[pianotech] Lid scratch

[Douglas Gregg]

 Lighter scratches  will often polish out with Gel Gloss kitchen
counter top polish which is a very fine white compound with wax. It
does a great job on black pianos. Home Depot and hardware stores carry
it. I prefer the non-aerosol cream version in the flat can.

I have not found a really black nail polish or black  paint that is as
black as most polyester pianos. Most everything I have tried looks a
shade too gray. Suggestions are welcome!!!  I use nail polish but
don't thin it. I actually apply it a little proud so that when it
dries, the scratch is slightly over filled with the lacquer. I then
wet sand with a piece of hammer felt or rubber block  using 1000 or
1500 grit wet or dry paper with water lubricant.  Because the color of
the touch up nail polish or paint is usually a shade too gray, I
French polish it with Dako Special French Polish with black alcohol
soluble pigment added- from www.woodfinishsupply.com/PLaniline.html.
This is very black and blends the repair in with the surrounding area.
It also levels out the 1000 grit dullness and gives it a high polish.
There is no more to do. The whole repair takes about 30 minutes.
Mainly, it is  the time for the nail polish to dry hard so it can be
sanded. The rest is very fast.

Here is a tip for big chips. I fill the chip with West System G5 epoxy
(5 minute type), pigmented with Benjamin Moore black pigment from
their new Zero VOC paint tinting computerized machine.  My friend in
the hardware store gives me a bit if I bring my own bottle.  I mix
equal sized dabs of each part of epoxy and pigment. That is 33% black
pigment. I apply it with a coffee stir stick and level it a bit. Wait
about 3 minutes, then smooth it out with a wet finger while it is
setting up, using a little spit for lubricant. Then, if necessary,
finish as above with wet sanding and black French polish for a perfect
finish. Unless it is in an obvious spot, the repair is good enough
after rubbing it smooth with a wet finger.

A third method is to fill a chip with Dako Hard Wax using a hot iron,
scrape it  level with the edge of a glass microscope slide, lightly
lacquer with self leveling spray can and use the black French polish
to finish. Results are also excellent.

Doug Gregg
Classic PIano Doc