Piano plate refinishing

[Ted Simmons]

Yesterday I cleaned out my paint cabinet.  Threw away many cans that had
little or no weight to them.  However, I saved the spray tips.  You bet!  I
understand the problem of touching up if the plate gets chipped and has
been clear-coated.  However, now that I've seen the difference between no
clear-coat and clear-coat the appearance is so much more professional
looking with clear-coat. It also appears to be a tougher surface, seemingly
impervious to chipping.  (Last sentence my opinion.)

Ted Simmons, Merritt Island, FL

>The powdery residue on the plate is probably overspray caused by holding
>the can too far from the plate while spraying or by spraying outdoors on
>a windy day. Try rubbing the plate lightly with a tack rag. If that
>doesn't work, you'll have to rub the plate with Scotch-Brite (extra fine)
>and recoat the plate.
>
>One other thing. The spray heads on aerosol cans tend to clog quite
>rapidly. Every time I throw away a spray can, I remove the head, soak it
>in lacquer thinner, and save it. That way when I am spraying gold or
>bronze finishes, I have a good collection of spray heads and keep
>changing them as each one clogs. I get far less overspray that way.
>
>The biggest problem I have with clear coating over the gold is the
>difficulty of repairing the finish if the plate is accidentally scratched
>or chipped.   A one step finish is fairly easy to repair ... just
>respray.
>
>Charles Faulk RPT
>Manhattan, KS