How do you unshine shiny spots on satin finish?

[Geoff Sykes]

14 year old Bösendorfer CS that has had the fallboard brass polished a couple of times. Notice how the dull (satin) finish of the rest of the piano is now shiny around the logo? 

How can I...

A) ...restore the dull finish as it was? (It's not a brushed satin finish. It's just uniform dull finish.

B) ...polish the fallboard brass without shining up the dull finish in the future?

-- GS

[Paul McCloud]

Hi, Geoff:
If your finish is "matte", if you rub it at all, you'll get a different satin effect. As far as I know, without spraying a new matte finish (lacquer dries dull/flat) there's no way to recreate the matte look. Since it's only on the fallboard, you could rub out the whole surface and get away with it. I use a large semi-wet sponge with a fine pumice powder to recreate a satin finish. Works well getting rid of surface scratches too. Just go over the brass emblem too, won't hurt.
Next time you could use a brass cleaner that has ammonia in it (Brasso, Wright's) and just let the chemical action do the work, with minimal rubbing.
Paul McCloud
San Diego

[Larry Fisher RPT]

 BooZies have a special satin.  If it were me and I felt brave, I'd try pressing some 400 grit or 600 grit sandpaper, grit side to finish, and tap, don't rub, with enough pressure to micro dent the finish.  On any other ebony, I've used 0000 steel wool wrapped around a piece of wood and stroked the finish to match.

As for the brass being next to a satin finish  ...........  now we're talking outside of my talents.

[Geoff Sykes]

THIS is a great idea. 

I connected with Ray Chandler at Bösendorfer and he recommended first, Windex and a rag of some kind, and second, Naptha. Naptha? Um... I don't think so. But apparently the Windex can not only remove any residual polish compound, in this case Flitz, but also contribute to a slight dulling of the finish. If the Windex doesn't do it then your sandpaper is definitely the next step. Thanks!

-- G