<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div>.......USED to be Dow. ( There is a Wikipedia article devoted to this very profound subject.) So I became a bit confused when I went to the store looking for it, and not seeing Dow on the label-- wondering if "scrubbing bubbles" had become a generic description, such as "cleanser". Thumpe</div></td></tr></table> <div id="_origMsg_"> <div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif:font-size:10pt"> <div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"> <hr size="1"> From: Douglas Gregg <classicpianodoc@gmail.com>; To: <pianotech@ptg.org>; Subject: Re: [pianotech] Thumpe returns... and the shellac on old plates..... Sent: Thu, May 10, 2012 6:27:59 PM <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="font:inherit;">Several suggestions on plate reconditioning. I agree with Euphonious that plates can be cleaned and come out looking almost new with the right cleaner. I found that Dow Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom aerosol cleaner works wonders and does not require soaking the plate, pins or soundboard. Also, it has not color dye added so no problem there. I have used this on every hard surface of a piano and also the felt with no problem. Not sure about leather and hammers. I think I wrote this up before for this forum and have submitted it to TT&T. The bubbles work very fast and float all the brown stuff off the plate in seconds. I am pretty sure it is not the shellac but tobacco tar and nicotine because I can smell it as it comes off. I do use a dusting 4 inch nylon paint brush and a vacuum before the scrubbing bubbles just to decrease the volume of grunge to mop up. this goes for the soundboard too. It is also hard to blow the wet wads of lint and dirt. This goes for the soundboard too. For the soundboard, it is better to tip the piano up and use gravity as well as the blower to blow the bubbles down to a rag at the rim.  You can wipe it up or blow it to a corner and mop it up. I use a Metro Vac on blower mode and blow the foam to a convenient corner and have a rag there to absorb it. With the Metro vac blower, everything comes out nearly dry just like those high powered hand dryers in the restrooms. For between the pins, the scrubbing bubbles work best with a 4 inch stiff nylon cheap paint brush to loosen the dirt. Brush it to the front corner and blow it into a rag. You will be amazed how well it works. It does not have enough liquid to soak into the pin block. I am talking about a 30 second exposure to the bubbles. I use Sharpie brand black paint markers from Michael's craft store for lettering. They are toluene solvent based and work well. You can use the Sharpie paint last to avoid any bleeding. It is glossy. Otherwise, if you are having trouble with the clear coat taking off your marker or bleeding it, try a water based clear. I have used System 3 two part clear marine coat on a couple pianos and it is a nice high gloss finish. It can be brushed, but spraying is better. It can be thinned a bit to brush or spray better. Jamestown Marine Supply carries it on line. They ship very fast. You can still top coat it with a solvent based finish on top of the water based if you want to but why bother. Come to my French Polishing seminar in Seattle. That is a Shameless plug. The Adhesives presentation was scrubbed but will be presented here soon. You will be surprised at some of the test results comparing adhesives. Doug Gregg Classic Piano Doc Southold, NY To: Euphonious Thumpe <<a ymailto="mailto:lclgcnp@yahoo.com" href="javascript:return">lclgcnp@yahoo.com</a>>; pianotech <<a ymailto="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" href="javascript:return">pianotech@ptg.org</a>> Sent: Wed, May 9, 2012 9:43 pm Subject: Re: [pianotech] Thumpe returns... and the shellac on old plates..... Thumpmeister ,   The man has returned! How about a bit of shameless marketing with that felt cutter? Show it off and post a price. This is your target market group.     Best wishes, Tom Driscoll ----- Original Message ----- From:  Euphonious  Thumpe To: <a ymailto="mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net" href="javascript:return">joegarrett@earthlink.net</a> ; <a ymailto="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" href="javascript:return">pianotech@ptg.org</a> Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 8:08  PM Subject: [pianotech] Thumpe returns...  and the shellac on old plates..... To Most Esteemed High Captain of Tool Police, De-Luxe:   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!!!)     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 sh ellac. 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!) Much Peace, Euphonious Thumpe 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. 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. </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div>