Hammer felts separating from core

[Ted Simmons]

Good advice, Les.  CYA is so right in a lot of situations.

Ted

>Partial, make-do, band-aid type of repairs on marginal instruments
>have a way of coming back to haunt the technician. So, if you're
>faced with a situation where your only option is to reglue the ham-
>mer felts to their cores, or only replace the old, crumbling brass
>butt-plates that are actually broken at the moment, or only reglue
>a few of an entire set of keytops that are coming unglued, I have a
>suggestion to make. In some way CLEARLY MARK those parts which you
>have reglued or otherwise repaired. Also identify them on your re-
>ceipt. Further, bring to the attention of the owner, and also write
>it down on your receipt, that it is to be expected that the felt on
>the other hammers will eventually come unglued, too; that other of
>the old, brass butt plates will break; and that other keytops will
>come off. That will save you the distinct possibility of getting a
>call from the piano's owner down the road, where he says: "Ted, those
>hammer felts you reglued for me have separated AGAIN; or, those brass
>butt plates you replaced for me, have broken AGAIN; or those keytops
>you reglued for me have come loose AGAIN. Clearly identify those parts
>you have repaired. Or, as Newton would say, CYA!
>
>Les Smith
>lessmith@buffnet.net