A meeting of the Long Island Nassau Chapter, PTG was held on February 8, 2011, at Cavalieri Finishing Company in Amityville, New York. Five chapter members and three guests attended.

A formal business meeting was not held. President Slavin mentioned that two chapter members had not yet paid their annual dues.

Claudio and Flori Grottoli of Cavalieri Finishing Company were our hosts for the evening. After providing a light dinner, the factory tour began around 7:00 P.M. Cavalieri Finishing Co. specializes in the application of new polyester finishes to various products, including pianos. Upon request, they will refinish a piano in polyurethane. At the start of the tour, we were shown some new Steinway pianos that they were in the process of finishing in white polyester. These were part of Steinway & Sons "Imagine" series line of limited edition pianos. Also on display was a Bechstein grand piano that had been refinished in polyurethane.

As the tour progressed, we were shown two flat panel sanders that are used to sand the polyester finish down to a uniform thickness. These sanders are large enough to accommodate a lid for a concert grand piano. Grand piano rims and legs have to be finished by hand.

The spray booth used to apply the polyester is a special room equipped with a waterfall to catch overspray particles. The room is also equipped with special ventilation equipment that brings in fresh air from outdoors, ionizes it, and pressurizes it. Special filters remove foreign particles from the air and remove excess humidity. Ionizing the air causes airborne particles of polyester finish to coagulate and fall to the floor, where they can be easily swept up with a broom. The individual doing the actual spraying wears a Tyvek suit and a respirator for protection.

At the conclusion of the meeting, we thanked Mr. and Mrs. Grottoli for their time and for being our hosts for the evening.

Respectfully submitted,
Allan N. Schumacker, RPT