[CAUT] durability (was funding)

[A440A at aol.com]

Rick writes: 
<<  pardon the sound of my jaw hitting the

floor...23 years - in a piano faculty studio?!  I assume you are not using

"genuine parts."  

     That is right.  In 1983, the parts were teflon, so I repinned the 
original Steinway shanks and installed new knuckles, (I had more time than money, 
back then).  Same thing with the whippens.  I installed new capstan felt, 
repinned them, replaced the springs, (this is an older Steinway) etc.  The hammers 
were some of the early Tokiwa stuff, (I think).  That piano did spend some time 
in a voice studio, so it hasn't been pounded the whole time, and it does need 
new hammers, now.  
     There have always been two pianos in these studios, so the load was 
lighter.  In contrast, our piano chair practises like a fiend and usually 
completely wears out a set of hammers in 4 years. 
 
>>What have you found to be the most durable

parts/hammers/action felt?  I take it you have been successful in convincing 
the

faculty (and their students) to not practice in their rooms. << 

      I think the most durable parts I have used have been the older Tokiwa 
stuff.  It seems like they just never wore out!  I am using a lot of Renner 
now, and have tried some Abel sets from Wally B.  Still too young to make any 
valid comparisons on durability.  I know that a properly loosened up set of 
Renner Blues will last about 5 years on the stage piano that is used for 
everything, every day.  The Steinway hammers that were on before them were sounding like 
bricks after a couple of years.  The last set of Abel Whippens needed most of 
the flange pins cut, since they were sticking out the sides too far for 
accurate spacing of the whippens. 
 
>>I don't understand your key bushing statement "I bush keys with as

little caul pressure as I can, since the more pressure on the glue, the less

glue is pressed into the felt, which effectively decreases the working 
dimension

of the felt.  Bushings wear longer."  Are you saying you want more glue in the

felt, and this is accomplished by less pressure with the caul?<< 

     No, I should have written "more" glue is pressed into the felt.  
     I want the least amount of glue in the felt as possible.  I have seen 
some systems of rebushing in which the sizing was done with bigger cauls to 
squeeze the felt harder while it is being glued, but I feel like the harder the 
felt is pushed into the glue surface, the farther into the felt the glue goes, 
and the sooner that hardness is being heard in the keys.  It seems like a 
thinner felt lasts longer than a thicker one that has the glue sqeezed farther into 
it.  I was using boxcloth from Fletcher & Newman at the time, and I am not 
sure I have ever seen more durable felt, since. 


>> would you mind giving a budget amount you are

working with annually in relation to the replacement value of your inventory? 
 >>

(sheepishly)  I don't really have a budget.   I just turn in whatever seems 
like needing to be done every year and they fund it.  Some years have been 
huge, others not so much.   We have 45 uprights (30 Yamaha's and 15 various 
things), 49 grands, (29 Steinways, 15 Yamahas, two Bechsteins, one Baldwin and 2 
"things").  Oh, also, three harpsichords and a hurdy-gurdy. 
      In the last three years, there have been two $ 18,000 restorations, 
(new soundboards and actions), and approx $4,000 worth of regulation and repairs 
per year.   This year we are doing one complete action restoration ($9,500), 
one D to the factory for a soundboard and a local refinishing ($23,000), 
purchasing 3 P22's, the normal tuning and $3,500 worth of repairs and regulations.  
Note that I am only taking care of the grand pianos, and have Danny Tassin and 
Candace Wilken helping out with the twice yearly major tuning plan.  
     I tune the hall pianos, on average, twice a week.  If there are more 
performances, I am often called to tune them more.  The practise rooms get tuned 
at the beginning of each semester, and the teaching studios at least that 
much, but sometimes three times.  The building is very stable and other than a few 
rooms that have wide swings, most pianos will stay in tune for at least 4-6 
months.  
Hope this helps, 
Regards, 
 
Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html