Polyester On Steinway reply

[pianoman]

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> From: Paul McCloud <smccloud@ix.netcom.com>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Polyester On Steinway
> Date: Sunday, September 21, 1997 2:25 PM
> Dear Paul,
This is why in the near future we will see water borne finishes on
everything.  The EPA is changing our life and our products we build more
everyday.
James Grebe
RPT from St. Louis 
pianoman@inlink.com
> Sy:
> 	I know a place in Southern California that I think does the poly
> finish.  Their name is Esquire Piano.  They will sell you anything you
> might need to repair poly finishes.  I spoke to them some time ago, and
> they had just done a Steinway in Peach!  I also spoke to the finish
> engineer some years ago when he stopped in our store here in San Diego. 
> I asked him why they (Steinway) don't use these new urethanes or
> polyester.  He said that the lacquer is translucent, while polyester is
> opaque.  The lacquer finish has a kind of glow due to the penetration of
> light into and out of the finish.  He said that they were not going to
> change what has worked for so many years.  
> 	Having said that, I'll tell you all something that floored me regarding
> Steinway finishes.  We've been having problems with the new Steinway
> finishes in that they have all kinds of packing marks, and other
> blemishes, shrinking of the lacquer, spots, and other problems.  I spoke
> to Mike Mohr about it, and he said that due to the EPA regulations in
> New York, that they can't use thinners in their application of the
> lacquer.  He said that they use some heating method (don't ask me what
> that might be.  Maybe somebody knows) to apply it.  And he said that it
> can "move around" for up to a year before it finally settles down.  I've
> had to fill in large dips in the edge of the case where the rubber
> bumpers have dug into the soft finish.  I will spare you all some gory
> details, unless you want to know more.
> 	IMHO, I think Steinway will have to do some rethinking of their finish
> philosophy, move their finishing operation out of state, or get their
> act together somehow, since what is being done at present is not cutting
> it.
> 
> 	Paul McCloud, RPT
> 	San Diego, CA