That is one of the benefits of going to a Convention. Usually, you have some suppliers there, and you get a chance for hands on. You can also get instructions on proper use, and query other techs, as to how good a specific tool is. Getting the best tool, and knowing how to use it, is really important. Time saved is money earned. Regards, John M. Ross Windsor, Nova Scotia. jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Nereson" <dnereson@dimensional.com> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Monday, February 18, 2002 4:58 AM Subject: Re: Yes! We have no spoon benders! > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <Tvak@AOL.COM> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2002 9:37 AM > Subject: Yes! We have no spoon benders! > > > > I recently ordered a combination tool spoon bender (among other items) > from > > APSCO. .......................... > > > > What do you all think of this? Am I simply expecting too much personal > > attention in this day and age? > > > > Tom Sivak > > > No, businesses have become worse and worse about customer service. They > should call or send a card or e-mail right away if they don't have an item > in stock, instead of letting you wait the whole time until the shipment > comes. I couldn't believe how long Schaff went (25 years) before finally > publishing a new catalog. Almost a third of the items in the old catalog > were discontinued, and for the new stuff, you had to have saved all their > single-sheet flyers, inserts, updates, etc. > But regarding spoon benders, the only one I've found that actually works > is the Yamaha type, and even it doesn't work on some types of spoons. > There's probably no one spoon bender that works on all actions, kinda like > capstan wrenches -- you need at least 3 or 4. The most ridiculous, useless > "spoon benders" (why they even make them and have them in the catalog is > beyond me) are the ones intended for spinets. It's darn near impossible to > get the thing onto the spoon, and if you do, you can't bend up because > you'll hit the bottom of the keybed, and the tool is so flexible you can't > tell if you're bending it or the spoon. It's a total rip-off. But how > would a beginning tech know that without finding out the hard way? After > all, it's in a catalog intended for professionals. But then they still > offer key button "tighteners" that swage the wood (compress the fibers > against the keypin). And in consoles, you can't bend a spoon towards you, > usually, without removing keys, because your hand or the tool just hits the > key buttons and that's as far as you can go. Many times, I remove the > action bolt nuts, tip the action toward me, then reach down behind with a > straight damper wire bender and get done faster than fishing for spoons with > the spoon bender. > There's lotsa stuff about the "big two" supply houses (now one, I guess, > but they still have separate catalogs) that irks me no end, but I won't > start in on 'em with this post. --Dave Nereson, > RPT, Denver > >
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