Education time. Yeah buddy. Don't I know it. Been there. Done that. Will do again! I'm no MBA business dude, but I believe the cold-hearted logical view of it is that you are worth a certain hourly rate. That is commonly what you can make tuning. If you are, or could be, busy full time tuning, then anything else you do takes those dollars away from you. If someone wants you to rebuild/refurbish an action or restring a piano, your time is worth the hourly rate that you will bypass from tuning so that you can do the shop work on their piano. Of course, what is your hourly tuning rate? Well, many days I can average about, or better than, $50 per hour. But there are those days when I barely break $20 per hour (I hate when that happens!). So, what does that mean. I dunno. I think there are two exceptions to that that one may wish to consider. If you are not busy full time tuning, then perhaps it would make sense to discount your shop work a little to encourage an increased work level (although many would argue that does not work). The other is, yes you are busy full time tuning, but you only want to service pianos half time, and do shop work the other half (or whatever ratio suits you). In that case, you may wish to again consider discounting shop work a bit to encourage development. But yes, in general, I think that is what one should shoot for: same hourly shop rate as you make tuning. OR, after 50 years at it when you have a reputation like the Snyder boys and you have a 3-year backlog of Steinway remanufactures, one may wish to reconsider what their shop time is worth - perhaps more than you thought! I think the bottom line is supply and demand, modified by what you might be willing to pay for your interests. Terry Farrell Piano Tuning & Service Tampa, Florida mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "L. Verkoelen" <mrfixit@pineknot.com> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2001 9:21 AM Subject: RE: Time Required for Old Grand Refurbish, was: Grand regulating + Backcheck Question > Thanks Terry, > > You asked the question that was next on my list. Just out of curiosity, do > most techs charge the same rate for shop time and in-house time. I am still > trying to get a grip on bidding some of this work. I usually come up short > but chalk it up to education time. > > Louis Verkoelen > Associate Tech > Big Bear City, CA > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf > Of Farrell > Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 5:07 PM > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Time Required for Old Grand Refurbish, was: Grand regulating + > Backcheck Question > > > Regarding an action refurbish as generally descibed below (refelt, fix > friction problems, some repinning, level keys, fully regulate) how much time > would you typically spend on such a job. I fear I spend too much time on a > job like this. Please no responses from the Bionic clan. Human technicians > only - you know, regular ones that get a little confused at times, etc. You > Bionic dudes scare me. > > Terry Farrell > Piano Tuning & Service > Tampa, Florida > mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 8:00 PM > Subject: Re: Grand regulating + Backcheck Question > > > > To my post below, that I just sent a moment ago, I should have added the > > following: > > > > When talking to your client about their 72 year old action that appears to > > not have been serviced for decades - perhaps more than seven decades - > talk > > to them about "refurbishing" the action. I am assuming it does not seem to > > be a situation where the piano owner is looking to rebuild the action (of > > course, this is what is needed, but hey, it don't always happen). I use > the > > term "refurbish" to mean no major parts replacement (except for a few that > > are capable of functioning), but rather doing the things we piano > > technicians can do (sanding, polishing, adjusting, filing, shaping, > > leveling, bending, cleaning, etc.) to make the action work as good as it > can > > with the parts it has. > > > > Terry Farrell > > Piano Tuning & Service > > Tampa, Florida > > mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> > > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > > Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 7:53 PM > > Subject: Re: Grand regulating + Backcheck Question > > > > > > > Hi Louis. Looks like you got some good responses so far. I am somewhat > of > > a > > > beginner also, so I also tend to get these small American grand actions > in > > > for a refurbish that haven't been touched in 80 years. I have a few > > comments > > > that have not been brought up for these actions. > > > > > > 1) Refelt the keyframe. Remove all felt and punchings. New punchings, > new > > > felt on front, center (use thin punchings), and back rail. It doesn't > take > > > long, and boy, it sure makes the keys feel better. > > > > > > 2) Key bushings. They almost gotta be shot - unless they have been > > replaced > > > in the last few decades. Fixing the sloppy keys will get a lot of bang > for > > > the buck in getting an old action up and running (well, at least > trotting > > > gracefully). Make sure the rail pins are not rusty or scratched - > replace > > > any that are. > > > > > > 3) As someone else suggested, make sure you will be setting a good key > > > height. Best way to do this is to experiment with a couple keys in the > pia > > no > > > to make sure you have clearance with the fallboard and keyslip, and that > > you > > > still get enough travel with the key (keeping in mind new punchings, > etc. > > > > > > 4) File those 1/4" deep groves out of hammers. I use the Dremel rig for > > > these real deep nasty groves. Once you get the feel for it, one or two > > quick > > > passes over those hammers that should be in the trash and you got > yourself > > a > > > good looking, nicely shaped, old hammer that should be in the trash - > but > > > what the heck, it'll go for a few more decades! > > > > > > 5) I take the hammer and wippen rails off the action frame and swing > the > > > wippens & hammers. Look for the tightest and loosest ones. Remove and > > check > > > friction in offending flanges. Fix what is needed. Keep doing this until > > you > > > get the worst ones in the right ballpark. > > > > > > 6) With these nasty old actions I use a home-made wooden let-off rack > AND > > > the Spurlock let-off rack and do my regulating on the bench. I highly > > > recommend the Spurlock thingee. I use it for let-off AND for setting > drop. > > > With a good FLAT bench, you can come pretty close. And being that you > are > > > starting from scratch (way out in left field), you need to get it in the > > > ballpark on the bench. And yes, the other posts are correct that you > will > > > need to do some regulation in the piano - I find that sometimes you > really > > > need to go through the whole thing again - key leveling, etc. (I suppose > > > because the keyframe/keybed are not real straight) - but sometimes there > > is > > > barely a thing to touch-up (keeping in mind here we are talking about a > > 1929 > > > Wurly with presumably original parts - no concert regulation going on > > here - > > > we are usually looking for function). > > > > > > Here is a question from me: I find that you can usually make an old > action > > > work acceptably (anyone that buys an 80 year old original condition tiny > > > American grand AIN'T looking for hi performance). The one thing that I > > often > > > find difficult to make function acceptably is hammer checking. > Obviously, > > > new backchecks and arcing the hammer tails would take care of that, but > > that > > > has always seemed to be beyond the scope of what this type of piano > owner > > is > > > looking for. As long as the hammer is not double-striking the string, I > > > don't think they care whether the hammer checks or not. I do though. > Does > > > anyone have any tricks/tip for getting hammers to check on these actions > > > without new back checks and arcing the hammer tails? > > > > > > Terry Farrell > > > Piano Tuning & Service > > > Tampa, Florida > > > mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "L. Verkoelen" <mrfixit@pineknot.com> > > > To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> > > > Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 12:01 PM > > > Subject: Grand regulating > > > > > > > > > > Hello list, > > > > > > > > My name is Louis Verkoelen. I am a new associate tech high in the > resort > > > > communities of southern California and have been tuning part time for > > > > several years. I have been following the list for a couple of months > now > > > and > > > > the more I read the more I realize I have yet to learn. I am hoping to > > > take > > > > my tests sometime next year and make this a full time business. > > > > > > > > I have a couple of questions I hope you can help me with. I am doing > my > > > > first full regulation on a 1929 4'10" Wurlitzer grand. The lady picked > > it > > > up > > > > for a song and figured I could make it work right. It looks like it > > hasn't > > > > been regulated since new. Let off is over 1/2". > > > > Anyway, to my questions. > > > > 1.When leveling, are the clip on weights the best way to go or is > their > > a > > > > better way. > > > > 2.I need a let-off rack. Is the Jaras 4 in 1 rack (shaff) any good or > > > should > > > > I stick to the traditional wood style. > > > > 3.The blocks that hold the key frame in place are missing. They were > > > > originally part of the cheek blocks. Does anybody sell a replacement > > > (havn't > > > > seen them in the Schaff or APSCO catalogs) or do I have to fabricate a > > > set. > > > > If I have to make, whats the best material to use. > > > > > > > > Thanks. > > > > > > > > Louis Verkoelen > > > > Big Bear City, CA > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
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