<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Richard and all,</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">The damage is starting to become apparant
to the Steinway. Two weeks ago, the local chapter was blessed to
have Wally Brooks for an all day seminar. It regarded tone building
among other things. I learned quite a bit and decided to perform
some tone building of my own on this instrument while the students were
out on T-Day break. The first thing I did was tighten everything
I could find on the cabinet,plate, etc. The plate bolts turned nearly
1/4 turn!! No doubt due to the crazy humidity fluxes. I was
able to turn most other screws, but nothing of this magnitude. I
will be going to all pianos in the building and record the results.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">You others that also have humidity challenges
might try tightening your plate bolts too and let me know if you get such
noticable outcomes.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Thanks for all your input, My
report will be thoughtful and insightful upon compiling my data.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Good times ahead!</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Paul T. Williams RPT</font>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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<td width=40%><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><b>"rwest1@unl.edu"
<rwest1@unl.edu></b> </font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Sent by: caut-bounces@ptg.org</font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif">11/28/2006 01:31 PM</font>
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<div align=center><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Please respond to<br>
College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org></font></div></table>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">To</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org></font>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">cc</font></div>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Subject</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Re: [CAUT] large and rapid humidity
changes!</font></table>
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<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>Wim,<br>
<br>
The picture was sent up the food chain, but I don't know how far up <br>
it got. The problem was treated as an emergency, so that the <br>
maintenance people were right there to see what they could do. They
<br>
followed up for several days after the problem was "fixed", so
I <br>
couldn't complain about their service or the desire to get things <br>
fixed. The problem is beyond simple fixes, however. The HVAC
has <br>
been causing problems in that room for a couple years now and <br>
evidently continues to need periodic attention. It's not a problem
<br>
that occurs daily, at least not while I was there, but something gets <br>
screwed up every few months or so.<br>
<br>
Money does get spent. A year or two ago a wad was spent replacing
<br>
the HVAC in one of the recital halls. The emergency there was pigeon
<br>
poop and a pile of dead birds. You can imagine the stench that was
<br>
starting to permeate the hall.<br>
<br>
There is a lot of deferred maintenance on campus. Nebraska voters
<br>
want taxes cut, and spending reduced. As long as that mood exists,
<br>
they'll have foggy rooms, and pay more in the long run for what <br>
should be routine maintenance. At least that's my take on the real
<br>
cause of the problem.<br>
<br>
Having said all that, I hope you all don't get the impression that <br>
the University of NE is falling apart. There are a lot of good <br>
things happening there. With all the recent budget cutting around
<br>
the nation, I think NE fared better than some universities. New <br>
buildings go up. Renovations of old buildings get done. It's
just <br>
hard to know when the music school renovations will move to the top <br>
of the priority list. For Paul's sake, I hope it's sooner rather
<br>
than later.<br>
<br>
Richard<br>
<br>
<br>
On Nov 28, 2006, at 10:49 AM, Willem Blees wrote:<br>
<br>
> Richard<br>
><br>
> Was this picture shown to the higher ups at the university? I can't<br>
> imagine how a HVAC system that produced this kind of atmosphere inside<br>
> a lecture hall could be considered a non emergency problem. The<br>
> effects of this kind of humidity on not only the instruments, but
the<br>
> building itself should warrant immediate action. It would seem to
me<br>
> that putting a new HVAC system in this building would be much cheaper<br>
> than replacing all the wood, electrical wiring, lights, etc, not to<br>
> mention the audio visual equipment, screens and instruments.<br>
><br>
> Wim<br>
><br>
><br>
> Quoting "rwest1@unl.edu" <rwest1@unl.edu>:<br>
><br>
>> The room Paul is talking about has had problems for years. The<br>
>> building simply needs a new HVAC system, but it's not high on
the<br>
>> university priority list. The room in question has gotten
worse in<br>
>><br>
>> recent years. The complaints would go in and the facilities people<br>
>> would come over right away. They were cooperative, but the
problem<br>
>><br>
>> was bigger than a quick fix. The problem would be okay for
awhile,<br>
>><br>
>> but inevitably return. I took pictures to prove how bad
it got.<br>
>> These were taken in May, just before I retired. It was so
damp it<br>
>> was foggy and water was dripping from the ceiling. Not good
for the<br>
>><br>
>> pianos or for the electrical stuff either.<br>
>><br>
>> Richard West<br>
>><br>
>> On Nov 27, 2006, at 11:28 AM, Paul T Williams wrote:<br>
>><br>
>>><br>
>>> Hi list,<br>
>>><br>
>>> We have a classroom/recital hall with a huge humidity problem.
Has<br>
>><br>
>>> anyone else had this problem:<br>
>>><br>
>>> The room seats about 200 and has a Steinway D from the late
70's<br>
>>> and a harpsichord. The room can change by 30-40% or
more in a<br>
>>> day! Over the T-Day weekend I put in one of those
small<br>
>>> humidistat from Pianotek and it showed a range of 24-80%!!!
Not<br>
>>> only are my tunings worthless for recitals if I tune in the
morning<br>
>><br>
>>> and the concert is in the evening (as some days, that is the
only<br>
>><br>
>>> time the room is available), but it has got to be wrecking
havock<br>
>><br>
>>> on the instruments. It doesn't have a piano life saver system
in<br>
>>> it, and I wonder how much it would help with such wild swings.
I<br>
>><br>
>>> and all the faculty have complained about it (apparantly for
years<br>
>><br>
>>> prior to my getting here this year) and nothing gets done.<br>
>>><br>
>>> Can I do more that just cover them and go ahead and put a
DC system<br>
>><br>
>>> on it? They do have thick blanket style covers on them.<br>
>>><br>
>>> Sweating to the oldies in Lincoln....<br>
>>><br>
>>> Paul<br>
>><br>
>><br>
><br>
><br>
> Willem Blees, RPT<br>
> Piano Tuner/Technician<br>
> School of Music<br>
> University of Alabama<br>
> Tuscaloosa, AL USA<br>
<br>
<br>
</tt></font>
<br>