<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16481" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=359463022-25062007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>I did a class a couple times a few years ago where we
started at step one with moving, and actually had 65 and 40 year old ladies do
the lift get the piano on a dolly, could have had them load it in a trailer
too..... Would do the the thing again if there were
opportunity......</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=359463022-25062007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>les bartlett</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
[mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Tom Sivak<BR><B>Sent:</B>
Monday, June 25, 2007 8:14 AM<BR><B>To:</B> Pianotech List<BR><B>Subject:</B>
Re: back from K.C., too<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>List</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Everyone seemed to have a great time at the convention but me! I know
that choosing your classes can be a crapshoot, but it was more crap than shoot
for me. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Seems like many of the classes I attended were inappropriately titled or
labeled in degree of difficulty. (All the classes are labeled either E for
Everyone, B for Basic, I for Intermediate, A for Advanced, etc.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For instance, a class called "MOVE IT" detailed piano moving
techniques. OK. I'd like to learn more about moving a
piano. Course decription as follows:</DIV>
<DIV> "Discover basic tools and skills that will allow you to
move pianos easily in your shop or from place to place."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Great! I'd love to be able to move a piano more easily in my shop, OR
from place to place! And, the course is labled (B) for basic, so that's
me! SIgn me up!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Well, maybe the class should have been entitled, "WATCH US MOVE IT",
because it was about this guy's moving company, his 2 and a half ton pickup, his
trailer and equipment, and his henchmen who actually do the moving.
I've seen professionals move pianos. I have paid them many times to do
so. Now, I got to sit for 45 minutes and watch slides of them doing
it. <BR><BR>To be fair, there was one tip on lifting a vertical piano with
a car jack that is evidently very hard to find, since some of my classmates had
already tried locating one.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Then there was tthe class entitled, "BRIDGE AND SOUNDBOARD REPAIR WITH
EPOXY". OK. I've used epoxy to repair bridges, but not a
soundboard. I'd like to learn about this!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Well, after an hour of bridge repair discussion, someone asked, "Are we
going to talk about soundboards, too?" The reply, "Well, they renamed the
class on me. It's really about bridges." Then he spent about 90
seconds talking about epoxying soundboards, then back to bridges.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Or "Veneer Repair" that was all about a vaccuum pump that the instructor
made all by himself. He showed us where we could order the parts for the
vaccuum pump and how we could build a vaccuum pump ourselves, and
how to use the vaccuum pump. And for a professional cabinet refinsher, I
could see that this vacuum pump would come in handy. We watched his
process on restoring a century old S&S 'D' with an art case. (He used
the vaccuum pump ALOT!) But in terms of learning anything that I
personally could use, in a client's home, for instance, very little was
offered. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I did have some good classes, too. But, I shouldn't even say it that
way. The above classes were undoubtedly "good classes", but just not
for me. If I had never epoxied a bridge before, I would have learned from
a master how he does it. And I will change the way I do it, based on his
discussion of the topic. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And I picked up a couple of real bargains at the exhibit hall. (A
digital micrometer for $42! No more squinting!)</DIV>
<DIV><BR>It just seemed like the majority of the classes I took were
disappointing to me. Again, I fully expected to sit through some classes
that didn't give me what I wanted, but this is the first time that I wasted
entire days sitting in classes that offered me nothing.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sorry for the brutal honesty, but discussion is what this list is all
about. Without an opposing viewpoint, what is there to discuss?<BR><BR>Tom
Sivak<BR>Chicago</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR><B><I>J Patrick Draine <jpdraine@gmail.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Hello
list,<BR>Saturday before last (June 16) I left home (Billerica, MA) for
the<BR>"Piano Technicans Guild Promoting Piano Service Excellence
50th<BR>Anniversary 1957 - 2007" (that's what it says on my champagne
flute)<BR>aka the 2007 Annual PTG Council and Institute, and after
skipping<BR>today's Sunday morning classes in order to catch a 7:55 AM flight,
I<BR>am home again.<BR>It was a most excellent event!<BR>Aside from the
political activities (appropriate for that other list,<BR>ptg-l), there were
many opportunities to learn (and relearn) myriad<BR>aspects of our craft(s),
renew and make new friendships and industry<BR>contacts, tempt onself with
(and succumb to a few) tool purchases,<BR>expensive meals and drinks (and some
moderately priced, and some<BR>comped at manufacturers' receptions),
etc.<BR>Thanks to one & all -- to mention a few in random order, the
tuning<BR>examiners supertuning and administering exams just below my room,
the<BR>PTG Home Office staff, the Institute Team (Malinda Powell, Mel
Brooks,<BR>Ward Guthrie, Jeff Hickey et al.), the moving team, and the
many<BR>excellent instructors (hats off to Roger J., Jon P., Dave A., Mike
K.,<BR>Debra Cyr, Wally Brooks, for starters but I got up too early,
fading<BR>fast, so I'll leave it to others to express their own
reflections!)<BR>And of course, great to see many of the pianotech gang (John
F., John<BR>R., Cy S., Ron N., and the rest of ya).<BR>Many thanks to
all,<BR>Patrick Draine<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>
<P><FONT size=2>No virus found in this incoming message.<BR>Checked by AVG Free
Edition.<BR>Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.9.6/866 - Release Date:
06/25/2007 9:43 AM<BR></FONT></P></BODY></HTML>