<div>On 8/24/07, Dean May <<a href="mailto:deanmay@pianorebuilders.com">deanmay@pianorebuilders.com</a>> wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">Why not try sandblasting? Dean Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 PianoRebuilders.com    812.235.5272 Terre Haute IN  47802 -----Original Message----- From: <a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org </a>] On Behalf Of gordon stelter Sent: Friday, August 24, 2007 9:47 PM To: Pianotech List Subject: How much tone is lost by PAINTING a soundboard with gray primer ????( YUCK! !!)     Quite a  lot, I'd suspect. I just picked up this Steinway upright, and found rather thick, gray paint all over thre back posts and soundboard. Gray sandable primer is, I believe rather soft ( = sound absorbing. ) If I have time, I'll get a bunch of carbon filters for my gas-mask, and try to blast it off with lacquer thinner in my spray gun, with a  bottle brush to get behind the posts.     Peace,     G P.S. Thanks for all the answers to my felt-chopper query! Gave me some great ideas, and if I come up with someting different, I'll try to post some photos. ____________________________________________________________________________ ________ Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more. <a href="http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC">http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC</a> </blockquote></div>I'm not sure if you were kidding ot not Dean I did see an article in a woodworking mag on blasting finish off of wood, not with sand but using baking soda and a lower pressure. -- Michael Magness Magness Piano Service 608-786-4404 <a href="http://www.IFixPianos.com">www.IFixPianos.com</a> email <a href="mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com">mike@ifixpianos.com</a>