<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> <title></title> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> Hi Jon, I am very particular about my plate finishes and will typically spend a minimum of 3 days prepping, spraying and rubbing out a finish.  I too will clean the screw bevel area with a sharp countersink, correctly matched to the bevel before priming, and again before the bronzing and clear coats and after the final clear coat.  Even after all this obsessive work I would occasionally have small chipouts that just ruin the look of the final product and require more hours of touchup repair.  About a year ago I began using Pianotek's chrome plated plate screws that are differently beveled in the head to reduce chip out.  They work great!  I have yet to have any finish lift or chip out after using the Pianotek screws. Gary Telleen Jon Page wrote: <blockquote cite="mid:a06240813c35cdbf29b7d@%5B192.168.0.163%5D" type="cite">Is there a preferred method to clean the screw head bevels in the tuning pin area to avoid chipping the finish as the screws are tightened?  When I was refinishing them myself, I would use a countersink to remove the finish prior to spraying. I would also clean them as the material built up on the bevels during the spraying process and once again when done spraying. I would clean the bevels often during the process to avoid the mass of material between the surface and bevel which chips once the screw is tightened or a countersink is used. On the last few plates which I had sprayed by the case refinishers, I cleaned the bevels before they left and asked them to continue cleaning during the spraying. Evidently they can't be bothered because now when I use the countersink small chips on the perimeter of the bevel appear. What other methods are used to clean the bevel? </blockquote> </body> </html>