Remove old finishes fast!

[David Ilvedson]

It is interesting to see someone showing the world/earth what an ass he is...

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044

----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "Alan Barnard" <pianotuner at embarqmail.com>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Received: 4/29/2008 7:59:16 PM
Subject: Remove old finishes fast!


>Knew the subject line would lure you in ...

>Here's how Jesse French and I celebrated Earth Day: removing the old finish, 
>reducing the piano's weight by half, tweaking certain noses, and putting badly 
>needed carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

>The most fun moment was pushing it over: Wham!

>Interesting observations: Many of the plain wire strings snapped right at the 
>speaking-side bridge pin as they got hot -- all that broke, broke at that same place 
>(more tension in speaking segment?). Somewhere late in the game, as the pinblock 
>area was burning (took a loooong time), the plate broke. I was not too far away and 
>it was scary loud: Bang! I am reminded of the customer who's Kawai grand burned 
>completely in a house fire; he asked me did I want to salvage any of the parts, 
>perhaps the strings? Uh, no thanks. I did salvage some action pieces (stickers and 
>whippens) and all the hardware, especially screws, I could reasonably get to. They 
>don't now make hardware with a tenth of the quality of this 90-year-old stuff.




>Alan Barnard
>Salem, MO


>P.S. If anyone is bothered by my sooty footprints, email me privately and I'll tell you 
>a little secret.