Richard and others, Regarding strength and tuning, I recently purchased a Fujan "Super Tube" tuning hammer. It can come with different lengths of tube which create a hammer from 101/2" to 17" long. I got the tubes for 101/2" (equivalent to the length of my current hammer) and 13". Aside from being somewhat stiffer (as in less flex), the 101/2" length otherwise felt like my old hammer. The 13" hammer, however, made even a Baldwin grand feel like the pins were not tight. Those with extension hammers have probably had that same experience, but with the extension hammer out that far you would introduce quite a bit more flex and less control. The point being that with the added leverage the amount of effort is much less with the longer hammer. You can check it out at the website: http://www.fujanproducts.com/. It took me a little while to get used to it, and being short (5'4"), the length stretches me out a bit more than I would like. I have requested a tube which would create a hammer 12" long so I can retain some leverage advantage but have less of a stretch. One of our piano profs saw the hammer and called it my "Bling-bling". For those who don't know (I had to be told), bling-bling is a hip-hop/rapper term for all the gold jewelry and other finery they wear. Well, it is a bit of a departure from your standard issue wood and steel (or titanium) - but I like it. It's light-weight and comfortable to use. What more can you ask? (and no, I'm not on commission) Jeff Stickney rwest1@unl.edu wrote: > This has been an interesting thread on many levels. For one thing, my > daughter is coming to my office to learn piano service. She graduated > from college last summer and likes the idea of working independently. > She's pretty handy with tools (she has a minor in art/sculpture), and > has grasped tuning well, although I don't think she likes tuning all > that much. > > My question is this: What problems do women run into out there is > businessland? I talked to one woman who doesn't put her address on > her business card because she doesn't want it out there for all to > have. This was something I had never thought about, being of the male > persuasion. Also the upper body strength issue seems that it must be > a major problem. One rather petite woman I know had to use both hands > to move the tuning hammer on pianos with tight pins. Another said she > had to lift weights and work out to keep from having pain. I know > this isn't just a female thing, men have upper back problems too. If > my daughter does indeed continue to do well, it would be nice to know > what she should be aware of when she starts working on her own. Does > PTG do anything to help women get together and talk about these > things? Maybe you "guys" just seek each other out and meet over lunch > to exchange ideas. > > On another note, I'd like to make an announcement. I'll be retiring > from my university job as of May 12, 2006. I'll be 62 and will be > moving into a part time piano service business and otherwise have time > to do other things. I'm looking forward to it. I've worked at the > university of NE for 30 years and it's been a good gig. I'm > announcing this so that any of you that might be interested in > applying will know that the position will be open soon. The > department is preparing to advertise. I don't know what the pay scale > will be, but I'm pushing for a decent starting salary and the benefits > are good. > > Richard West > University of Nebraska > > > On Jan 22, 2006, at 1:20 AM, Jeannie Grassi wrote: > >> I used to tinker with things, too. I even fixed an old piano one summer >> when I was in high school. The funny thing is that I wanted to be an >> architect when I was in school and go to engineering school. My >> guidance >> counselor told me that I wouldn't be very good because I got a low >> score in >> Mechanical Reasoning on my 8th grade skill assessment test! (As did most >> girls!!!!!) I believed it for a long time until I was an adult, >> living on >> my own. One day I looked around my apartment and realized I had >> about half >> a dozen lamps and other things from friends who had asked me to fix >> them for >> them. I was really good at fixing things and all my friends knew >> it. It >> just took me a while to adjust my perception of myself. It's funny >> how some >> of those things can leave long-term damage. >> >> Shortly after that I embarked on a journey to do technical >> work.....first in >> broadcasting. >> >> But enough of my stories one day.....I sure am envious when I hear about >> teachers like Ted S. Before he left Banff I was in the process of >> figuring >> out how to go up there for a training session. Then he left. What a >> shame >> I didn't act immediately. >> >> jeannie >> >> Jeannie Grassi, RPT >> Assistant Editor, Piano Technicians Journal >> mailto:jcgrassi@earthlink.net >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of >> Susan >> Kline >> Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2006 10:43 PM >> To: College and University Technicians >> Subject: RE: [CAUT] Differences? >> >> At 01:20 PM 1/21/2006 -0800, Jeannie wrote: >>> Then, when they told me they would teach me, they only gave me a small >>> amount of information, or in some cases, misinformation, so that I >>> would >> fail. >> >> >> Jeannie, I'm really sorry to hear that you had to go through this. >> >> An incredible stroke of good fortune, that when I decided >> to learn how to tune and repair pianos in 1978, Ted Sambell had just >> set up the course I found. No doubt ever that he was >> thoroughly and very effectively on my side, and that I would be >> able to grow into any aspect of the business I wanted to, from >> the start he gave me. >> >> Yes, I had to take Home Ec in 7th and 8th grade as well, even >> though my mom had already taught it all to me years before. I >> didn't realize at the time how much I would have loved wood >> and metal shop. I used to tinker with stuff on my own, without >> having any real tools or knowing how to use them. I would buy >> folding Kodak cameras from second hand stores, take them all >> apart, fix the ball bearing shutters, clean them up, and put them all >> back together again, with tweezers, lens tissue and lens-cleaning >> fluid, sewing machine oil, and one small screwdriver. The big >> ones, with old sizes of film which one couldn't get anymore, >> I'd use by cutting and hand-loading sheet film. It was fun. >> >> Pianos were a great discovery -- real tools, real parts, a ton of >> ways to >> do things, and a huge playground of clapped out old uprights to >> improvise affordable repairs on. >> >> Susan >> >> _______________________________________________ >> caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > _______________________________________________ > caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >
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