Advice on refinishing a piano.

[Monkey Mark]

I have a piano which, thanks to small kids, has seen a few knocks over the last few years and now has a few scratches and marks.

If possible I'd like to clean it up a little without going too far as it's approximately 100 years old.

Any advice other than leave it alone?

 

[Droogs]

If the top coat laquer is cracked or broken around the dents etc and you intend to apply recoat then try using a hot clothes iron and a damp cloth to lift/raise the dents out before attacking it with sandpaper etc. This may take most of them out. Depending on the top coat if it's shelac/wax and there are cupstains pour a little white spirit on and light it and blow it out as the ring marks go away and then recoat.
HTH

 

[MIGNAL]

There's not a lot that it can be. Apart from wax it's either a Shellac/Spirit varnish or some sort of natural resin Oil varnish. The chances are that it's Shellac or at least Shellac based.

 

[YorkshireMartin]

Which maker is the piano by?

I'd want to know that first before trying to refinish. For example, if its a Steinway, you dont want to go anywhere near the finish in a DIY sense.

 

[thick_mike]

Also, what is the colour? A photo would help here!

 

[Droogs]

There's not a lot that it can be. Apart from wax it's either a Shellac/Spirit varnish or some sort of natural resin Oil varnish. The chances are that it's Shellac or at least Shellac based.

I put in the scintilla of doubt as to whether it has a shellac finish as it's around 100 years ago that many piano manufacturers started to use Nitrocellulose laquer finishes, which would require a different approach to retsoration

 

[AJB Temple]

Is this an upright piano or a grand piano? Is it a useful or valuable musical instrument, or mainly sentimental value?

Upright pianos of 100 years old are generally pretty exhausted as musical instruments and very very few have any financial value. I know form experience that refinishing gloss black (typical for Europe, matt if made in the US usually) grand pianos is a right pain, especially if they are nitro cellulose. It is extremely difficult to get a flaw free finish. Most piano restorers sub this work out and a lot of times the carcasses are shipped to Poland for prep, spray and polish.

Photos would help.

 

[Monkey Mark]

I'll try to answer a few of the questions here and I'll get some pictures up when I get the chance (it is currently covered as we are decorating).

I can't remember the makers name off hand but it certainly is not a Steinway (I wish!). It was made by a local firm in Sunderland that has not existed for quite some time now.

@ AJB - Value? Not much, but we like it. It is an upright with birdcage system. I agree that a piano of that age would be exhausted. We originally thought it to be about 50 years old but the two piano tuners who we have used (both well respected in their fields) have confirmed it to be somewhere between 100 and 120 years old and although cosmetically not the best, mechanically and musically it is in surprisingly good shape. One of the tuners actually stayed and played it for a while as he was so impressed with the action for its age.
We believe, judging by a few little things here and there, that it has probably spent a large portion of its life residing in a church.