refinishing a piano

Paul Downes

Member
Messages
959
Location
Westphalia, Michigan
Hi all, I bought an old grand piano at an auction and it needs refinishing. I haven't figured out how old it is but it at least predates 1940, when the company stopped production of their grands.

The finish is blemished or deteriorated to the point where much contact causes it to crumble. I guess it is a varnish of some sort. The wood is ribbon Mahogany and I want to bring it back to it's original glory. It does look like the original finish was stained to darken the mahogany. I don't know if mahogany darkens with age or sun oxidation. There is a small piece of veneer missing. I plan on replacing that and blending it in to the old veneer.

Other than that I might build a ribbon mahogany bench to match the piano. The bench that came with it is not the original.

My concerns have to do with the refinishing process. The veneer looks to be pretty thin so I want to remove the finish without hurting the veneer.

Any suggestions?
 
The best was to remove the finish is with a chemical stripper. It will remove the finish down to bare wood and remove any old stain with it. Generally, a good stripper wont remove the analine dye.
You can get a really nice finish straight from the gun with lacquer. If you want to get a 'piano' or mirror finish you will have to go through a process. It is lengthy, but not diffilult. I have done it by hand on small tables but for a piano, I think you have no other choice but by buffing with a buffer. Again, it is a process in which yoiu can skip any steps. A cheap buffer wont work. You will probably be looking at $250 or more for the buffer. It should have a variable speed from around 2,000 to 3,000 RPM, and enough HP to not slow down under pressure. Without a buffer, there is no way I would even do a table top.
 
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