Stable Floor tunings?

[Paul]

Terry
Also get around other tuners as much as possible to see how they work and
learn where you can save time and motions. You'll discover that in the
beginning-as I did- you spend a lot of energy on repititive/unnecessary
motions. Example: your string damping techniques. Get to guild
meetings-local, regional, national. Take the classes that involve
tuning/muting etc. and watch the techniques of the instructors. Seasoned
tuners have very efficient techniques. All will help you save time, produce
better work, and last longer at this trade.

Paul Chick
Plainview MN
----- Original Message -----
From: Kent Swafford <kswafford@earthlink.net>
To: pianotech list <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2000 4:23 PM
Subject: Re: Stable Floor tunings?


> Charly Tuner wrote:
>
> >After
> >only 3 weeks on the job as a floor tuner, and having tuned 4-5 pianos a
day
> >(I guess that's a lot of pin turning for a newbie!), my tuning hand,
> >specifically my fingers and thumb joint is very noticably stiff and
painful
> >in the morning and late at night...feels like arthritis..and I'm still a
> >young man! Wonder if this could just be a result of having NEVER done
this
> >before, and I may be over-doing it a bit, too much too soon, right out of
> >the gate. Anyway,
>
> Hi Terry,
>
> You already have a good understanding of the problem. In 1982, I jumped
> into an institutional situation and starting tuning large quantities of
> pianos all at once just as you have done. My fingers, wrist, elbows,
> shoulders, and back all hurt back then at one time or another, but these
> days none of those hurt much anymore while I'm tuning.
>
> Aspirin, stretching (yes, you should stretch your fingers), alternating
> heat and cold, good nutrition, and plenty of general exercise and sleep
> are all good.
>
> When you feel pain try to pay attention to "body mechanics." Vary the
> position of your body while tuning as necessary to achieve maximum
> comfort and efficiency of movements.
>
> Check your hammer technique out with an experienced tuner who may be able
> to identify problems. Don't fight your hammer; push and pull on the lever
> only in directions that are exactly perpendicular to the lever. Any push
> or pull in a non-perpendicular direction is wasted effort.
>
> If possible, try to tune a good mixture of grands and verticals. (I know,
> I understand that this can be impossible.)
>
> I strongly recommend the Wonder Wand or similar ball end tuning lever,
> because it maximizes the contact area between your hand and the handle of
> your tuning lever, spreading out the forces exerted on your hand. I also
> always wear a snug baseball batting glove that helps support my tuning
> hand.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Kent Swafford
>