af74/attachment.html>
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