World-Class Junk of Susans muses (rambling)

[Dan M. Hallett, Jr.]

Dear James:

How do you design the replacement bench bottom? Would be very interested
to see a post on this facet of your business.

Dan Hallett, Jr. RPT

pianoman wrote:
> 
> Hi Susan and all,
> Your good article brought out several things that have been problems for
> all of us.  Consider case parts removed.  There is no best place.  If you
> lean them they can fall, if you lay them on the floor they can scratch the
> floor but also someone can trip over them.  If you lay them on a couch will
> the client like that?  I have one client that makes sure I put the music
> desk of her Yamaha on a rug not her marble floor.
>         On the subject of taking off shoes:  I am not the most graceful person in
> the world and I don't know about you, but it is slippery in your socking
> feet, downright dangerous.  On holes in socks, I try to be as careful as I
> can, as that is why I only purchase black socks.  I never have to worry
> about matching them in the drawer, I just dump-em-in. The other thing is
> maybe some of you did a lot of barefooting when you were younger.  I
> didn't.  I hardly ever go barefoot at home even in the bedroom.  Another
> thing is that I find it painful to try to depress the pedals to use them or
> test them out.  This doesn't even approach the problem of removing an
> action and keybed on the slippery floor.
>         I asked one of my (Asian) used to be Oriental, clients what was the
> objection to Oriental and why Asian was preferred.  She really didn't have
> a good answer in my opinion for that.  I do not use "Oriental" in a
> derogatory manner but I can't really tell the difference between Korean,
> Japanese, or Chinese.  Is that bad?  To me Asian should refer to the
> continent and the countries that make it up including India, Pakistan and ,
> others.  Supposedly one of the complaints other countries have is that on
> American maps, North America is in the center and the rest of the world is
> equally divided right and left.  I can understand that some.  But then I
> asked one of these people how the maps looked in their country and they
> informed me that their continent was in the middle and the rest of the
> world equally on each side.  If that is true, so what.
> On benches, one of the first things I do is feel down and see if the bottom
> is secure on what I am sitting on.  I do this for a couple of reasons.  I
> have a side business of bench repair and building and have found that much
> of the rigidity of the bench comes from a secure bottom.  When it is loose
> it puts all the pressure on the leg glue joints and corner brackets.
> Tomorrow I am taking my second new piano bench bottom replacement back to
> the client.   I  install a new plywood bottom that I glue, brad, and screw
> in place.  I guarantee it for the length of my life.  I have gotten quite
> good at this repair and can do it in just about 30 minutes.  I charge $ 75
> for it and can do it in just about 30 minutes in the shop.  That makes $150
> extra this week above tuning and it adds up over a period of time and gives
> me play time with my tools and wood along with making a stronger bench and
> usable again for music storage.  If other parts of the bench are broken, it
> just adds up the total to repair.  To me this is just as good as installing
> Damp-Chasers money wise and I enjoy the work.  Any other thoughts on the
> socking feet slippery problem?  Sorry to have rambled.
> James Grebe
> R.P.T. of the P.T.G. from St. Louis, MO. USA, Earth
> Piano Service and Piano Periperals
> Creator of Hardwood PLTR's and Custom Piano Benches
> pianoman@inlink.com         If I wake up in the morning, it WILL be a great
> day! minute in the shop