<HTML>In a message dated 7/17/2002 11:49:18 PM Pacific Daylight Time, sckline@attbi.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Subj:Re: Shellac vs. lacquer Date:7/17/2002 11:49:18 PM Pacific Daylight Time From:<A HREF="mailto:sckline@attbi.com">sckline@attbi.com</A> Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> To:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> Sent from the Internet .</BLOCKQUOTE>        Susan   On a hot day in the shop 80 degrees or more The lacquer solutions will dryquickly enough so that that the sound is changed within an hour, Except on the largest bass hammers that were really soaked this it takes two hrs. Remember It's not cured  so I don't hammer on it but I can play it enough to get a semblance of whether I got the solution dilution close to my target sound. It changes a bit more overnight and breaks down some as the next tuning gets pounded in. If it's still too edgy a little acetone on the top will wash it in a bit and won't take long to work with. If it's not enough repeat with another light application.    With any of this , as you know, it takes time to dry and it's nice to have the piano in the shop which is not always possible, but I like to live with the pianos sound over the course of some days while working and refining other things when possible. >>>>>>>Dale Erwin <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">It would be interesting, another time, to compare how long the shellac takes to set up as opposed to the lacquer or acetone/keytop. Especially since keytop's main virtue appears to be its fast drying time. (thanks) Susan </BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML>