Yamaha flanges

[Jim_Harvey@yca.ccmail.compuserve.com]

     I've not tried this reply method before, but to save bandwith,
     I'll reply to several messages with one. Thanks to the others who
     have responded to this inquiry as well.

     [Barbara]
     Fortunately, I was in the position that I would have ready access
     to the instruments.  But, out in the real world where time and
     money are limited, one has to make choices and I think you did
     the best thing possible under the circumstances.
     [end]

     [Response] Big difference indeed between in-house and contracted.
     I'll cover the time and money below. BTW, I still prefer my
     time-tested oxyacetylene setup for hammershanks. It has a place
     in the car right next to the chain saw.

     [Barbara]
     ...A small town in the Bible Belt where you can fill your car up
     at the Christian gas station, an eye doctor advertises that he
     will help you see physically and spiritually, and you can get
     something to eat at the Christian hamburger stand...
     [end]

     [Response] And the name of the town was *what* again, Barbara?
     P-A-L-E-S-T-I-N-E. Does this ring a bell?



     [Dale]
     ...We took over a school district & a university for a retiring
     friend who did minimum maintenance. His philosophy was if the
     tuning hammer was not in motion he was not making money...
     [end]

     [Response] This attitude is what I'm following! Glad to see I'm
     not alone here. The university was (is) on a bid arrangement.
     Over time, they realized they got what they paid for. All the
     while, the maintenence portion was getting progessively worse --
     to the point that as long as the hammers hit *something*, just
     continue tuning. Or, if you have to play a sharp key that's
     missing the keycover, so be it. Just use your index finger. Enter
     me. I'm on a bid "arrangement" too. I determined the charges for
     basic tunings. They just get fewer tunings than they used to.
     Unfortunately, because of the 'disco' tuners, the working budget
     was reduced. Now there is barely enough funds to cover the
     tunings, with nothing remaining for anything else. I know this is
     an old story, but it seems like the system's 20-20 hindsight
     should kick in sometime.

     My problems in this type of work are essentially two-fold: first,
     I keep getting stuck on that "Always render the best..." part of
     our credo; second, since I love repair and hate tuning, I'm a
     sucker for anything that's not working right. I hope to get over
     these problems, or at least learn to approach them differently.

     [Dale]
     ...Yes, even in bad weather when you're parked at the opposite
     end of the campus and have to climb three flights of stairs. We
     charge for repairs (as contractors) but our situation may be
     unusual because of the relationship we have established with our
     schools...
     [end]

     [Response] Since *I* didn't mention it, I don't know how you knew
     about the parking situation and three flights of stairs. Did you
     work this university before me, Dale?

     I finally have this part under control. When I'm tuning, that's
     all I do. I reserve "repair days" for other work, and having made
     crib notes while tuning (as you mention), I bring the necessary
     ingredients in to complete the repairs.


     [Newt]
     ...Get yourself one of the tools called a butt spacer from Apsco
     or Schaff.  It looks like a super thin very broad screw driver
     blade...

     [Response] This is exactly the tool I used, along with the method
     you described. But it took a lot of guns for me to admit pushing
     those blunt-nosed pins back in position, especially in a public
     forum!

     [Newt]
     This is not an easy operation for me, I have to hold a
     flashlight, telescope and butt spacer in one hand and scretch my
     head with the other.

     [Response] 'Cept for the head-scratching (voicing tool?), I may
     have a couple tips in this area. Based on my need for
     progressively more light as time passes (age), I've done some
     experiments in the portable photon area:

     What Don't Work
     * Those funny glasses with a bulb beside each eye, although they
     do get a similar reaction to a a Groucho mask at parties.

     What Can Work
     * A Mini-Maglite(tm) held in your teeth, OR;
     * Same light with a vecro headband and elastic holder for the
     light (WalMart:$1.97 US)

     What Do Work
     * A new flashlight I discovered (and forgot the name). It's a
     combination hand and head lamp. Holding (4) AA cells, it provides
     an effective halogen beam. Folded, it looks like a flat
     flashlight with a wrist strap. Unlatched, the two halves separate
     to make a lightweight headlamp, the wrist strap becoming the
     adjustable headband. This follows the idea of a miner's lamp, but
     without the huge battery, wires, and extra weight. After the lamp
     is positioned comfortably on your head, the beam can be adjusted
     up and down. Unlike other arrangements, this permits me to aim
     the light appropriately and still be able to look through the
     *bottom* portion of my eyeglasses. At approx. $17 US, this one's
     a keeper.

     ... and these are just some of the possibilities.

     Thanks again, all!

     Jim Harvey/RPT