Pianotech

  • 1.  Finish on a Yamaha

    Posted 08-22-2012 15:54
    Does anyone know what material was used back in 1989 for the finish on a gloss black Yamaha U3?
    I tried to repair mover's damage on the corner of a cheek and am having a problem getting the
    poly black enough and the margins are rubbing through. The thickness of the finish is ultra thin.
    After I used a Dremel Tool to remove damaged wood and define the margins the thickness
    looked less than .010". I'm fairly certain it's not poly but the dealer claims it is.

    If the piano were in my shop, I'd sand the top of the cheek and side and spray black and rub it out to gloss.

    Regards,

    Jon Page

    -------------------------------------------


  • 2.  RE:Finish on a Yamaha

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-22-2012 16:01
    Hi Jon,

    I don't think that's poly.  We have a bunch of U-1 from the 80's and early 90's.  I think it's lacquer, but never have really looked into it. One G-3 we have is gloss black.  unsure at the top of my head what year, but at least 20+ years old since we haven't bought a new grand for many years (sad face!)

    Try the repair as if lacquer.

    Paul

    -------------------------------------------
    Paul T. Williams RPT
    Piano Technician
    University of Nebraska
    Lincoln, NE 68588-0100
    pwilliams4@unl.edu
    -------------------------------------------






    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Finish on a Yamaha

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-22-2012 22:45
    Jumpin' in here. Over the years, I've seen a lot of stuff. Kawai pianos sometimes have urethane and polyester on the same piano. DAMHIK. I'm not sure about Yamahas. Yamaha polyester is indeed very thin. You can test if it's lacquer by using some acetone or lac thinner. Urethane and poly are impervious, but lac will get sticky. Sanding urethane with fine sandpaper and water makes a black slurry, whereas poly will make a whitish slurry. Urethane looks exactly like poly, so beware. Urethane is much tougher than poly, and is often used on the benches to resist scratches, and it is hard to buff out. Doing polyester repair on Yamaha is a challenge, because the Konig repair material is softer than the original finish. When you buff it out, the new material will tend to wear off. If you sand the finish too thin, and you get edges worn thru, you can just use a black marker to color it. If your area is larger, you'll never be able to use polyester because as soon as you try to feather the edges together, you'll cut through again. Just use lacquer and buff it out as best you can. If you're doing a large panel that sanded thru, you'll need to refinish the whole thing. Some shops can do it in polyester again, or just shoot lacquer or urethane. There used to be a shop near the Yamaha headquarters in Orange County, but it has moved (Esquire Piano). I heard they moved to Oregon or something. I feel your pain. Paul McCloud Sad Diego
    Original Message


  • 4.  RE:Finish on a Yamaha

    Posted 08-23-2012 07:16
    One way to tell a finish type is by smell. Use a fine rubbing compound on an unobtrusive part, rubbing until it gets warm, then smell. If polyester, it will have the distinctive smell of fiberglass resin. You can also learn the smells for lacquer and urethane. 

    Phil

    -------------------------------------------
    Philip Jamison
    Philip Jamison Pianos
    WEST CHESTER PA
    610-696-8449
    -------------------------------------------






    Original Message


  • 5.  RE:Finish on a Yamaha

    Posted 08-22-2012 22:12
    You could ask Ruth Phillips.

    -------------------------------------------
    John Formsma, RPT
    Blue Mountain MS


    -------------------------------------------






    Original Message


  • 6.  RE:Finish on a Yamaha

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-23-2012 01:21


    Gents,

    Another oar in the water....

    Just call Yo' Mama-ha directly. No fuss, no muss, and accurate info.

    1-800-854-1569 (...I've never waited more than a few minutes for a tech)

    Or send an eMail; pianoservice@yamaha.com and Aricelli will answer shortly.

         My belief is that Yamaha was all poly by the late 80's. Was a sales-point from '86 or so...


    Good hunting!
    -------------------------------------------
    Jeffrey T. Hickey, RPT
    North Bend OR
    tunerjeff@aol.com
    Portland Chapter #972
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Jeffrey Hickey
    North Bend OR
    tunerjeff@aol.com
    Portland Chapter #972
    -------------------------------------------






    Original Message