restoring a piano on a budget

Heidiboo · Post by **Heidiboo** » 09 Aug 2007, 21:02

I have got my hands on an old piano and what to restore it, its plays fine but its looking a bit dull and has a 5"x3" burn mark on the keyboard lid.
Its a walnut chappell and co upright piano made around 1897 (maybe) also the name j hoyland printed under the top lid.

My main concern is the burn, i dont want to try removeing the varnish and totaly strip the veneer around the burn or sand down the burn and find its veneer, i have look at the edge to see if its a solid piece of wood or not and does look solid but when i look close at the burn im not convinced it is soild, i need some ideas on how to get arround this.

I want to french polish the piano myself and have lots of old furniture from when i was learning upholstery to practice on but don't know where to go to buy, if it comes ready mixed or i have to mix myself, whats the best products to go for and so on

Otto · Post by **Otto** » 10 Aug 2007, 08:27

I'd be prepared to bet the house-keeping for a week that you will find that the lid is a walnut veneer around 1mm thick. If the burn has got all the way through the veneer to the wood underneath (and you should be able to feel with your fingers if it has because of a change in texture), then you will have no alternative but to patch it.

This is specialist work, and there must be sites on the internet which will show you how to do this. Alternatively your local library may have some books on veneer and marquetry (as well as French Polishing, which you'll need to investigate).

If it's not all the way through then you may be able to sand it out, but I'd be surprised if you'd get away with that, because the veneer will be so thin that it will almost certainly have discoloured all the way through.

Best of luck.

Pheonix · Post by **Pheonix** » 10 Aug 2007, 08:45

Its a job for a specialist and not hugely expensive...if the burn is all the way through they will patch it and re polish, the only trouble will be that the newly polished lid will make the rest of the case appear in need of attention.

Heidiboo · Post by **Heidiboo** » 10 Aug 2007, 11:18

The burn isnt that noticeable but i know its there, when the lid is raised the mark maches up with where the candle holder was so i am guessing it may have had hot wax dripping over it for some period of time.

Im already reading up on french polishing techniques and will not even attempt this untill im am satifyed i can do the job, just need to know what products are available out there, if i need to goto a specialist dealer and if so where?