<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: medium; FONT-FAMILY: AGaramond Bold"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1251"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1522" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <P> <DIV>Julia asked: "<FONT size=+0>Is it a bad idea to keeep spare hammers in a car trunk? Will the</FONT> <DIV><FONT size=+0>heat of the summer dry them out too much? My gu instnct tells me to put a</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>few in my tuning bag and that I keep with me in and out of the car. Any</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>thoughts on this?"</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>Julia,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0>I keep my spare hammers in Coffee Cans with the "seal" lids. They stay in my rig most of the time, (winter/spring/summer/fall). I have seen no ill effects from this. As others have pointed out, most of the time you are replacing a hammer or two or???, on beaters. For high end pianos, a slight mismatch is allowable, but only if a better solution is discussed with the client first.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>I strongly urge you, NOT to carry parts around in your tuning kit, etc.!!! Nothing worse than all the crud of your kit imbedding itself into a, once, decent felt part. Looks crappy and unprofessional. I strongly urge you to "compartmentize". i.e. a woodworking kit, a stringing kit, a repinning kit, a regulation kit, etc. Each time you make the trip to the car/truck for a "special part" that you just happen to HAVE, it sends a message to the client that there will be an extra charge and that you are "prepared" and "organized". More bucks in your pocket, more professional repairs that impress the client!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>Regards,</FONT> </DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Joe Garrett, R.P.T. (Oregon)</DIV> <DIV>Captain, Tool Police</DIV> <DIV>Squares R I</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <P></P></BODY></HTML>