Easy and inexpensive. Bondo, then just spray the area and rub. Al - High Point, NC -------------------------------------------------- From: "Paul Milesi, RPT" <paul at pmpiano.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 3:33 PM To: "PTG CAUT List" <caut at ptg.org>; "PTG Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org> Subject: [pianotech] Steinway D Case Repair & Refinishing (Institutional) > List, > > As you may recall, I wrote a few months back about the possibility of our > music department finally claiming possession of a 1970 Steinway D which > has > been in the Chapel on our campus, and moving it to the Recital Hall within > the Department of Music. Approval for a move to our Recital Hall has just > been granted! The piano was a bequest to the School of Music in 1970 from > the former head of piano studies. The piano was new at the time it was > received, and was placed in the Chapel because there was no recital hall > at > that time. This piano will, hopefully, become our main "recital piano," > replacing a 15-year-old Yamaha C5. The D has new hammers, shanks and > flanges one year ago (original reps). Key bushings were replaced. Needs > full regulation and voicing, pulley keys fixed, and other things. > > For years this D has been stored in a narrow alcove with a metal railing > on > one side, and the piano is scraped along it every time it is used. (SEE > ATTACHED PHTOTOS.) Don't ask me why...I don't know! This kind of > treatment > is incomprehensible to me. You can also see that the fallboard is not > only > worn, but actually scalloped from finger nails. Is there a way to "fill" > those scallops, or would you recommend a new fallboard? > > Anyway, I'm trying desperately to save this instrument at absolute minimal > cost (we barely came up with moving money). We would like the piano to be > presentable in terms of visual aesthetic for recitals in our 120-seat > recital hall. Estimate for refinishing the whole piano was $10-13K, and > we > simply don't have the money. And basically the case is OK, showing some > wear, except for the gross damage you see in the photos. > > So here's my question: What are some reasonable options for an acceptable > "fix" of this case? Should I undertake myself to fill with putty, mask it > off, and spray with a can of lacquer? I say this somewhat jokingly, but > also know if I did that very carefully, the damage would at least be less > obvious--like a racing stripe, perhaps. ;) It will be hard to make it > worse, I think, unless I spread paint or putty on good parts of the case > finish. I've seen spray paint repair done on some institutional pianos in > hotels, schools and churches, but have always detested that "masking" > approach. Perhaps now I'll be forced to adopt it myself? :( > > Seriously, what should I do? We'd like to get this done this summer, > while > I work on the action and lyre. I'm pretty ignorant of what would need to > be > done here, wood-wise, other than to somehow "fill" the gouge and then > veneer > and refinish, blending with current finish? I don't know...is "blending" > the finish even possible? Please help me out with your takes on this. > Remember: I have minimal woodworking experience. :) > > One other consideration: The piano must be moved up 3 flights of stairs -- > at considerable expense -- to the Recital Hall, as there is no elevator > that > will accommodate it. I just thought before moving it up there, perhaps it > should go to somebody's shop to have the face fixed, saving another > in-and-out move at a later date. The one piano refinisher I know gave me > the above quotes, and thought anything less would not be doable, that it's > quite a mess. I don't know anybody else to do it, although I have a > couple > inquiries out. How do I accomplish an acceptable intermediate solution > over the summer without making a worse mess? Can this work be done, now > or > later, while the piano is on the Recital Hall stage? > > Sorry, I got rather long-winded. > > Paul Milesi > >
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