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Home > Piano Restoration > The Process > Step 7
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Step 7 |
Once refinishing preparations are completed, i.e. the hand removal of the original finish (stripping), repair to all wood sub surfaces and the surface veneers we are ready to backfill deep grain and stain the wood to a selected and appropriate wood tone or stain color, or ebony or other solid color, and finally begin applying finishing material.
The prepared woods are all carefully laid out for application of “paste wood filler”. This is a thick, sloshy heavy bodied grain filler which we purchase in natural shades and stain to compliment our final wood tone color to be applied next in the staining step. Filler is applied with a wide brush and forced across the grain into the wood pores and grains of the wood surfaces. It is then cleaned off across the grain and allowed to dry. Once fully dry, the entire wood surface(s) are scrubbed clean with coarse cloths and abrasive pads, which allow only the background grain filler which has been forced into the back grain and pores of the wood to remain. The surface is cleaned. What this is doing is allowing the final finish to be flat and smooth without showing a “grainy” look.
Staining is the next step. Our stains are custom mixed for each job. We have no batch stains. After consulting with the customer and making our best recommendation for what might best compliment the woods of the piano, we stain all exterior surfaces with fast drying penetrating stains. The stain is allowed to dry for 24 hrs. and then ready for sealing.
Lacquer sealer is a product, which as it’s name implies, seals wood surfaces. It has particularly good adhesion to the stained and filled wood surfaces and allows for a more perfect base for lacquer coats to follow. RCR finishers apply 2 heavy lacquer sealer coats. Each is allowed to dry for days before careful hand and machine sanding which reduces the sprayed thickness dramatically. Again we are trying to both level the surface and prepare it for 2-3 dress coats of finish lacquer which comprise the next step.
The previous lacquer sealer coat must be thoroughly hand and machine sanded prior to the first of the dress lacquer coats. We apply only ultra clear water white nitro cellulous lacquers. No tints are used, and only the finest lacquers and solvent thinners available make it to our spray guns. As with all steps during the spraying processes, the final lacquer coats are applied with production commercial spray guns, which produce a fine and even mist of atomized lacquers. As before, each of the final coats is allowed to dry and cure prior to thorough hand and machine sanding. When the final coat is done we are ready to proceed to the hand rubbing step.
Hand rubbing a lacquered finish is the final step of fine finishing. The piece whether piano or fine furniture having all coats of lacquer sealer and dress lacquer already applied is then ready for “rubbing” or “rubbing out.” Many finishes are considered complete without the rubbing step however in order to produce an absolutely smooth, even and compelling appearance we feel that rubbing is necessary.
The process is as follows: The final finish is again wet sanded with 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500 & 2000 grit finishing sand papers which remove imperfections at the surface and level the finish. After all sanding is complete, combinations of special rubbing compounds, pumice stone and rotten stone are sprinkled on the surface and rubbed aggressively with finishing cloths and oil. This brings the finish to a new luster or glow, increases depth of vision into wood grains and even the depth perception of black or ebony finishes, and although it is the most time consuming of all finishing steps it is also a most important one.
Rubbed lacquer finishes are arguably the finest available and produce an unparalleled luster, feel and visual reward.
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