Shop

[Newton Hunt]

Warm Greetings and Friendly Smiles for Everyone,
   Here at Rutgers I was the first person to have this full time
job. All work was done by contractors before I came so you can
imagine the condition of the pianos, all 130 of them.
   I broght my own tools, benches, desk, inventory, parts and
junk drawers, about two tons worth.  I have been replacing my
personal inventory as it is used up along with lost, broken or
misplaced tools.
   Currently I have five sets of unbored hammers on the shelf,
two sets of S&S shanks, 1 new and several used sets of wippens
(S&S) and a vast assortment of wood, screws, an electric chain
hoist with a home made portable gantry, a drill press, band saw,
small belt/disk sander (RU property), and half a ton of hand
tools.
   I was fortunate enough to have been at Surplus Property when
several IBM punch card cabinets became available.  For $100.00 I
personally purchased four of these cabinets for parts storage.
What a wonderful purchase that has turned out to be.  I got the
idea from Danny Boone.
   I have an annual budget of $3800.00 for every and any thing
with an additional $500.00 for contract help when the tuning
becomes out of hand.  I purchase from a vast array of suppliers
so I pay cash, credit or by check for a lot of things like
screws, hardware, wood, glue, etc, etc, etc, etc.  Twice a year I
gather it all togather and put in for reimbursement.  $500 to
$1000 worth.
   I could wish for more, especially a full time technician, but
the $3800 is enough to cover what I am able to do in a years
time.
   Keep an eye on the place the school sends its unsed equipment.  I
just missed getting a Delta radial arm saw, did not get a paper
drill press, found chairs, tables, shelves and other things
useful for almost nothing in $ compared to their usefulness.
   I now have a nice sized shop that can do almost anything
except boards, finishes or blocks (in the works).  I do not have
windows to the outside but the dance departments womens dressing
room is just around the corner from my front door.  My dog, a
shetland sheep dog, sits in the middle of the hall waiting for
the girls to shop and pet her.
   I have a full compliment of piano wire, American and German,
kept in a cabinet with a DamppChaser heater in the bottom (to
keep the temperature higher in the box than outside it to keep
rust from forming on the wire), work benches and tables, a full
collection of hand tools and piano tools, dollies, blankets,
storage for parts of projects in hand, screws, nuts, bolts,
washers, etc.
   Make friends with the theatre people and the scene shop.  They
will have tools and supplies that you need not purchase for your
shop.  I tune one or two pianos a year for the theatre department
and in exchange I have free reign of their shop when I need
screws, bolts, large lumber, or access to their bigger tools.
   Make friends with the electronics technician so you can have
an FM radio, CD player, soldering facilities and repairs to your
equipment requiring an electronics tech.
   Keep your superiors continually informed that you are over
worked, underpaid, taken for granted and generally streched and
stressed out too far.
   You need a computer, printer, internet access, and an office
space seperate from the shop (which mine is not) with the usual
desk top stuff.
   What ever you would like to have in your personal shop in
terms of parts, double it for the school, and every peice of
equipment you would like to have for yourself you should have in
the school shop.  You NEVER have enough toys or tools.
   I like my shop, it is one of my safe places, except for
telephonus and tunus interuptus.
        Newton J. Hunt
        nhunt@128.6.7.26
        908-932-6686