Seeking refinishing advice

General discussion about piano makes, problems with pianos, or just seeking advice.

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jlg96140
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Joined: 12 Dec 2022, 17:44

Seeking refinishing advice

Post by jlg96140 »

Hello, we have a 1955 Baldmin Model M which needs to have the main part of the top refinished. The existing finish is "crazed" (I think that's the right word) and has unfortunately recently sustained some white water rings from a party (ugh!!!)

I've always thought that the piano was Walnut but my husband thinks that it's perhaps Mahogany. I'm attaching a couple of photos.

We're trying to evaluate a DIY repair versus taking the top somewhere for refinishing. My husband has an HVLP unit and is familiar with spraying lacquers and other finishes, but we're not sure what to expect with this job. One approach would be to carefully sand just the top surface back down to bare wood (leaving the rim/lip and underside original) and then reapply the finish, but we're wondering what the odds are of the new finish being close enough to existing.

We're also wondering what this finish is likely to be, given the year and make of the piano.

Thank you for any advice and thoughts!
Jen
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Barrie Heaton
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Re: Seeking refinishing advice

Post by Barrie Heaton »

Your best bet is to strip it with a paint stripper, including the edge but mask off the underneath. Re-stain and respray.

Barrie
Barrie Heaton
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