<HTML><HEAD> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2715.400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY>Actually, I meant to say " does not have any compatibility problems...".  I did end up buying some of System Three's varnish.  It's not cheap, $60. per gallon or $20.00 per quart.  But it is designed to go with their epoxy products.  I haven't had compatibility problems with the products I have used, but I certainly would like to avoid the possibility. David Love davidlovepianos@earthlink.net > [Original Message] > From: Delwin D Fandrich <pianobuilders@olynet.com> > To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>; <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net> > Date: 3/1/2003 8:35:50 AM > Subject: Re: System Three Varnish > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net> > To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: February 28, 2003 5:50 PM > Subject: Re: System Three Varnish > > > > > > I'm not sure why the flexibility of the varnish would matter.  Either the > > board is stiff or it isn't.  In the case of an epoxied board, the epoxy > > provides the stiffness and the varnish topcoat is not required to > > contribute additional stiffness.  Nor would it make the epoxy any less > > stiff by virtue of its flexibility, if it is, in fact, flexible.  I have > > used varnishes for years on soundboards, usually over a shellac undercoat > > without detriment.  In this case, since I am stiffening the board with > > epoxy and System Three makes a varnish that supposedly does not have any > > compatibility with their epoxy.  I was more wondering about the cosmetic > > quality. > > > David, > > As I said earlier, I've not used System Three varnish. But the compatibility > issue may be a valid one. I've had one combination of epoxy/varnish give me > problems. The varnish never did thoroughly dry and had to be stripped off > and replaced. It also softened the surface of the epoxy. It had to be > scraped down to hard, clean epoxy. I took it back to just the surface of the > wood. All in all a real mess. I then recoated and went on. This was some > years back and the epoxy was an off-brand purchased from a (then) local > marine supply store. The varnish was purchased at a (then) local paint > store. I don't remember the brand but it was not one of the major marine > varnishes. I've subsequently been told that these problems are rare but they > still can occur. I don't know why they occur or what there is in either > product that might create the potential problem. The chemists out there are > welcome to have a go at it. > > My experience with soundboard coatings has convinced me that the physical > characteristics of the finish material are incidental to the soundboard's > performance until either their mass or stiffness becomes a significant > percentage of the whole. In the case of the epoxy coating the stiffness of > the soundboard system is increased (significantly) and mass is increased > (slightly). I can't see any common coating material on its own doing either. > > Del </BODY></HTML>