<!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 6.00.6000.16587" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Mike,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>This piano has been messed about with somehow.  When washing the case with Murphy's Oil Soap the finish turns milky white as if there is a residue of some kind.  I've tried every solvent I have on hand and nothing removes it.  I have scrubbed it with detergents and solvents with a stiff nylon-bristle brush with no luck.  If it weren't for this problem, I would leave it in natural wood.  But, since I'll have to strip it, I'm considering the ebony finish.  Thanks for your input.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Gary</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=IFixPianos@yahoo.com href="mailto:IFixPianos@yahoo.com">Michael Magness</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, December 31, 2007 5:18 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Ebony finish</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><BR><BR> <DIV class=gmail_quote>On Dec 31, 2007 11:50 AM, Gary Fluke <<A href="mailto:gary.fluke@verizon.net">gary.fluke@verizon.net</A>> wrote:<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"> <DIV bgcolor="#ffffff"> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>I have a Mason and Hamlin console from 1957.  The walnut finish could stand to be done over again.  These pianos were also available in an ebony finish when new.  How would one apply an ebony finish to my piano? </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Gary Fluke</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Snohomish, WA</FONT></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV><BR>Walnut is a nice looking wood even by todays standards, when refinished right. The work it would take to re-do it in ebony would certainly be as much if not more as redoing it in it's "original" color. Everyone isn't looking for Oak or Cherry there are those who still believe that classic woods like walnut, pecan, even black walnut and other less used woods today are still classics. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>A friend who used to, every so often, get a blonde beater from a school or church, would redo them in ebony simply because no one wanted blonde pianos. Stripping a blonde piano to the point where it will accept a decent stain is usually more trouble than it is worth because they have so much filler in them. He would use bondo to fill the nicks and gouges, coat it with a primer then several coats of black lacquer and 3 or 4 coats of clearcoat. </DIV> <DIV><BR clear=all>Mike<BR>-- <BR>The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.<BR>Michael Magness<BR>Magness Piano Service<BR>608-786-4404<BR><A href="http://www.IFixPianos.com">www.IFixPianos.com</A><BR>email <A href="mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com">mike@ifixpianos.com</A> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>