In a message dated 97-01-08 08:58:13 EST, you write: << 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.>> Frank - Are you sure this is a shellac finish? I have seen many Steinway (and other) pianos of this vintage which had beautiful highly polished varnish finishes. These finishes are damaged by ultraviolet light (i.e. sunlight) and turn hard and brittle and shrink, but any parts that have been kept in the dark will look amazingly like new. Varnish finishes usually have a thicker build on top of the wood than the french polish finishes I have seen on antiques. As a consequence, thick varnish is more likely to alligator than shellac. While shellac can be readily dissolved and reflowed with alcohol, varnish can be softened but won't dissolve in alcohol. << Can anyone offer information as to the process originally employed by Steinway for this finish? >> Maybe you should ask the people at Steinway. If you really want to preserve the existing finish, go to your local museum and speak to the curator about methods for conserving antique finishes. They have techniques for cleaning and restoring finishes that go far beyond padding on french polish. The down side is that a proper cleaning and conservation of a small piece (like a side table) can take over 40 man hours; a piano case could take a few hundred hours. Consider it a labor of love. Ed Bordeleau
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