Applying the Finish
Now that the keyboard is balanced and leveled, all that remains is to put some protective finish on the ebony. Over the years I’ve tried just
about every finish known to man. Shellac, polyurethane, wipe-on poly etc. For me, the best one for this application is Bio Poly Natural, which is a wonderful, environmentally
friendly, wipe on finish. You can purchase a pint of Bio Poly from
Earthpaint.net. Three coats of the Bio Poly followed by a single coat of spray on satin Polyurethane and you have a beautiful keyboard.
It gives me the nice soft even sheen I’m looking for, while letting the ebony look like wood instead of plastic. A Tung Oil finish can be used instead of the Bio Poly if you wish.
Here’s the procedure I used on this keyboard:
- Sand keys with 400 grit wet/dry paper (dry)
- Wipe or brush on a coat of Bio Poly. Wipe it off immediately.
- Let dry for 24 hours
- Sand the ebony with 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper used dry. This can be found at any auto supply store.
- Apply a second coat of Bio Poly and wipe it off immediately.
- Let dry for 24 hours
- Sand as before with 1000 grit paper.
- Apply 3rd and final coat of Bio Poly. Wipe off immediately.
- After 24 hours, sand with 1000 grit paper.
- Spray on a single, light coat of satin polyurethane. DO NOT SAND THIS COAT.
Then brush on 3 coats of satin water-based Polycrylic or shellac on the arcades, sanding lightly between coats with 320 paper. This protects the arcades without changing the natural color of the wood.