This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hi Allen, You're right about prayer though seriously, and I'm not trying to scare = anyone off who doesn' t believe in Christ as saviour etc. What I mean = is, God continues to help me as a beginning tuner get work although not = steady at this point. I'm in South Bend IN and we have about 8 or maybe = 10 tuners perhaps more that I haven' t met or heard of. Every time I = e-mail a church or school, I get the usual, we already have a tuner. So = I've been discouraged before. =20 I like the cracking the notes or unisons method because I don' t have to = fool with felts and the visual aggrevation of pushing them in etc. I'm = hoping that my new lever will increase my speed etc. =20 Marshall p.s. Too bad Schaff doesn't make a tooth brush we can screw onto our = levers. The 15 degree angle might be perfect for tough to reach teeth = after eating pop corn. :) ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Alan Barnard=20 To: Pianotech=20 Sent: Monday, January 02, 2006 8:35 PM Subject: RE: RUBBER MUTES 1. KEEP your student tuning lever. It makes a nice back-up for = emergencies or to carry in a lightweight pack when you travel, etc., but = mostly it is useful because the tip won't unscrew on you if you are = trying to back out a very tight pin. It is also handy and light for = restringing work. 2. On uprights, I use a regular felt strip in the tenor and a thin = felt strip in the treble but only after the last damper. For the = dampered treble I use one long stick mute (the kind Pianotek selss) on = the right side of the trichord, down low below the top of the damper = felt and, on the left side of the trichord I use a long skinny rubber = mute without a stick. I think I got it at Schaff. It's about 6 inches = long and only about a 1/4 to 3/8 inch wide. This I stick as high as I = can up against the V bar and in deeply enough to be snug. The mutes = don't interfere with the hammers at all. I tune the center string, move the right mute to the right of the next = higher trichord, tune the right string, move the top mute to the left of = that next higher trichord, then tune the left string. Then you are ready = to tune the center string of that next note, etc.. When you've finished = the treble, you must go back and check/fine tune/crack the notes you = tuned with mutes because you don't hear all three strings played = together as you are tuning up.=20 I would talk to a sight-impaired tuner for tips on placing mutes and = not having the piano eat them. When I tune player pianos, I tie my mutes = together with a long string so I can fish one out if it drops. Something = like that might help. Good luck, get active in PTG, attend meetings and = conferences/conventions, eat your Wheaties, brush your teeth, say your = prays, and have fun. When you get discouraged--and you definitely = will--just remember that we have ALL been there and are now here for = you! Alan Barnard Salem, Missouri ----- Original Message -----=20 From:=20 To: Pianotech Sent: 01/02/2006 7:12:01 PM=20 Subject: RUBBER MUTES Hi everyone. =20 I must say. I'm enjoying this list as a new tuner. Susan and = everyone else that wrote, thanks for the insight. When you're vision = impaired, any extra sight helps. ;) Speaking of my sight challanges I = have a question.=20 What does everyone here do in order to overcome the challange of = using rubber mutes in the trebble when tuning unisons? The stick ones = get in the way of the hammers. I don't want to use a wedge mute fearing = that it might get loose and fall down into the piano. =20 Speaking of unisons. An RPT in Chicago taught me the "cracking the = unison" method, and I must say, it's much better than using that pain in = the rump red felt. When you're sight impaired that felt gives you = headaches. Do any of you use that method that originated from Virgil = Smith? =20 Have a great night everyone. Susan, I'll let you know when my first = real tuning lever arrives. Does anyone want my student lever for fire = wood after I receive my real lever? Marshall .=20 -------------- Original message --------------=20 From: Erwinspiano@aol.com=20 Thanks Phil Same to you. Sorry for the delay....Holidays & all. The product brand we = use to letter the embossing on the plates after guilding is" Zig " & = it's called Painty twin. It's black enamel on one end & white on the = other. I'm not sure if it comes in black only. We got the pen at = Michaels art supply. It says Manufactured by Kuretake = Co.LTD.......Japan Or just go on line & see what you can find. The tip = appears to be fine point made of felt. We have a more difficult time finding rub on numbers & = letters decals for serial & model numbers. Typically we have found = them at graphic supply houses. Archetects have used them but We haven't = bought for a while. sooo dunno. We have a procedure to get those on = straight but I wont' go there now. Lettering the plate with the zig product has become way less = tedious & looks professional. If one makes an error just wipe up with = mineral spirits & start over.=20 The decals are rubbed on & then sprayed over with clear spray = can lacquer or whatever.. We resort to drawing the string size no.s on = with the same pen as the embossing as the tiny no. decals aredifficult & = troublesome to handle, being that small. Hope this helps. Dale Erwin Hi Dale - Happy New Year to you. You told me about the pen used to trace the letters..I am = wondering=20 about the method used for the Serial# and Model#. I always = struggle with=20 this all-important touch of the plate. Thanks for your advice, -Phil ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/8d/df/84/8d/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC