<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; cha= rset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 1/24/2006 5:22:09 AM Pacific Standard Time, john@for= msmapiano.com writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue = 2px solid"><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Anyone know if the finished have an= ything besides some lacquer on them? Let's say I got unfinished from Steinwa= y or someone else, is finishing merely a matter of spraying lacquer on the s= ticks?</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">The unfinished sticks will be truly "r= aw," that is, bare wood. They'll need stain, a wash coat of sealer, filler, = more sealer, sanding, then top coats, sanding, and rubout. It's a fair = amount of trouble if you are doing them by themselves, almost none if you ar= e refinishing the whole piano. However, you do get control of the color, as = an older mahogany piano will have darkened. Excuse me, I mean developed a pa= tina.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">The black ones are maple or birch, I f= orget which, and are less trouble. Just a number of coats of black, followed= by sanding and rubout. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">I've made several sets of the round "c= oke bottle" sticks on the lathe, and, with the material and time it's as muc= h as buying them.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Bob Davis</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>