Once that project was done, it was time for another long-awaited event, namely finishing. This included the new sound hole decal I had made in the computer from a photo of the old one and then bonded to foil. I admit I probably took the liberty of brightening up the colors a bit, though those of the old one may have been faded. But then, at this point, am I worried about absolute adherence to the original? Over half the zither body is new! On the other hand, I won’t be refinishing the keyboard housing because unlike the instrument’s body, it wouldn’t improve it. The finish is in plenty good enough condition to keep, so it stays. The finished wooden parts of the housing are of a deep brown color. I was pretty careful in trying to match the color, and it came out pretty good. Here’s a shot of the freshly finished zither.