<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div></div></td></tr></table> <div id="_origMsg_"> <div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif:font-size:10pt"> <br /> <div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"> <font size="2" face="Tahoma"> <hr size="1"> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span> </b> Euphonious Thumpe <lclgcnp@yahoo.com>; <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold:">To:</span> </b> Larry Fisher RPT <larry_fisher@pdxtuner.com>; <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold:">Subject:</span> </b> Re: [pianotech] Tech cases <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sent:</span> </b> Mon, Oct 22, 2012 9:37:27 PM <br> </font> <br> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="font:inherit;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font:inherit;"><div>I use ugly red plastic tool tool box/tackle boxes. No one will likely break into my car and steal them because they look like something "valuable" is inside, they are waterproof (so I can hose them off* if I've been in an extremely filthy house --- as in with puddles of dog pee on the carpet)** and they're cheap. One for tuning kit and minor reg tools, another for more rarely used tools. (Marked.) If the customer appears "shocked" that my toolboxes are not "professional looking" enough, I explain why I use them and they all agree that this is very clever indeed! I impress them with my "professionalism" by explaining many interesting technical and historical aspects of their piano/pianos in general, and playing some Ragtime. (Before and after tuning.) Not with what my tools are carried in, which is utterly, completely, irrelevant and facetious! EXCEPT that those fancy cases with the padded interiors collect and retain filth; and as we are, in this trade, confronted with extreme variables of sanitariness in the instruments we service (from moth and mouse-poop filled monstrosities, to brand-new Bosendorfers) I see no sense, whatsoever, in using a toolboxes that facilitate the transferal of filth from piano A to piano B! (If I MUST work on an old rat-trap, I put those tools into a bag and wipe them off with alcohol before they go back into the box.)<br /> I am a very firm believer in "Do unto others as ye would have them do unto you.", and "What goes around, comes around." and would be utterly APPALLED if someone used tools on my clean, new, shiny piano that had just been used on a very filthy old one, without cleaning them first! (I also ask where I can wash my hands as soon as I come in the door --- this shows respect for the customer's property, and they are impressed by it.) <br /><br />Thumpe<br /><br />* Some are waterproof and some are not. Look for the ones with tight joints and rivets around the handle (no spaces) and a staggered flange between the body and lid.<br />**Actually, I refuse to go into such houses these days --- if they're that bad, I'll just apologize and say that I have too many allergies to be in such an environment, and leave --- hopefully before I even step inside! But I still wanted to use this example for the benefit of others.</div></td></tr></table> <div id="_origMsg_"> <div style="font-family:arial, helvetica,;"> <br /> <div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt;"> <font size="2" face="Tahoma"> <hr size="1"> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span> </b> Larry Fisher RPT <larry_fisher@pdxtuner.com>; <br> <b> <span style="">To:</span> </b> <pianotech@ptg.org>; <br> <b> <span style="">Subject:</span> </b> [pianotech] Tech cases <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sent:</span> </b> Mon, Oct 22, 2012 8:52:52 PM <br> </font> <br> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="font:inherit;"> <div dir="ltr"> <div style="FONT-FAMILY:'Calibri';COLOR:#000000;FONT-SIZE:12pt;"> <div>Years ago I started with the black box with expanding trays typical of piano technicians of the day.  I then started to drop some money on Excelite cases ......  the leather over plywood type.  Sharp looking but didn’t really suit my needs all that well plus you ended up carrying all that structural material along with all the tools.   I went through two of them in about 10 years.  The dovetail at the corners would give it up.  My shoulder was starting to give me an attitude so I had to consider what I was doing all day that was causing that.  Between hanging on to the steering wheel at the twelve o’clock position, tuning pianos, and carrying the 50 pound case, I was at no loss for wonder why my shoulder was starting to talk foul words in my ear.  A Genck case wasn’t the answer.  I bought a soft sided one and couldn’t stand using it.  So bought a tool roll and made many trips out to the car for what was missing.  That got old in a hurry but my shoulder was cooling off.  So then one day I was at a garage sale and saw a Targus laptop case for $20.  It was so close to what I needed that I adapted to it quite readily.  15 years or better later, the case has been repaired in numerous places but then the zipper started to fail.  Finally it gave it up enough that I decided I’d better have a look around at what was going to be my next tech case.  Using the keyword Targus on Craigslist I found another one pretty much like my old one but improved.  Yep, $20 later I had my new one.  New they’re $130.  My Genck is my overload case that I keep in my car and has all the odd and backup type tools that are seldom needed in the field but sure are nice to have when you need them.  I put all the tools in the little pockets on the pallets and by the time I look in there again they’re all back in the same pile they were in last time I did that  .......  or so it seems.  In my Targus, I use the small and the large tool rolls and a small zipper bag (for the power adapter originally) for glues and really small tools that get lost easily.  The outside pouches house my invoices (portable desk from NEBS) and the other side holds my appointment book.</div> <div> </div> <div>My (cheap) thrifty Scottish/English/German blood is happy. </div></div></div></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div>