"Why You Should Save Fasteners"

[Jeannie Grassi]

Hi Bill,
This post reminded me that I have been meaning to ask you if you'd like
to contribute something to Tuner's Life for the Journal.  You can get an
idea of what sort of things will work and it is usually about 500-600
words.  Maybe even submit something from the past that you've written
for your chapter newsletter.  What say ye?

Jeannie

Jeannie Grassi, RPT
Associate Editor, Piano Technicians Journal
mailto:jgrassi@silverlink.net 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Bill Ballard
Sent: Friday, June 07, 2002 10:20 PM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: "Why You Should Save Fasteners"


"Why You Should Save Fasteners" (reprint from the N.H. Chapter 
"Granite Action"}

My bottom-of-the-line rotary gas mower has nothing fancy for a height 
setting of the wheels. You simply unbolt each wheel from the mowers 
skirt and move it to a different hole. That's not as easy as it might 
seem, after the bolts have been locked into place by three years 
worth of wet lawn clippings and pureed toad. I was asking for four 
such wheels to easily undo, ready to move, and two did. The other two 
sheared off at the base of the thread.

These are no ordinary convenience store machine bolts. A hex head and 
a 1/2" body which, at 2" long, served as the wheel's axle, before 
necking down to a 3/8"x18 and passing through the hard plastic mower 
skirt to a fastening nut on the other side. And after looking at 
1-800 number on the large sheet owners manual, I fully expected that 
replaced axle bolts cost $8.35 each, would have to be ordered on a 
$25 Minimum Order policy, and take two weeks to get here.

Two more weeks of prairie grasslands in my back lawn? With the 
attendant rodents? You can imagine how feverish was my beady little 
mind. "Maybe a wooden sleeve for a 3/8" bolt, where it passes through 
the wheel center hole, made from 1/2" dowel....hmmm..." The first 
thing to get upended was a coffee can of large machine bolts, where I 
found not one but two of the proper sized axle bolts.

It took me awhile to emerge from a stunned disbelief, but I finally 
remembered where those two bolts came from. Twelve years ago I 
changed compressor tanks. The old tank was shot full of rust, but I 
saved the wheels and ended up mounting them on one rung of the 14" 
ladder which lived in gap in the ceiling of my old shop's loft and 
served as access to the upstairs storage. The wheels attached to the 
sides of the ladder, ran from to back on in the ceiling's gap 
allowing different access points to the loft. The axle bolts, I never 
found a used for, and I tossed them into the can.

Yes, never throw any strange fasteners away. Keep the faith that 
someday you'll be glad you didn't. Fate is on your side and will 
vindicate you.