Use fresh varnish and make sure there is compatible sealer and I’ve never had a problem. Pour what remains in the can in an airtight jar. If you use old varnish and don’t stir it properly the hardeners can separate and sink to the bottom of the can. I find that the varnish is faster, no rub out required. Two coats of sealer (dries in about 30 minutes). Sand between coats. First coat of varnish when leaving the shop. Sand lightly the next day and put on the second coat when leaving the shop that day. No rub out, no polishing, no pumice, swirly whirlies, three types of paper and polishing compounds, wax, lacquer to mix (make sure it’s not too hard and cracks all over the place or crazes in some weird way or turns white from too much humidity in the air), no spray guns to clean and no air pollution generated. But I know a lot of people prefer lacquer these days. I don’t. David Love www.davidlovepianos.com From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of erwinspiano at aol.com Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 8:10 PM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] Soundboard Lacquer Finish I love the smell of varnish but am varnish impaired. I used it many years ago & on two occasions it completely Krinkled which meant I had to start over from the shellac base coat up. What a mess! & then there is the dust and worse for me is the lengthy drying time before rub out. I don't have that much patience or time usually. It is a truly beautiful finish. Dale Definitely off the shelf. I use Zinsser Bull’s Eye Seal Coat (brush on) since you can put lacquer or varnish over it. My current varnish of choice is McCloskey Heirloom Varnish oil based which is a bit expensive but flows out really nicely. My second favorite is Minwax Spar Urethane. Doesn’t flow out quite as nice but dries a bit faster (the two go hand in hand). Semi gloss or satin. The flat finish doesn’t look as nice. David Love <http://www.davidlovepianos.com/> www.davidlovepianos.com From: <mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org> pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [ <mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org?> mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Scott Jackson Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 2:17 PM To: <mailto:pianotech at ptg.org> pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] Soundboard Lacquer Finish David, Would this be an off-the-shelf product, or a home-brew recipe? The definitions of "varnish" seem to vary wildly. Scott Jackson ----- Original Message ----- From: <mailto:davidlovepianos at comcast.net> David Love To: <mailto:pianotech at ptg.org> pianotech at ptg.org Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 12:23 AM Subject: Re: [pianotech] Soundboard Lacquer Finish I’m surprised nobody uses varnish. I prefer the nice luster it gives. Two coats of sealer, two coats of a high quality varnish applied at the end of the day and tip toe out of the shop. 20Sand lightly between coats. Stain sheen is easier, semi gloss looks a little nicer. The bridges I mask off and spray with lacquer out of the can leaving the bridge tops natural wood. On new boards I apply the top coat finish after the board is installed. The underside, of course, is done prior to installation. David Love <http://www.davidlovepianos.com/> www.davidlovepianos.com _____ Live traffic, local info, maps, directions and more with the NEW MapQuest Toolbar. <http://www.mapquest.com/toolbar?ncid=emlwemqmq00000003> Get it now! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech_ptg.org/attachments/20090320/e5fed099/attachment.html>
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