Refinishing Vintage Steinways

[Richard M]

If it is shellac it is probably french polish. Shellac disolves readily in
alcohol. (denatured)  With french polish the highest sheen imaginable can
be obtained.  A guitar repairer showed me his process.  It was amazing the
levels he went through.  "Can you see your face?"   "Yes."  "Can  you see
the light bulb?"  "Sure"  "What wattage is is?"
.....  "Hmm, we're not quite there yet."  A few minutes later, I saw the
writing on the bulb.  I can't imagine a whole piano being done in french
polish, but I have heard it was and  not uncommon up to the 1900's. I
believe many of the rose wood squares were french polish but need to
confirm this.
	There must have been FP techniques suited for pianos.  I am always on the
lookout for literature about old factory methods.  There was a section in
the American
Steel and Wire editions of "Piano Tone Building" (1916) on varnish and
varnish application. I don't remember french polish.  My copy is lost and I
am looking to replace it.  It is not listed in APSCO any more.  Any one
want to part with theirs? or steer me to a seller?
	Ask a guitar or violin repair person if they do french polish, or ask at a
museum. If you can get some one to show you, and use literature later on as
a refresher and guide you will get the best results.  Also ask at a store
that sells Mohawk refinishing supplies and go through the list of
refinishers in the Yellow Pages.

Richard Moody
----------
> From: waco@ari.net
> To: pianotech@byu.edu
> Subject: Refinishing Vintage Steinways
> Date: Wednesday, January 08, 1997 7:55 AM
>
> I have just come into possession of a 1917 Steinway model A III 6'4/2"
grand.
> Mechanically and musically it is in wonderful shape, 100% Steinway parts,
almost
> unused since a restoration by John Travis about 17 years ago (the
owner/player
> died within a few months of the restoration, and the piano has been
little
> played since).
>
> My question for this list is on the case restoration.  This case is a
beautiful
> "fiddleback" pattern American mahogany, and finished with a polished
shellac.
> It would be a sin not to try to preserve/match this old finish.  The lid,

> fallboard, and interior are in showroom condition, the music desk, legs,
lyre,
> and case sides are alligatored.  Because of the beauty of the surviving
finish,
> I would like to restore the case as much as possible without striping and
with
> shellac, matching as closely as possible the original.
>
> Can anyone offer information as to the process originally employed by
Steinway
> for this finish?
>
> Can anyone offer suggestions as to how to go about restoring the
alligatored
> sections.
>
> Does anyone have any information on working with and restoring posished
shellac
> finishes on pianos?
>
> Up to this point, I've been a strip, stain, and spray lacquer kind of
guy, and
> have not paid to much attention to the "antique" value of a finish.  This
one is
> special.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help.
>
> Frank Weston