[CAUT] Undercover - hooks and grommets

[Fred Sturm]

Hi Mark,
	I can hear the end of the trickling sound okay, but I like to "push  
the envelope" and add another half a liter or so beyond, to take care  
of the last day of those two weeks between fillings during dry  
periods. Me, I have no help and have to fill the darned things  
myself. Once every two weeks I can handle.
	It's a matter of learning how much water to add beyond the point  
where the sound diminishes to nothing, and the precise timing of the  
end of the trickle noise. Of course, this depends on the end of the  
tube (its setting in relationship to the top/bottom of the tank)  
being consistent from piano to piano. I overfilled precisely two  
times (we have hard water, so it left plenty of evidence in the form  
of minerals). Fine enough for me, but if you are training student  
help, you'll want something more concrete.
	There are plenty of possibilities, including installing one of those  
beepers at just the right level (probes set at just below the target  
water level), with a switch in its cord. Turn the switch on so it is  
beeping when you start to fill, then stop adding water when it stops  
beeping. And remember to switch it off now, to avoid annoying the  
sensitive ears of the piano prof between services <G>.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu



On Jun 6, 2006, at 1:20 PM, Mark Cramer wrote:

> Question: Since you listen to the (faint) trickling sound when filling
> tanks, how hard should it be to make the filling process "noisier"  
> i.e.: add
> somthing that rattles around at the end of the tube... ?
>
> or for that matter, why not a simple float that rises with the  
> "tide" until
> it blocks the end of the filler tube?
>
> We really should be able to solve this thing.
>
> best regards,
> Mark Cramer,
> Brandon University
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org]On Behalf Of
> Fred Sturm
> Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 9:36 AM
> To: College and University Technicians
> Subject: [CAUT] Undercover - hooks and grommets
>
>
> Hi all,
> 	Here are some pictures, as promised earlier, of my method of
> attaching an undercover, using hooks and grommets. It's the first
> such installation I ever did, and is an "under the beams"
> installation (before the new tanks which fit between beams), and with
> 48" (50w) rod (extends beyond the fabric - a neater job can be had
> with 38w, less wrinkling of fabric). Took me less than an hour to
> install, and really doesn't look too bad. I am better at it now, and
> can make a neater job of it for a fancy living room. This is in a
> faculty studio, and not at all in view. I was experimenting, and the
> grommets were added after a trial with tape, staples, and a hole. I
> find now that, with grommet squeezing pliers, I can just use the
> grommet to hold the fabric (create the "hem" and attach to the hook),
> and don't need the reinforcement of tape. The grommets in the picture
> were applied using a hammer, with punch and shaped anvil. The results
> were not very consistent, and it was much more time-consuming than
> pliers. $15 for the pliers was well worth the expense.
> 	Besides ease of installation. what I like about this system is ease
> of removal and replacement. Literally seconds to get it out of the
> way to service the tank and pads, and seconds to replace it. The
> observant among you might notice the tell-tale signs of over-filling
> the tank. I listen to the fill noise more carefully now. I manage to
> get two weeks between filling by maxing almost to the top of the tank.
> 	If anyone has questions, I'll do my best to answer, or perhaps take
> some different pictures. This was a hard set up for photography, as
> it is rather cramped (two B's next to each other), but it's the only
> undercover I have ready access to. The others I have installed are in
> private clients' homes.
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> University of New Mexico
> fssturm at unm.edu
>