Stupid Mistake

[Isaac OLEG]

Hi llo,

When I begun to work as a tech & floor tuner in a large shop in Paris
(25 years ago), if a tuner leaved its tuning hammer on the tuning pin
and go out of the room for something, someone put a ribbon, piece of
felt or something with a knot around the handle, and the tuner had to
pay drink to the whole staff !

So we learned the hard way to be careful !

One of the stupid mistakes I made reapeatly for a while was to tune
the rented pianos that just came from the cold to the room, without
waiting for it to be in temperature.

Another one was to make my first try of steam voicing on laquered
hammers (nice potatoes !) but I had been a little heavy on the steam.

Beside, as I am perfect generally, I dont do such, and leave it to
others (you all for instance !), of course you are not obliged to
believe me !

Best regards.

Isaac OLEG

Talking about mistakes, many people choose the cheapest movers for
their pianos, or intend to move them themselves. It is incredible the
quantity of accidents, ruined cases, and walls, that I see when going
in homes.






> -----Message d'origine-----
> De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
> [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De la
> part de Robin Olson
> Envoye : dimanche 24 novembre 2002 19:53
> A : Pianotech
> Objet : Re: Stupid Mistake
>
>
>    No problem,in twenty two years in the business I have made a
> few.One thing my mentor told me that I will never forget
> about makeing
> mistakes is this.It's not that craftsmen don't make
> mistakes,we just
> know how to fix them.
>    One of mine was that I dropped my tuning hammer on the
> fall board
> of a Kimball console.It slipped out of my hand while I was
> changeing
> tuning pins.It made an 1/8" divot right on the brand new mahogony
> veneered particle board.I showed it to the customer and to
> my surprise
> she didn't mind and pointed out that it won't be noticed
> because she
> likes to leave the fall board open.On a Kimball console the front
> panel rests above the fall board.I am the only one who sees
> my damage
> every time I tune it.It serves a reminder to be carefull
> around pianos.
>    I have broken a couple grand hammers too by hitting a key when
> pulling out the action.Have you done that yet???Zap C+A glue is a
> quick fix for that.             Robin Olson
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: SUSAN P SWEARINGEN <ssclabr8@flash.net>
> Date: Sunday, November 24, 2002 12:15 pm
> Subject: Stupid Mistake
>
> > Hi everyone.  I had my first little accident as a piano
> technician
> > yesterday.  I'm fairly new to the business and this is my first
> > mishap so I'm feeling a little guilty about it.
> >
> > Here is what happened.
> >
> > After tuning a 3-year old Yamaha U3 upright, I was placing the
> > front board back in place when it slipped out of my hands and
> > crashed into and on top of the piano.  It caused some minor
> > rubbing on the finish but thank goodness it was only on the
> > surface and it buffed out just fine.  The owner was standing
> > nearby when all this happened so it was quite emabarrasing.  I
> > thought everything was ok but the owner called me the next day
> > saying the very left note (A0) was not playing.  She flipped open
> > the top lid and peered in and saw that the A0 hammer was missing,
> > just a broken hammer shank left.
> >
> > Of course, I'll be taking care of this little problem at
> no charge
> > but I feel like such an idiot over the whole thing.
> >
> > I think it would be very theraputic to hear a few stories of
> > similar mishaps when you more experienced folk were just starting
> > out.
> >
> > How about it?
> >
> > Corte Swearingen
>
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