I'd be interested in some techniques for filling horrible dings and gouges while controlling color. I've been refinishing a celesta for the Newport Symphony. It's by far the most battered instrument I have ever seen, though it plays fine. I just patched a place where two layers of veneer were torn away, with some red oak I cut thin on the Shopsmith bandsaw. (The case is oak.) I got the fit right but I had a lot of trouble controlling the color. I also need to find a filler which can be colored properly but is still sturdy enough to build up a battered edge. I was using shellac stick, but the color was not right, opaque, and it will not accept stain. I think I'll need to dig it all back out again and take a new approach, but I'd prefer to know what the approach should be before I dig it out. Possibly, instead of filling each gouge on the edge, I should take a dremel sanding drum and shave a bevel on the whole edge, then build it up with something, maybe even wood. I also bought a shellac stick (for clarinets, I think) which is translucent and kind of a warm burnt sienna.
A few photos ... I used a very fancy 3M adhesive sheet to attach the orchestra's name. The color of the patch is still a problem, and I'm tired of having to go darker and darker to take attention from it. I must say that the orchestra and conductor are giving me an incredible amount of positive feedback, but I don't think my results are nearly good enough yet. For the splintered front corner, shellac stick glued it all back together and built up the missing parts, but you can see that the color is awful and the shape not all that great either. A learning experience, but I feel that French Polish was really the way to go. For instance, I can work on the case in the Arts Center for hours with no fumes (just 190 proof ethanol and shellac flakes) and no need to worry about dust. What I could really use is some expertise about fillers, especially for edges, and coloring them. I've wondered if I should just dress down all the edges and lay on a thin oak veneer strip, then French Polish that.
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Susan Kline
Philomath, Oregon
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-27-2019 08:10
From: Patrick Wingren
Subject: Case and finish, Ritter piano (1920's)
Thanks, all!
Chris, would this be articles about furniture or specifically about pianos? If you happen to have a link to recommend, I'd be grateful.
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Patrick Wingren, RPT
Jakobstad, Finland
0035844-5288048
Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2019 08:23
From: Chris Chernobieff
Subject: Case and finish, Ritter piano (1920's)
You can test the finish. There are many articles and videos online that show how.
Original Message------
Hi folks,
could anyone of you with experience in refinishing older pianos educate me on what kind of material, filling and coating might have been used on this Ritter piano from the mid 1920's? Practically all black pianos over here in Europe are treated with polyester nowadays.
Logically, this would be a french polish, right?
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Patrick Wingren, RPT
Jakobstad, Finland
0035844-5288048
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