Wegman grand info needed

[Richard Moody]

Hi Les, 
	Thank you so much for  your suggestions. It WILL  be a learning
experience for me, even though the owner of the Wegman grand has agreed to
pay me just to come and look at it.  I am hoping the last tuner didn't
know how to set the Wegman pins and that resulted in the horrendous out of
tune sound I heard over the telephone. And I suggested tuning pin
tightener.... duh is me............   
	So I am appealing to those that have tuned one or two of these "beasts",
(how would I know, I have never seen one...) tips on what I should or
should not do.  I was glad to put it up to the Tuesday night chat and
releived that a couple of "gurus" were not as experienced as I am : )  At
any rate I will keep the list informed of my endeavors.   
	Thank you all and especially Les Smith.  I have just re-read your
comments and thanks for the flattering ones, I am in big <G> about what to
expect given what you wrote.  So, there I was to go--considering myself
the Master Tuning Pin Setter, armed with Garfields, until I found out that
the pins might be set in iron rather than wood.  I am glad I am laughing
before instead of "gnashing my teeth" after..... again THANKS!...........
	Have I told the story of the chemical engineer whose company developed an
epoxy and he thought that because the tuner turned the tuning pins, he
could fix that so  he wouldn't have to call the tuner again?? 
Richard Moody  
----------
> From: Les Smith <lessmith@buffnet.net>
> To: MPT <MPT@talklist.com>
> Cc: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Wegman grand info needed
> Date: Wednesday, October 07, 1998 4:50 PM
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, 7 Oct 1998, Richard Moody wrote:
> 
> > Dear list. 
> > 	A lady called me and said her pins were loose . So I suggested that
if her Wegman was the
> > quality deserving tuning pin tightner, I could probably work wonders.
> 
> Hi, Richard:
> 
> What a GREAT phrase: "the quality deserving tuning pin tightener"!
Notice
> that you did NOT say "type", you said "quality". That hits the nail
> squarely on the head! Sone hopefully-helpful suggestions follow: 
>  
> First, I have seen a piano in which all the pins were welded to the
plate,
> and therefor can personally attest to the effectiveness and permanence
of
> such a repair. You won't ever have to worry about those suckers EVER
> slipping again. On the downside, you'll afterwards be forced to cross 
> this highly-satisfied customer off your list of clients, because all
those
> now-permanently-stabilized, once-slipping pins, will never be able to be
> turned again and--of course--the piano WILL still go out of
tune--although
> not from loose pins arising from a shot block.  
> 
> Secondly, there have been seveal threads here over the years, which
> have discussed in detail both the effectiveness and advisibility of
using
> anyone of a number of liquid pin-tighteners-- as well as wood-veneer, 
> bronze, or sandpaper shims-- as a band-aid approach which might possibly
> help an untunable piano with a shot pinblock to hold a tuning long
enough
> for the check to clear. Those posts are available in the archives.
> 
> Now please understand, I am NOT at all being judemental, but I have been
> reading your excellent, highly-informative posts here on Pianotech for a
> LOMG time. Your contributions have been many. You are are valuable
member.
> Therefor, when you walk into this client's house to do the dirty-deed--
> carrying either your welding torch and various accessories, or an array
of
> magic-potion-filled bottles--you might want to consider disguising
> yourself by wearing a paper bag over your head so no one recognizes who
> you really are. The problems you encounter with this piano will likely
FAR
> exceed merely just some loose tuning pins, yet you apparently already
have
> the owner expecting you to do "wonders" with her instrument--which you
> haven't even SEEN yet!--by dealing with (and charging for) just them. In
> my opinion, NO technician--especially one as obvilouly good as
yourself--
> should EVER place himself in such position. 
> 
> Good luck on this one, Richard,  and I sincerely hope it doesn't turn
out
> to be a "learning experience"!  :)      
>  
> Respectfully,
> 
> Les Smith
> 
> 
>