I had to get in on the refinishing discussion even though I'm not
a professional woodworker.  I inherited a few antique (circa 18th
century) pieces of furniture from New England and wanted to preserve
the original finishes as much as possible.  I found that Formby's
Conditioner and Furniture Refinisher works very well for this, using
the technique of "French polishing."

Antiques of this sort ostensibly lose some of their value when the
original finishes have been removed and replaced, even with better
looking finishes.  I don't know if player pianos and other mechanical
music instruments are in this category, but know carousel animals are
more valuable in the original paint.

One makes a thick pad of cheese cloth that is dipped in the thin
volatile solvent, then rubbed in circular movements, from one part of
the piece to the end redistributing and smoothing the original finish
without stopping until the entire section is complete.

Formby's also sells special pads for this, but cheese cloth works.
I don't like to use steel wool because it leaves flakes of steel.  This
does not work well however, if the surface has been painted over unless
you can remove every bit of it without disturbing the original.  This
rules out chemical strippers.  A heat gun and careful, tedious scraping
is an alternative for preserving an original finish.

A few years ago, I bought my grandson an old upright piano I found in
a warehouse full of pianos of various vintage and condition.  I liked
the tone.  It had the original ivory keys which were in good condition,
and the innards had been recently restored, with new felt and strings,
but the outside was hideous.  Someone had painted it with white "Kemtone"
type paint in thick layers, with brush marks, splatters, drools upon the
keys and under this, I found a layer of vile green enamel.  I bought it
anyway -- it was cheap.

Liquid chemical stripper was the only way to go with this mess with
heat gun and dental picks for the cracks, scrolls and keys.  As I began
to uncover some lovely inlay around the various panels, I resorted to
the heat gun and careful scraping for this part, as well.  The stripper
tends to loosen the glue around inlay and the edges of the veneer.

Underneath all of this mess was what appeared to be walnut veneer on
the front and sides.  I used the Formby's to even out what was left
of the original varnish, then finished it with a satin urethane type
varnish.  The final result was a nice piece of furniture and a piano
with a pleasant tone.  Of course, my grandson played it for a couple
of months, then took up the trumpet and basketball instead.

I wonder what people are thinking of when they buy a gallon of house
paint and slap it on a musical instrument with a coarse brush.  There's
no accounting for someone's idea of fitting an instrument into their
decor.

How much does the finish on a piano effect the sound?  I know that with
string instruments such as violins and cellos, this is considered very
important, to the point of "secret formulas" and finishing techniques:
applying layers of finish lean to fat, or is it the other way?  Does the
core wood, whether poplar, chestnut or something else effect the sound,
or are these chosen because of weight and price?

Formby's can be found in most paint and hardware stores in the United
States.

Patty Slayton
Moore, Idaho USA