The Puffer Forum

Sorry I haven't been updating. I can admit that I've been a little too lazy but I'll also say I've been pleasently distracted from both the piano and from updating about it by a lovely member of the fairer sex. I'll get some more pictures up today though.

just the piano dude, just the pioano

J-P wrote:just the piano dude, just the pioano

*snicker* touche.

found this post out of the blue... read all the posts left so far... and now im left hanging.... WHAT HAPPENED NEXT???? is it finished? did you keep it? do you have pix?????

Day four started on January 27th. I can't remember why I skipped the 24th. Think maybe the daughter was sick. Not quite sure. Anyways this is when the sanding started. This is also where we have learned a lot of lessons the hard way. Upon completion, the Aquariano will be christianed "Mulligan" due to the fact that I would do so many things differently if I were to do it again.

The worst part was the dust. Of course we didn't buy masks. Of course we didn't have proper ventilation. Of course the breeze was blowing into the house. Of course we were working right by the furnace. Of course the filter in the furnace was old. Of course my shop vac filter kept clogging.

I do pat myself on the back for bringing a change of clothes so I didn't have to climb into my Camaro in dust smothered clothing. Unfortunately the power sanders we were using could only get so many places and left a lot to be desired. We tried doing the rest by hand but... wasn't to be. We called it a day and picked up some stain remover for the next day. We had to take frequent breaks to escape the dust and get some fresh-ish air. I have to say progress was indeed a little slow.

So enjoy these ones here.

Day 5 was the worst day of the project. Most expensive too. There was so many layers of stain on this piano it took more than today to get them off.

The fumes were horrible. Luckily they weren't being blown back inside. This day was also cut short by a certain someone visiting so in combination with the lack of breakfast and the fumes I lost ambition and left the project for another day. Here's the only two pictures I bothered to take. Nothing too exciting just some goop spread on some wood.

lol you sound like me.... i have a 66 mustang.... built from the ground up.... god forbid someone gets in it with a speck of dust on them... or eating in it... forget that! lol im pretty protective of that car, shes my baby... UH OH! we got a rival! ford vs. chevy... its okay i have a 75 nova SS as well, so i <3 both makers... im on the fence but i tend to gravatate mroe toward ford cause that was my first car, and me and my dad worked on it, and i learned everything i know about cars from him... so its got a special place in my heart anyway... im a car kinda girl... if you have any pix of your camaro im sure we'd love to see them! i know i would... ok well take care and good work on the aquariano

Some quick lessons I have learned from this experience.

When sanding...
Always use a dust mask.
Never stick your face near the sander as your face (eyes especially) attract dust.
Wear safety glasses.
Do not sand the power cord.
Keep a shop-vac handy at all time. There is a stupid amount of dust.

When using chemicals...
DO NOT BREATHE THE STUFF IN! Though it does have a very, cool burning sensation.
Wear long sleeves. Just because you have gloves on doesn't mean you can't splash it on your arms (or face).
WEAR SAFETY GLASSES. Gloves and long sleeves don't protect your eyes. It burnt at first, then I rinsed for about 10 minutes and it just felt dry afterward. No permanent damage.
Keep water handy. You will need to drink.

In general...
Do not decide to refinish anything that is not in dire need of refinishing. It breaks the budget and wastes time.
There are no "mulligans". You simply cannot restart with the knowledge you have gained by taking wrong turns.
When dealing with glue, don't be gentle. A heat gun and a good kick gets the job done.

There's some other lessons we learned the hard but I can't remember what some of them were so I guess I haven't really learned them.

Update?
Hopefully the project has not stalled.Can't wait to see it complete!

Not stalled. Just trying to appropriately juggle relationships, a child, personal life and the project.

The sanding was taking forever but we are finally finished (as of monday). Was supposed to stain today but my daughter was home sick. Looking at Friday to start staining. Going to go with a deep cherry stain.

Damn life getting in the way of our projects... lol. Just kidding, I know the feeling.

any updates as of yet?

Updates..?

He's disappeared.

Poof.

Indeed.

Poof. (: