World-Class Junk of Susans muses (rambling) bench bottoms.

[pianoman]

Hi Dan,
It is late now but in the next day or so I will post my method of bench
bottom replacement methods.
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!

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> From: Dan M. Hallett, Jr. <dhalle@toolcity.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: World-Class Junk of Susans muses (rambling)
> Date: Thursday, July 09, 1998 8:09 PM
> 
> 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