Hi, Michael Campi caught that I got the author's name wrong (below). It is Carl Roell, not Carol Roell. Sigh...fat-fingered and fat-brained...it's a bad combination. Thanks, Michael! Best. Horace At 07:53 PM 8/25/2004, you wrote: >Hi, David, > >At 07:10 PM 8/25/2004, you wrote: >>I was under the impression that one of the problems with teflon was wood >>swelling and squeezing the bushing thus tightening the flange... is this >>another urban legend? > >Yes, actually...although I have seen it done a good many times. > >What so many of these things hark back to is what Avery was talking >about. Basically (and, with the clear acknowledgement that all >generalizations are inherently bad), the factory put out _no_ useful >information as to how to services these actions for a number of >years...certainly the first few years of production. Problems with the >actions miraculously became problems with the technicians involved. It >was endemic. As late as 1968/1969 (~ 10 years after the first real >production instruments were released), Freddie Drasche was still teaching >how to make your own "parallel" reamers by rolling center pins between two >files. CPs thus treated were good for about four or five bushings before >they got too smoothed over to be of any value...so, folks, being always >aware of the bottom line, would simply do the roll trick again...and, >again...and, again....well, you get the idea. > >I do not remember when the factory _finally_ started selling the >industrial tool-steel fluted reamers...perhaps as late as the early >1970's. They were released about the time that the first of the factory >technical bulletins in re: servicing teflon bushings was produced...plus >or minus a bit. The early publications were not well written, and >contained information which, while useful in a factory setting was less so >in the field. So, that was one set of problems. Another was the price of >the reamers. If memory serves, it was around $12 per each for four >reamers (and, once one did a little digging, one could find another group >of in between sizes for more accurate work)...so, if one were really going >to try to get set up for servicing those things, you could drop the better >part of $100 before buying and parts (the bushings themselves and the >specially tumbled/polished center pins). Now, mind you this was when $100 >was real money. > >So, by that time, these parts were up against several obstacles: > > - premature, ill-planned release to begin with; > - complete lack of technical support directly from the manufacturer; > - a myriad of resulting home remedies (most of which were introduced > more problems than they solved); > - limited technical training (after things got bad, Freddie basically > just did it on his own recognizance); > - poorly written/thought through maintenance procedures (when they > finally became available); > - expensive tools and parts; > - lots and lots of technicians who simply could not see outside the box. > >The combination made the whole project an all-too-easy target for >marketing wonks...and, companies (like, for example, Kawai) who have been >continuing to pioneer the use of new materials have had a really tough row >to how. > >What is truly incredible is that, if one does even minimal research on >piano-related patents, one quickly discovers that there are literally >thousands and thousands of ingenious ideas which have been >scuttled...mostly, one suspects, because they add too much cost to the >initial manufacturing process. > >As technicians, we really do have to remember that, at bottom, the piano >industry, like all others, is about making money for the folks who are at >the top of the food chain. Yes, music and art are in there >someplace...they are simply not at the top of the list, no matter what we >think. > >Since it has not been mentioned in a while, I suggest as highly >recommended reading, Carol Roell's "The Piano in America: 1890 - >1940". In a real piano technology curriculum, a knowledge of this book >would be right up there with Braid White as required. > >Hmmm...Sorry, I've really been on a tear with this whole thing...too much >misinformation for too many years from too many otherwise well-intentioned >sources...raises my dystolic...my apologies. > >Best to all. > >Horace > > > > >>David I. >> >>----- Original Message ----- From: "Avery Todd" <avery@ev1.net> >>To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> >>Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 5:48 PM >>Subject: Re: Teflon bushings: (was Re: Pinning on new flanges} >> >> >>>Sarah, >>> >>>I have to disagree a "little" bit here. IMHO, the primary reason that >>>the Teflon actions had such a hard time with piano technicians is that >>>that never bothered to "teach" the techs how to deal with it/them. >>> >>> From what I've been told, teflon responds exactly the opposite of felt >>>bushed flanges. >>> >>>Avery >>> >>>At 12:32 AM 8/25/04, you wrote: >>>>At 12:27 AM -0400 8/25/04, Sarah Fox wrote: >>>>>... The problem with Steinway's Teflon blunder was the >>>>>loosening of the Teflon in the wooden hole with humidity changes. ... >>>> >>>>Sarah, >>>> >>>>I have to intervene as a result of this comment. Maybe you will >>>>appreciate what I have to say, maybe not. >>>> >>>>For the record what I am about to say is an inner unfoldment that I >>>>came to solely after several years of working with repinning and/or >>>>replacing teflon bushings. >>>> >>>>If there is to be any blunder attributed to Steinway and the teflon >>>>bushing experience: >>>> >>>>1) it was only in that company's over evaluation of the abilities of >>>>the piano technicians in the field to understand the beauty of the >>>>teflon bushing in all its glory, >>>> >>>>2) to not forsee the unwillingness of piano technicians to invest in >>>>the necessary tools to work with them, >>>> >>>>3) and the capacity to truly understand the techniques as to how to >>>>properly replace and/or repin them. >>>> >>>>Those three things were, in my judgement, the main reasons for the >>>>eventual undoing of the teflon bushing, not humidity changes. >>>> >>>>Somebody mentioned it was ahead of its time. Hardly. In my opinion the >>>>general populace of piano technicians during that era were just unable >>>>to embrace it, so it got the bad mouth from those who never really gave >>>>it the time of day. >>>> >>>>Such is the way of some things. >>>> >>>>Keith >>>>-- >>>>Keith McGavern >>>>Registered Piano Technician >>>>Oklahoma Chapter 731 >>>>Piano Technicians Guild >>>>USA >>>> >>>>_______________________________________________ >>>>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >>> >>>_______________________________________________ >>>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >>_______________________________________________ >>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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