Cosmetic Repair Obstacle; What’s the Lacquer? (L&H)

[sarahenya]

I’ve had a tough time getting some cosmetic damages repaired on my Lyon and Healy Stlye 100. After some run around, L&H did tell me that the finish is Mohawk brand, and I found a good furniture repair person to fill in the dent and refinish it, but I hit another snag! The repair person thinks there’s a top coat or lacquer on it, and won’t go through with the repair until I can find out what it is. Anyone have any idea?
I did call L&H and left a voicemail, but I figured I can’t be the only one who has had this question.

[charles-nix]

Not to be too snarky — but if the repair person can’t tell virtually just from looking, or maybe a test in an inconspicuous place, you’ve got the wrong repair person.

How old is the harp?

There are only about 6 total finish possibilities. Polyester and Polyurethane are used for thick coatings on pianos. I can’t imagine that on a harp.

Older instruments would be nitrocellulose lacquer. Newer (maybe past 30? years) would be Pre-cat lacquer. Either touches up the same way. But again, he should be able to tell that just from looking. The poly-xxx finishes look very different from lacquers. (The other possible finishes either aren’t used in production factories, or not in the past 100 years)

I’d find a good piano shop in your area that does restoration work. They have hit every possible finish, and will know how to work with a musical instrument.

Typical lacquer refinish and topcoat would be fill the dent, then mask and spray over. Then buff with compound. If he buffs and gets that compound dust in your action, I would be seriously worried about wear in the rivets and bearings afterward.

[sarahenya]

I appreciate your advice! You’re not being too cynical, I need to hear it and I’m very open to the advice. I hadn’t thought about a piano place, that’s a good idea.
My harp is only 14 years old, so I guess it’s Pre-cat. I’ll have to look into what that is more to educate myself.

[charles-nix]

Pre-cat will touch up basically like older nitrocellulose. It has a slow-acting catalyst added to help with cross-linking the polymer. Mostly the catalyst starts to work after the solvent starts evaporating. The older nitrocellulose just evaporated and left finish film on the surface without cross-linking. It gives extra strength and some water resistance.

I had also forgotton about modern water-based finishes. At 14 years ago, and made in Chicago, I doubt that would be it. They have a specific “look” of very slightly milky whiteness which is easy to spot. nitrocellulose and pre-cat look slightly amber. And the surface hardness is also different.

Where are you located?

[sarahenya]

It does look milky white!!! That might be it!

[sarahenya]

I’m in Philadelphia!

[charles-nix]

Call the Haddonfield NJ office of Va Harp Center. or Lindeblad piano in NJ. or there is surely a top end piano shop in Philadelphia or Baltimore. You’re in musical instrument central…

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Only a qualified technician should do anything to repair your finish. What I learned is that to patch the finish, you have to use exactly the same finish. You cannot use a non-matching finish on another finish, the chemistry has to be the same. Before Lyon & Healy started using lacquer finish, I’m pretty sure they used varnish, like violins have. As for new harps, I am opposed to the matte or satin finish. It looks awful, and I think because it is not rubbed to produce the glossy finish, it is too thick and inhibits the sound. So if you are ordering a new harp, pay extra for the glossy finish. Lyon & Healy can supply you with a small bottle of the lacquer. You would dab it on, but then you are supposed to sand it smooth, so it’s still better to have a trained technician do it.

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