Chapter Technicals

[Mark Bolsius]

Avery,
Isn't this the hardest part of being an active member of a chapter?
We've just run a very successful technical here in Sydney. Our program
director, David Ricketts (a known lurker on this list) ran a great series of
mini technicals. There are a heap of techs out there in most chapters who
have interesting ways of doing various tasks, but can't fill an hour or two,
but can fill 20-40 minutes. Get a few of them together for the one
occassion.
We had a 3 sessions on
"Friction in the action....and what to use where" There are at least 15
friction points in the grand action....find them all and talk about the
various products/tolerances etc etc.

"Hands-on stringing knots, which knots work in the piano and what is best
left to fencing contractors" Easy ways to remember which loop goes where.

"Tidying up a piano cabinet using readily available products. The guy that
ran this class wouldn;t have said boo five years ago, he is now our branch
(chapter) librarian and has since really come out of his shell. It was a
well prepared and useful class 

Another meeting involved many of us bringing in our tool kits and having a
bit of a show-and-tell lesson. We all had a great time asking
what various implements are used for or guessing. 

Or a bring in your favourite " Tips and Jigs" night. 

Bring in your nearest Dampp-Chaser distributor (that's me in our
neighbourhood....just delcaring my interest here) for a product update and a
tips on installation or selling HC. They will travel a long way if there's a
possibility of a sale or two or even converting a few doubters.

I also go through the convention classes I've been to and enjoyed and try
reproducing some of those or even combining a few in to a different class.
Or even finding someone within the chapter who would be good at this or
that.

It's hard finding things that work for the kind of techs you describe, but
usually those guys can't get enough of grand regulation and voicing classes
(but that doesn't fill a year does it?). I supose I'm getting at the fact
that it doesn't hurt to do some classes that will raise the basic knowledge
level. While you may never actually do rebuilding, understanding the design
concepts or broadening your ability to diagnose problems opens all sorts of
doors!

I'm rambling.......thanx for your time and attention
Mark Bolsius




----------
From: Avery Todd <atodd@UH.EDU>
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Chapter Technicals
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 2:51 AM


List,

   I need some help/ideas/suggestions for Technicals for the coming year.
I was just elected VP and am in charge of arranging these. I think they
only did it because they knew I was on these lists. :-)
   The programs need to be app. 2 to 2-1/2 hours long. We meet on the
second Saturday afternoon of the month (except July and December) and if
anyone is going to be in the area or would be interested in coming to
Houston and giving a technical, let me know. Maybe you'd like to "try out"
a program you're going to give somewhere else. :-)
   Most of our membership are RPT's and Apprentices who do just ordinary,
everyday type of tuning and service work. Very few rebuilders and the
tech at Rice Univ. and me are about the only ones who do "concert" work
(and he rarely attends), so just about any subject would be fair game.
We've had the usual regulation, tuning, etc. type of classes so some new
ideas would be appreciated.
   If you'd rather post me privately, just click on this.

mailto:atodd@uh.edu

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Avery

___________________________
Avery Todd, RPT                        Experience is something you don't
Moores School of Music                 get until just after you need it.
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-4893
713-743-3226
http://www.music.uh.edu/