Cordless screwdriver changed to "Plastic"

[Carl Meyer]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dean May" <deanmay@pianorebuilders.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 10:14 AM
Subject: RE: Cordless screwdriver


> You've got to remember that the piano market is very tradition driven.
> Pianos are sold by salesman that typically know very little about pianos,
> but they know sales features, to a public that knows even less about
pianos.
> And they consider it a huge feature that their brand of piano is being
made
> by time tested methods using time tested materials. When I sold pianos
I've
> been known to use the line, "I can show you pianos 150 years old made with
> wooden action parts. I can't say the same for plastic. Most anytime
plastic
> has been tried in piano actions it has met with disastrous long term
> results." Those were all true statements designed to get the prospect to
buy
> my piano, not the one down the street. And they worked.


Plastic has now been around over 50 years.  It's still bad mouthed due to
the early error of not realizing that it continues to harden or cure until
it self destructs.  Now additives prevent that.  I suppose it will take
another 50 yrs to get over it.

I suppose wood is better than CHEAP plastic, but good plastic is more
expensive than wood.  Now you get the picture?

I believe that many piano parts could be made out of plastic including
hammers.  No one wants to put the large amount of engineering into that kind
of project when every (well most) tech and sales types will declare it
heretical.  Imagine a hammer that will last forever and never need voicing.
Felt is still cheap and it keeps many busy with their needles.  I guess they
would have to take up knitting.

Carl Meyer Ptg assoc
Santa Clara, Ca.







> Dean
> Dean May             cell 812.239.3359
> PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272
> Terre Haute IN  47802
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]On
Behalf
> Of justpianos@our.net.au
> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 7:41 AM
> To: Pianotech
> Subject: Re: Cordless screwdriver
>
> Ron Nossaman <rnossaman@cox.net> said:
>
> >
> > >Thanks for all replies on split washer suggestions, but why aren't all
> > >manufacturers doing this. They must know that their pianos are going
into
> > >different atmospheric conditions.
> > >Any comments on the Allen-key wrench.
> > >Bruce Browning-The Piano Tuner
> >
> > More to the point, why aren't all the manufacturers using ABS flanges
that
> > don't swell and compress with humidity and shrink and get loose when
it's
> > dry? Why not eliminate the cause instead of treating the symptoms?
> >
> > Ron N
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
> >
>
> Good point, and something I've thought about for some time.
> There are many parts which may well be replaced with plastic, surely much
> easier to manufacture, closer tolerances and more stable, and definitely
> have
> no effect on tone of the piano.
> For example, moulded keys, moulded keyframe and many more parts of the
> action
> than have been moulded before. Any comments?
> Bruce Browning-The Piano Tuner
>
>
> --
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives