<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div>You might want to reconsider. The "bare metal" under the paint is rough, porous cast iron that has been coated with stuff called 'way back when "Japanning" : I suspect some sort of coal tar derivative that filled the pores and imperfections in the rough sand-casting. (If you want to see what the plate looked like without it, turn the plate over.) Yes, you could take the plate down to that. But you'd be giving youreslf a big job smoothing it out again. ( Probably with toxic auto-body filler. ) So why bother? If you don't like the look of some letters, try improving them ( after the bronze paint has been removed ) with a little JB weld, or (the thicker) PC7 and careful sanding and filing. (Besides, I suspect that you'd find the lettering beneath the paint as bad or worse than with the paint on it.) 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: Encore Pianos <encorepianos@metrocast.net>; To: <pianotech@ptg.org>; Subject: Re: [pianotech] bead blasting wood...gently Sent: Fri, May 25, 2012 11:14:20 PM <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="font:inherit;">I have been thinking of sandblasting my next piano plate in the areas of the lettering, doing so carefully so as to take it down to bare metal in that area, before painting again.  I would want to do so in such a way as to remove all the paint while minimally disturbing the iron.  The more coats of paint you put on a plate around the lettering, the more it loses shape and definition.  The idea is refinish the plate whilst retaining as much definition as possible.  Do you or anyone have suggestions as to the best material? Will Truitt -----Original Message----- From: <a ymailto="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" href="javascript:return">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a> [mailto:<a ymailto="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" href="javascript:return">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On Behalf Of Douglas Gregg Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 4:58 PM To: pianotech Subject: [pianotech] bead blasting wood...gently I have seen some great u-tube videos on cleaning finish off of ornate carved mantels, etc. with no damage to the wood. There are at least three grades of baking soda granules for auto body work for removing paint from fiberglass bodies and metal too. I have used household baking soda with success in cleaning old and dirty wood action parts as an experiment. It worked well. It is not aggressive at all. Household baking soda will not take off paint or finish very well. You need bigger granules for that. It will clean dirty parts. I use a simple cheap canister sand blaster that looks like a spray gun with a pipe nozzle. . It worked fine for small stuff. Doug Gregg Classic Piano Doc Message: 1 Date: Thu, 24 May 2012 22:32:45 -0400 From: "<a ymailto="mailto:jim@grandpianosolutions.com" href="javascript:return">jim@grandpianosolutions.com</a>" <<a ymailto="mailto:jim@grandpianosolutions.com" href="javascript:return">jim@grandpianosolutions.com</a>> To: pianotech <<a ymailto="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" href="javascript:return">pianotech@ptg.org</a>> Subject: [pianotech]  bead blasting wood...gently Message-ID: <<a ymailto="mailto:4FBEEF4D.6010809@grandpianosolutions.com" href="javascript:return">4FBEEF4D.6010809@grandpianosolutions.com</a>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed <I've also heard of blasting with baking soda. Tried it? Any info on it? Thumpe I've got baking soda in the shop.  I was going to use it, but decided to take a shot with the fine bead, since I already had that in the sump. I will say that I had to also be very gentle and careful with the soda on wood, as it is surprisingly aggressive. Jim Ialeggio -- Jim Ialeggio <a ymailto="mailto:jim@grandpianosolutions.com" href="javascript:return">jim@grandpianosolutions.com</a> (978) 425-9026 Shirley, MA </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div>