<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:v = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1 = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2668" name=GENERATOR><o:SmartTagType = name="country-region" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype><o:SmartTagType name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype> <STYLE>  </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=blue link=blue bgColor=white> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Jim</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Wow, I didn't know India ink was = available that cheaply!  The stuff I use is obscenely expensive, but of course = it's for use in technical pens.  India ink would certainly be the ultimate = choice for lightfastness, because carbon just isn't going to fade.  I = *think* it probably won't migrate much either (into deeper layers of the wood).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'll be very interested to hear how it = looks when you've finished clear-coating it.  (It's really a bit hard to tell = from the pictures.  I can well appreciate how difficult it is to photograph = anything that is black!)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Please let me know how it comes = out!  (</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks!)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peace,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sarah</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=altieri@nepiano.com = href="mailto:altieri@nepiano.com">altieri</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">'Pianotech'</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, July 13, 2005 = 12:45 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: black finishing techniques</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I’ve been = working with the India ink myself in refinishing a Steinway upright.  It = was all beat up from some school and the enamel paint was chipping away = etc.  <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <H4><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I’ve been = extremely happy with the ‘opaqueness’ of the application and can post some = pictures this evening if you like.  I’ve been playing with using a coat of = shellac over the India ink to seal it and then a few coats of the Waterlox Satin = Tung Oil Based Sealer.  I’ve used the shellac successfully but haven’t = gotten to the waterlox step in my process yet.  I’ll keep you = updated.  Also, I did a little test between <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place = w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> inks…<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></H4> <H4><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">If you go = to Dick Blick Online you can get either their own<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Blick Black Cat Waterproof India = Ink</SPAN></B> for under $10 a quart <BR>or the <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: = bold">Sanford Higgins Waterproof Black Ink</SPAN></B> for $26.99 <A = href="http://www.dickblick.com/zz211/15/">http://www.dickblick.com/zz21= 1/15/</A> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></H4> <H4><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I bough a = bottle of both because of the huge price difference for the same amount of = ink.  I would say that the Blick Ink might work but you will use at least = twice as much of it to attain the same opaque finish that the Higgins ink provides.  A lot of the pieces I’ve used the Higgins ink on = require one thin coat of the ink to turn it completely black.  I would = definitely spend the extra money and go with the Higgins.  As far as I can = tell, I think I’ll only need the one quart to finish the entire upright that = I’m working on right now…. I don’t see how you could need more than 2 = quarts to finish a grand.  It goes on really = well.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></H4> <H4><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></H4> <H4><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">-Jim Altieri<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></H4></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>