Stringing materials estimates (tech)

[Ron Nossaman]

At 11:57 AM 5/24/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Let me preface by asking for replies to be copied directly to me since I
>read the list in digest and searching for replies can be tricky.
>
>I wonder if some of you with lots and lots of restringing experience would
>care to explain how, when you're writing up a job estimate, you figure out
>how much string you're going to use in a given wire size. Do you base your
>guess in terms of how many 1# coils you'd use or do you figure by the
>foot, anticipating that 1# and 5# coils have a certain amount of footage
>per reel? Then, when you're figuring materials costs, do you figure a
>specific charge per unison or do you just estimate the footage used and
>charge by the foot?
>
>I've often wondered if one of those foot-counters (like they have in the
>hardware store for measuring out small tubing) would be a worthwhile
>investment to keep tabs on how much wire is actually used.
>
>Owen Jorgensen used to joke that he thought it wouldn't be too
>off-the-wall to charge for the mileage you put on your shoes when
>stringing pianos. On a 9' it can really add up! :-)
>
>Thanks for the replies!
>
>Ron Torrella, RPT
>Piano Technician
>University of Michigan		   "Dese are de conditions dat prevail."
>School of Music						--Jimmy Durante
>734/764-6207 (office/shop)
>734/763-5097 (fax)
>734/572-7663 (home)
>
>

Hi Ron, Ron here.
I operate on the premise that the plain wire in a stringing job is the
cheapest major part in a piano rebuild, whether that happens to be true or
not. It's the installation that is expensive. Therefore, I charge by the
length of the piano and the number of ties and other back biters, rather
than the string length. It's the miles walked stringing a 9' piano that I
take much more personally than the use of an extra few feet of wire. I'll go
with Owen on this one.

FWIW
 Ron