Saturday, August 16, 2014

Piano face lift : Part I

My Grandmother left my cousin Rachel her old piano after she passed. This piece has definitely seen a lot in its days. Children growing up right around it; then grandchildren. It has scars, stories, and a life of its own that it has lived. I was enlisted in giving this piece a face lift since it has seen its better days as far as the looks department goes. I was chosen since as they say, I'm the "crafty" one in the family and seem to get the most joy out of these sorts of projects.
So, I have decided to share my process and journey with you as I go along. This will be a project that will last me awhile indeed. Hopefully I can truly bring a new life to this for my cousin.
To begin, you will need to gather your supplies. I purchased all of these at Lowes or you can use your local hardware store you like best.
  • Stripper.
    • I like Citristrip since it's not as harsh and low VOCs which means less fumes.
  • Mineral Spirits.
  • Chemical resistant gloves.
  • Flat scraper.
  • Stripping pads.
  • Drop Cloth if you don't want a mess all over your floor.
    • Trust me, there will be a huge mess.
  • Eye wear.
    • You could possibly splash or fling the products or the stain/paint your stripping into your eye.
  • Natural bristle brush.
  • Metal pan to pour your stripper into, or whatever your instructions tell you to use.
  • Mask if using a stripping agent with high VOCs.