<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div>Do you "wet sand" with water or something else (like naptha, which is what I use, with silicon-carbide paper, usually 320 grit --- and, yes, doing it outside and while wearing a carbon-filter respirator). I am having difficulty understanding how water could be used, without the old finish "clouding" . 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] Ny Times article on pianos Sent: Wed, Aug 1, 2012 2:51:44 PM <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="font:inherit;">From: Douglas Gregg <<a ymailto="mailto:classicdoc@gmail.com" href="javascript:return">classicdoc@gmail.com</a>> To: <a ymailto="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" href="javascript:return">pianotech@ptg.org</a> Cc: Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:56:25 -0400 Subject: Re: [pianotech] Ny Times article on pianos Dean, I am not sure which finishes you are referring to as old soft finishes. If that includes shellac, lacquer, or varnish from 50-75 years ago, the answer is yes. I don't work much with polyester pianos. Most of the pianos are from 1920 to 1955. That pre-dates polyester. The Scrubbing Bubbles does not soften the finish unless, of course, it is mostly dirt and hand oil that turns the finish to gum as on some arms. That, I would just as soon have come off anyway and mostly it does. However, even an old orange peel lacquer or shellac cleans up nicely. The brown nicotine and dirt floats to the top of the bubbles and wipes up with a paper towel leaving a clean finish to start work on. If it is orange peel, I first wet sand it until it is pretty smooth, being careful not to go down to the wood, and then French polish it. Again, any scratches, missing finish, deep water marks, missing veneer, etc have to repaired before French polishing or often after the first coat of French polish so that the wood is sealed. If a piano just has light scratches, French polishing will repair all of them by filling them selectively without building up finish. You can go from many scratches to high polish in 6-8 hours for the whole piano-and often in less time than that. A scratched upright top can be done in 30 minutes. You can charge a lot more than your usual hourly wage for this too. I think that those who came to my workshop in Bellevue are now believers. Doug Gregg Classic Piano Doc Message: 8 Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2012 19:41:24 -0400 From: "Dean May" <<a ymailto="mailto:deanmay@pianorebuilders.com" href="javascript:return">deanmay@pianorebuilders.com</a>> To: <<a ymailto="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" href="javascript:return">pianotech@ptg.org</a>> Subject: Message-ID: <724BC31D12C84A0AAEB62E62F181A52A@ToshibaNetbook> Content-Type: text/plain;      charset="us-ascii" Are you saying you use the Scrubbing Bubbles on the old soft finishes? Dean Dean W May                (812) 235-5272 voice and text PianoRebuilders.com    (888) DEAN-MAY Terre Haute IN 47802 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div>