Hi, Greg. I have the same job in my chapter. I'm in my second year. I agree with Alan, having a real expert like Don Mannino is a real treat. He gave a class for our chapter last year. We've also had many factory reps, like Joe Swenson from Geneva International, head technician from Bosendorfer, Baldwin, Bechstein, Seiler, and others I can't remember. Check with local dealerships and see if they can't get someone out there to give your chapter a class. It's my belief that the older techs should give classes to help the less experienced ones. Some of the best meetings I remember were hands-on demos of the very procedures needed to pass the RPT exam. We did rebushing of flanges, stringing a model of a piano (maybe half dozen tuning pins, mock bridge, agraffes and hitch pins), replacing hammershanks, etc. Of course, I was new at the time, but everyone was involved and it was a great meeting. I will admit I'm having a hard time getting some of the older guys to help with presentations. I have some promises, but most want to do it later in the year. I gave last months class, and I'm having to give this months' too. It's a question I'm struggling with also- how do I interest the older members. Even at the meetings with factory reps doing the class, I found many of the older guys did not attend. That said, I'll mention some classes that we've had: a class on polyester repair; how to level keys with various devices and methods; how to choose replacement parts for grand actions to get the lowest friction, up/down weight; a business class to help maximize profits and organize time; key repair/rebushing, alignment procedures on different player systems like Pianodisc and QRS Pianomation; restringing a piano from start to finish (how to do- we didn't actually restring one); many classes on voicing and related string issues like levelling, spacing, etc; damper regulation, replacement, related issues; class by a Mohawk rep on finish touchup; tuning techniques, hammer selection (impact types, various new designs), hints addressing stability in tuning; good old-fashioned aural tuning techniques and selection of tuning test notes, etc. You can look at old Journals and find articles on just about any topic, and especially classes that you've attended at conventions or seen described in the convention class schedule. Ask around at your chapter meeting and try to find out who does rebuilding, or has some specialty that they do particularly well, and ask them to give the class. The more they get involved, the more likely they are to attend the meetings. Good luck! Paul McCloud San Diego > [Original Message] > From: Greg Graham <grahampianos@yahoo.com> > To: pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> > Date: 10/07/2005 9:24:40 PM > Subject: Topics for Technicals > > I was drafted to serve as my chapter's program chair, > primarily responsible for coming up with topics for > technical training at our monthly meetings. My > quandry is coming up with topics that are of interest > to those who have been in the biz for 30 years. > Newbies are easy. Everything is interesting to them > (me, us). > > Would you, my fellow listers, take just a moment to > list your favorite technical topics? Perhaps a > sentence on what turned you on the most about it/them? > > > Any chapter activity is fair game: technical classes, > discussions, experiments, forums, or tours, (perhaps > even social events like parties or picnics). What did > you do over the last year that you liked the most? > > Thanks, > > Greg Graham > Brodheadsville, PA > > > > > > __________________________________ > Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 > http://mail.yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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