<HTML style="FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif; FONT-SIZE: x-small"><HEAD> <META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19222"></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV> <DIV>Thumper,</DIV> <DIV>First of all, a hearty welcome back. I'm glad that the "powers" saw fit to allow you entry.<G> And, you got your computer ":act" together, as well. <G></DIV> <DIV>As for the Shellac thang, it's my belief that Shellac was used as a top coat only. It did not mix/melt the undercoat, as it was Lacquer, (usually). The black stuff under all of that is definately some kind of magic goop that was used  to fill the voids, etc.. It too, disolves with lacquer thinner, so I suspect it is a lacquer base, not shellac, as it's impervious to lacquer thinner. I also, suspect that each company had their favorite elixir for plates, as there doesn't seem to be any consistency of material, color or anything else. Just my take on it. YMMV</DIV> <DIV>Regards,</DIV> <DIV>Joe</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=lclgcnp@yahoo.com href="mailto:lclgcnp@yahoo.com">Euphonious Thumpe</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=joegarrett@earthlink.net href="mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net">joegarrett@earthlink.net</A>;<A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 5/9/2012 5:08:16 PM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Thumpe returns... and the shellac on old plates.....</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2> <DIV style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif; COLOR: #000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <DIV><SPAN>To Most Esteemed High Captain of Tool Police, De-Luxe:</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN>   Hast been off-list for 2.5 years because yahoo started bouncing these posts ( probably because I had about 50,000 emails backed up in my inbox) and then the Pianotech server apparently got fed up and evicted me. But after I cleared my inbox, repeated entreaties to be put back were ignored. ( Because of some personal animosity on the part of the then-moderator?) But I tried again last week and......VOILA! Glad to be back!!! ( And a super-extra-special-big-thanx to whomever it is who let me rejoin! THANK YOU!!!)  </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN>     On to bizness: dab some denatured alcohol on an old plate and see what happens. (Only shellac melts with it, as I'm sure you know.) Actually, I never did this; but surmised it was shellac because I use "Purple Power" (diluted) to clean old plates. ("Super-Clean" clone--- but without the lye in it "Super-Clean" now apparently has, that leaves a stink behind ---- consider yourself warned!) And noticed that what came off LOOKED like old shellac. (Dark orange- brown stuff, leaving the plate bright-and-shiny gold colored.) I've also used such cleaners on old shellac, and they do, in fact, dissolve it. (But leave a tinge because of the purple dye in them, if used on wood. So am about to try some stuff--- "Spray-66" has been recommended --- from a restuarant supply store, because it has far less dye.) In light concentrations, these concentrated soaps will just clean the dirt off old plates. Slightly heavier, they will remove the dirt and some of the shellac. Full strength, they will take everything off right on down to the black "Japaning". ( Which I believe is a form of coal-tar emulsion, or asphalt.) I also have a very intelligent acquaintance who agrees with me completely about shellac having been used as the vehicle for the bronzing, after coming to the same conclusion indepoendently. ( And shellac does not get brittle for weeks after applying.) He says he has had great results by attempting to replicate this plate-finishing method, but I'd like to find a "modern" substitute that works as well. (So I'm now off to read the last week's posts. Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!) </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN>Much Peace,</SPAN></DIV> <DIV>Euphonious Thumpe</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>P.S. (By the Grace of God) I've devised a felt cutter that is super-accurate (to thousandths), quick ( I can cut a set of backchecks from a strip in about 3 minutes) and uses replaceable blades. I may start producing and selling them, or do it through collaboration with one of the supply houses.  </DIV> <DIV>P.P.S In my small, low production, one-man shop, I've generally used Pianotek's spray cans for plate "gilding", but have found DEFT in spray cans to be by far the best top coat to use, because it does not disturb the bronzing anywhere  nearly as much as all the other top-coats I've tried.<BR></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2 face=Arial> <DIV style="BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; LINE-HEIGHT: 0; MARGIN: 5px 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; HEIGHT: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BORDER-TOP: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 0px" class=hr contentEditable=false readonly="true"></DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Joseph Garrett <joegarrett@earthlink.net><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> <BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Wednesday, May 9, 2012 4:04 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: [pianotech] Plate refinishing<BR></FONT></DIV><BR>The Thumper(!) said: <BR>"Plates were originally finished with shellac as the base ( with bronze<BR>powder in it) which takes a?long time to become brittle. Hence no chipping."<BR>Euphonious Thumpe<BR><BR>Thumper! <BR>Where hast thou been?? <G> Now to the subject: Where prey tell did you get<BR>that bit of bull pucky?<BR>Regards,<BR>Joe aka Curmudgeon<BR>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.<BR>Captain of the Tool Police<BR>Squares R I<BR><BR><BR><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>