<!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 size=2>First, let me disclose that my ignorance of ebony finishes is extensive. Anyone wishing to insult me or hurt my feelings will save time by choosing a different topic.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Now, the question:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have adopted an 1892 Mathushek upright piano. Originally it had an ebony finish, but was stripped and stained mid-20th century. I'd like to return it to ebony.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What were the common methods of producing ebony finished in the 1890's?  Are any of them suitable for use by an ignorant operator with a small shop without</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>spray equipment and skills?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>By the way, this is a very interesting piano.  It's design includes: radial soundboard ribs, heavy plate, no backposts, vertical action with repetition springs, tenor bridge and agraffes for all strings.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Some time back Ron Nossaman questioned the value of agraffes in vertical pianos.  This piano is one of the smoothest tuning instruments I've worked on. After 115 years the pinblock is dependable and it has all of it's original strings, probably helped by the ease of tuning.  There are no pressure bumps or hard felts. The string goes from the tuning pin through the hole in the agraffe and over a termination bar that is part of the agraffe.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ed Sutton</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>