<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4207.2601" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Terry</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry I have put many coats of varnish = on violins and soundboards.In my experience I have found that the greatest source = of contamination on a varnished surface comes from the product you are = putting on or mostly from the brush you are useing.Having a method of cleaning and  keeping clean your brushes is extemely important.It is just like = any other job in piano work, it takes care ,knowledge and experience.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regards</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Murray</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regar</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">Farrell</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, January 11, 2002 = 5:37 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Varnishing = Soundboards</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>Regarding dust on a freshly varnished soundboard. Maybe one = 5-foot by however-long-a-piano-you-commonly-work-on sheet of whatever - = something light - maybe even plastic in a simple frame - to lay across the top of the = piano immediately after applying varnish. The dust concern is why I have not = used varnish on a board, but I think maybe my next one will get = varnish.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Terry Farrell <SPAN = id=__#Ath#SignaturePos__></SPAN> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=davidlovepianos@earthlink.net href="mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net">David Love</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 10, = 2002 9:05 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Varnishing Soundboards</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>I've always used spar varnish.  I like how = it looks.  In this case I modified the technique given in the = article a bit.  I sanded first to 220.  Then a diluted the varnish = 1:3 with turpentine, saturated the wood, sanded it in with 320 and wiped off = the excess.  Then I brushed on a heavier coat and let it dry as normal.  Afterwards, I sanded in one more coat using extra fine = 3M synthetic steel wool and wiped off the excess again.  I just = finished this coat and though it leaves a really nice feeling surface, it is = not the glossy finish that one would have if you brushed the final = coat.  It is somewhere in between satin and gloss.  Rather nice = actually.  But the jury is still out.  I may brush on one final coat if I = decide I want the glossy finish.  There is something about a glossy = varnish finish on an old board that has a real richness that I like.  I = just hate trying to work so dust free in my small production = shop.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>David Love</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>