[pianotech] bead blasting wood...gently

[Dean May]

I use 150 garnet from Abrasive Products, (317) 485-7701. 100# for around $50
and it lasts forever, can be recycled even. Shoot it through cheap $20
siphon feed sandblaster. 

Dean

Dean W May (812) 235-5272 voice and text

PianoRebuilders.com (888) DEAN-MAY

Terre Haute IN 47802


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of jim at grandpianosolutions.com
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2012 8:52 PM
To: pianotech
Subject: [pianotech] bead blasting wood...gently

I was quite surprised at how well this worked.  A muffler rail on a 
square I'm working on. Client and I decided to dedicate available funds 
for more useful parts of the instrument than the muffler rail. But the 
rest of the belly was looking pretty good, and I didn't really want to 
put the muffler rail back in its filthy state, including filthy felt.

Took the rail to the bead blaster with fine bead (175-300-I think), 
turned air down to 20lbs, shot the bead at a very shallow angle, 5 or 
10degrees to the plane of the surface to be cleaned.
Gave both the wood and felt quick blasts, didn't protect the leather at 
all, just didn't aim at it.

By golly, no early/ late growth erosion whatsoever or visual clue of 
what I did...and mighty quick it was too. Felt cleaned up nicely as well.

Waddayanoaboutthat.

Jim Ialeggio

-- 
Jim Ialeggio
jim at grandpianosolutions.com
(978) 425-9026
Shirley, MA