Kimball Consolette keytop problem

[Dean May]

I'm with you, Gregor. I could do a key top job in 3-4 hours, but I
definitely have to put more time than that into them to get them as nice as
I want. We usually have 6-8 hours in them and charge $295. It's good shop
time for my sons.

As for equipment, you can make a router table set up according to Spurlock's
plans in the journal, and virtually pay for it with your first job. 

People want to get their keys recovered, just not right now. Once they
decide to do it, the price is not really an issue. I have little ads on the
back of my tuning reminder post cards: one for bench repair (I can repair
any bench for around $50), one for CA treatment of tuning pins (Have you
been told your piano can't be tuned?), and one for key top recovering. They
keep it out there in front of the customer with pricing, so when they decide
price is not an issue. I have sold several jobs off those ads. 

Dean

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

Terre Haute IN  47802


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Gregor _
Sent: Monday, January 29, 2007 4:28 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: RE: Kimball Consolette keytop problem

>From: "Alan R. Barnard"
>
>Well, okay. I charge $150 for new, plastic, one piece whites, extra for 
>sharps. Takes me a couple of hours in shop and maybe another half to one 
>hour trimming and fitting in the field.

Perhaps I do something wrong, but I am astonished about the low price. The 
replace job takes me at least 8 hours including trimming with a file. 
Sometimes adequate keytops (length) are not available, so I have to shorten 
the keys with a bandsaw which takes additional time. Is that an usual amount

of time or am I really so slow?

Gregor

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