QUERY: gilding a plate

[Jon Page]

At 02:22 PM 08/22/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>Mark and list
>
>Has any one tried shellac as the medium for spraying bronzing powders rather
>than lacquer? As a rule, I seal the old finish on the plate with shellac,
>then proceed with Behlen's Piano Gold and lacquer top coats. I'd like to
>short cut the process and still get a good looking job without problems like
>the bronzing powder turning dark or green after a time.
>
>Paul Chick

The problem I had spraying shellac on a plate with HVLP is lack of flow 
characteristics.
The alcohol drys too fast (especially in the warm air flow of HVLP) to 
allow as good of a
gloss as you can get with a slow drying lacquer thinner.

R-M products has several thinners for varying applications. I use the 'fast 
dry' for sealer coats
to restrict the interaction with the undercoat or primer. A 'slow dry' 
thinner is used for the final
coats to allow a nice flow out. Retarders help in this respect as well. 
With the Mohawk products
I've been using lately, their 'Blush Resistant Reducer' has this this quality.

Since the Massachusetts state legislature banned the sale of these 
'hazardous materials'
I have to mail order the products (Mohawk).  "Use" was not banned, just 
their sale by stores, however lacquer
thinner can be purchased in a store but not the lacquer itself, go 
figure.  And it seems to me that the material
presently available at auto body paint supply stores is even more toxic 
(and won't mix with bronzing powder).

But aside from plates, I use PianoLac on cases because it is water based 
and very, very good.

Regards,




Jon Page,   piano technician
Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass.
mailto:jonpage@mediaone.net
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