One important aspect of service is to tighten all bench hardware every so often. That will prolong the life of a bench. David I. ----- Original message ----------------------------------------> From: Richard Brekne <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no> To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org> Received: Thu, 09 Dec 2004 21:39:13 +0100 Subject: Re: [CAUT] Practice Room Piano Benches >We at the University of Bergen are just about ready to replace 30 >adjustable benches and are leaning heavily towards the Japanese >adjustable chair type instead of benches. The adjustment mechanism seems >very simple and durable, and they do not cost more then some of the >mid-range to less expensive benches. Our experience at the conservatory >here is that benches generally last about 6 months before they are >creaking, squeeking, and making all manner of noises. The amount of >service required to keep them quiet becomes quickly too time consuming >for our purposes. >Your suggestion then intriques and I would like to know more before we >go further. Would you have any pictures or diagrams to show exactly what >your solution is ? >Cheers >RicB >Elwood Doss wrote: >> While this piano bench thread is active, let me tell you about our >> practice room piano benches. We purchased new Baldwin Studio pianos >> for our practice rooms—please, no comments about the quality of the >> pianos—about 5 years ago and year before last the custodian for our >> building started bringing broken benches into my shop. I do check the >> tightness of the bolts on a regular basis—snug, but not too tight--but >> the students began bending the bracket that the leg screw tightens on. >> After about 3 had shown up in the shop, the Chair asked me to look >> into purchasing new benches to replace them. I suggested benches with >> stretchers on them—they were about twice the cost of the regular type >> of benches. When they came in I took a look at the stretchers and >> thought, “I can do that to the broken benches here in my shop.” Sure >> enough, I designed one, used very dense wood from Africa, some good >> wood screws and glue and went to work. It worked so well, my work >> study students ended up retrofitting stretchers on all the practice >> room pianos. They have held up beautifully, and no custodian meeting >> me at the door holding a bench with a crooked leg! >> >> Now I’m sure all of you old heads do this all the time, but it was an >> idea that paid dividends and saved the Department several thousand >> dollars in new bench costs! No, I didn’t get the surplus as check bonus! >> >> Joy! >> >> Elwood >> >> Elwood Doss, Jr. M.M.E.; RPT >> >> Piano Technician/Technical Director >> >> Department of Music >> >> 145 Fine Arts Building >> >> The University of Tennessee at Martin >> >> Martin, TN 38238 >> >> 731/881-1852 >> >_______________________________________________ >caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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