>That work completed, the board is all sanded,etc., ready for finishing. >EXCEPT... the beautifully installed shims stand out like a sore thumb, visual >evidence of the necessary surgury. > >Now, I know that it is impossible to make the new shims invisible, but, do >any of you have any special secrets you'd like to share? Or, do you not worry >about it and just leave them alone? > >Paul Dempsey >Marshall University >wippen@aol.com > > It's been my experience that a lot of the color mismatch comes from the different light refractive properties of the two different grain directions of the old board and the new shim. Walk around a shimmed and refinished board and note that from one angle, the board is lighter than the shim. Continue around the piano and you will find another viewing angle where the shim looks lighter than the board! That can't be wood pigmentation, and nothing short of bronzing the soundboard will hide it (NO! I'm not suggesting that!). I think that if you could exactly match the growth ring angle and grain direction of the board with the shim you could get a nearly invisible match. You'll have to figure your own odds on that, my calculator only has a nine digit display. I say let them show. It proves you were there and shows off your pretty glue joints. Otherwise, pick out the best viewing angle and don't let anyone look at it from any other spot! Ron =:^*^:= Nossaman
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