[pianotech] poly repair charges

[Paul McCloud]

Hi, Mike:
	I haven't had problems with shelf life of the polyester.  I have
some that is years old and still usable.  There is a gel polyester for
vertical surfaces, and comes in a tube.  I have one of those that is so old
I can't remember when I got it.  Still works.  YMMV.
	One thing that is helpful is a good strong light.  Switch it off
when you show the customer!  Just kidding..  Always use a flat sanding block
DAMHIK.  If you use factory polyester, you'll pay a fortune, and it'll be
worthless in a month.  Ruth's polyester has to be color matched to the old
finish, but it works great.  It's thinner, too, so it will spread easily
into nooks and crannys (inside your dam) so you won't have so many bubbles
and voids.  Mix things up carefully, and follow the directions exactly.  As
far as the kit is concerned, you will make it up in repairs.  Gearing up for
poly may cost some $$, but you have to be prepared to commit to the whole
nine yards.  If you do, you'll make more per hour and be in demand.  In
today's uncertain economy, it's good to have more arrows in your quiver.  
	Now, if someone can show me how to repair the veneer under the
polyester and make it look AS NEW, I'll be forever grateful.  
	Paul McCloud
	San Diego

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Mike Kurta
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 2:02 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] poly repair charges

    Wim:
    I took the class from Ruth a few years ago, its not the class that's 
costly, its the kit to do the work you must purchase.  I did a few jobs and 
found several things:  1.  You must have good eyesight as you are constantly

filling, sanding, sanding, polishing, polishing and refining the job to the 
point where it matches the surrounding area.  This has to be done with black

as well as  natural wood finishes.  This can be tedious (but being tuners, 
we're used to that) and your customers will expect a near perfect repair and

as Cliff said, some are very critical.  2.  If you don't maintain 
proficiency, its easy to lose the touch and skill needed to do a good 
repair.  3.  The filler that is used to do the repair has a shelf life of 
about 6 months and is not cheap.  For these reasons I stopped doing poly and

sold my kit to another tech.
    On the plus side, once trained you will have work coming to your door 
when piano dealers, owners and furniture stores know you are capable of 
doing poly repairs.  And you can almost name your price.  It might be a good

idea to check with furniture stores to see who they use to get an idea if 
others are in the business.  See you in G.R.
    Mike Kurta, RPT
    Crystal Lake, IL
 


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