Replies

1. 
   cowtown | Dec 14, 2009 07:44am | #1

   before you get too involved, check out the "Furniture Doctor" for rehabing finishes. Ever so much can be done on the rehabilitation side before you even consider the "total refinishing" perspective. Who knows, even contacting the manufacturer might yield useful tips on rejuvenation/repair of finishes.

   If you get into the actual mechanisms and go looking for strings and replacement parts, Pianophile out of Quebec is a good place to start looking. They have a website.

   And once you is into the piano, it ain't much of a push down the slippery slope to get interested in other stringed instruments, and who knows from there.

   And when the piano tuner does come to call....scope out the size of the tool kit he needs, ask about training, and imagine yer 19 years old and out of highschool.....It is a trade that there is an ongoing demand for; minimal kit required; a modicum of skill to start with (not to diminute the skills of the experienced tuner- it is an art), and it is portable worldwide.

   have fun....

   Eric

2. 
   ring | Dec 14, 2009 09:50am | #2

   If it's an old piano then it's very likely that it was finished with French Polish. The good thing is that it's easily repaired because it's rubbed shellac. The hard part is that it takes experience to be able to nicely blend into the old finish.

   Before you go ahead in any direction you must establish what the existing finish is. That is, unless it's so bad that in any case it must be completely removed before you start from scratch. That's a lot of work but at least youre clear about what you're doing.

   See if some alcohol won't soften the finish - if so, it's French Polish. You'll want to read up on how it's done and practice on other pieces. Trust me, you need to practice this before doing the piano.

   You're going to scuff sand everything, then lay some clear sealing coats on the bare spots that need repair. Only then do you try to gradually tint those spots until they match the original tone. Once it's right you go back to clear coats, ending up by doing a final coat over everything.

   David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?lang=e&id=1

3. 
   BG | Dec 14, 2009 02:58pm | #3

   Ptak,

   It would be great if it was a French polish as Ring suggests. I suspect, however, the Piano is a 'spinet' from the 50's-60's with some kind of factory applied varnish finish. I usually default to stripping the whole thing because I don't know what will work with the current finish or because the scratches are too deep, etc.

   In your case you mentioned changing the color, it would seem that requires a strip?

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Dec 14, 2009 04:38pm | #4

   Factory furniture hasn't used varnish for a very long time (if ever.)  The commercial finish post WWII  would have most likely been nitrocellulose lacquer.  If so lacquer thinner will redissolve it (in fact that old and it is likely that alcohol will also soften it, though perhaps not as readily as lacquer thinner.  Reamalgamating is a lot easier than complete stripping if it can be done.