<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=content-type content=text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1491" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>Michael,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I am in total agreement with your comments.  Several years ago I switched from the furniture wrecker (Genck case) to a lap top computer case.  I am somewhat clumsy and did my share of marking furniture.  These cases are very soft with a shoulder strap which I use all the time so I can sling it over my back.  It has stay straps to hold the top part (lid) in vertical position, numerous pockets, pouches, zippered bags and slots.  I did insert the Genck tool pallet where the computer would go.  It adapts very nicely into a piano technicians tool case.  It is light weight and I carry only the tools I use regularly.  If I find that these cases will ever become obsolete I will go out and buy several.  Office max or Staples has them.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Ron Engle</DIV> <DIV>Engle Piano Service</DIV> <DIV>And</DIV> <DIV>Sunderman Conservatory Technician</DIV> <DIV>Gettysburg College</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>On Thu, 1 Nov 2007 12:23:19 -0500 "Michael Magness" <<A href="mailto:IFixPianos@yahoo.com">IFixPianos@yahoo.com</A>> writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 10px; MARGIN-LEFT: 10px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV>I originally posted this in response to the 18" x 12-3/4" X 6"  aluminum case post of yesterday. As I thought about it( Is it just me or do most of you think well while tuning?) it occured to me that my reasons might be of more general interest. <BR clear=all></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My decision to not continue with the aluminum cases was not just the lack of quality but the concern for front doors, furniture, etc.</DIV> <DIV>A hard case raises a liability issue since the case and its attachments(hinges, d-rings,rivets, corner tabs) are just that, hard and can therefore scratch doors, furniture, pianos. No matter how careful you try to be, accidents can and do happen. I was taught by a wise tech who told us to always put your case on the floor, never on a chair, table, bench, always the floor. However chair legs, sofa fronts(the wooden kind) piano legs, china cabinets, grandfather/mother clocks etc. are all in close proximity, frequently, of the piano and can be bumped, scratched, dented by a hard case. </DIV> <DIV>So as I noticed more techs in my chapter going to tool bags it seemed this was a logical move to forestall any liability problems. My current tool bag has no outer snaps, zippers, d-rings, hinges, rivets or metal of any kind on the front or back to scratch or dent anything. It has a flap that drops over the zipper front and back the d-rings are on the sides near the top and do not protrude and are coated with plastic and the snaps are much smaller than the strap. It has the added advantage of durability and not being very expensive but that is truly secondary to the peace of mind I feel carrying it into a home. Yes it is a Duluth Big house toolbag.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It has the added advantage of having extra room so I can add tools for specific jobs if I am in a situation where it is difficult to run to my truck, when I work at the University I have to park 3 or 4 blocks away and prefer to load up extra things I may need. Also If I'm in a home and have run out to the truck a few times, I can put everything into it when I leave and sort it out at the truck, versus making 2 or 3 trips out. The major complaint I have heard about my toolbag is that it is too big and when filled too heavy, I agree that is why mine isn't full except on the occasional trip leaving a home after I've hauled in extra tools. A handy thing when it's raining, snowing, -20 degrees or colder or when I'm already an hour late for supper! Also mine is the medium sized one and it works for me, I'm 6'4" and weigh in about 285. There is a smaller one that still will hold all you need and more. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>For those jobs where I am doing, say a major grand regulation I have a standard tool box, a big 24" ugly yellow plastic toolbox with all of my regulating eqipment in it, from punchings to teflon to McLube and Teflon spray and regulation specs book. I have another for parts only, another for felt only and finally a hardware box with a screw assortment, I work in areas where there isn't a hardware store on every corner! I use a Craftsman toolbag for my backup tools, stringing tools, pin driver, 2# hammer, string tails, pinblock support jack, vise grips, loop maker, brass flange holder etc. Finally I use my old aluminum case for wire coils and the few universal strings I carry.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I don't fault anyone for their choice of what they use for carrying their tools, when I started out I used a plastic attache case, I paid $4 for, followed by an $18 Wards metal tackle box which served for over a dozen years before I "graduated" to my first aluminum case. It's all a matter of what you're comfortable with and serves your individual purposes. </DIV> <DIV>My point here was just to enlighten about my reasons for moving away from the aluminum cases other than the obvious quality issues.</DIV> <P>Mike<BR>-- <BR>The way some people find fault, you'd think there was some kind of reward. <BR>Michael Magness<BR>Magness Piano Service<BR>608-786-4404<BR><A onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.ifixpianos.com/" target=_blank>www.IFixPianos.com</A><BR>email <A onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com" target=_blank>mike@ifixpianos.com</A> </P> <DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>