<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2712.300" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joe,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I would point out </FONT><FONT = face=Arial><FONT size=2>that piano techs have historically been known for being "tool = geeks". We like to make our own tools. I find it therapeutic. It helps me hone my = wood and metal working skills. It makes me exercise my mind. Even if I steal an = idea from someone else (we've all learned everything we know from somewhere else, = haven't we?) I might add a little twist of my own. In addition, actuallly using = a tool I have made somehow makes me a little more  proud of my self = reliance. Ordinarily I find myself modifying most of the tools that I order from = the suppliers. Should I cease that practice because it is not cost = effective? By your $/hr formula I guess that I shouldn't waste my time sweeping my = shop floor either. The problem is, if I don't no one else will!</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>Have a nice = weekend.</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>Phil = Romano </FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>Myrtle Beach, = SC </DIV></FONT></FONT> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=imatunr@srvinet.com href="mailto:imatunr@srvinet.com">Joe = And Penny Goss</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, February 28, = 2002 10:50 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Clean piano</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Phil,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Yes sometimes anyone can make a tool = that will work. I do not know what  Bill Spurlock's outlook on tool making = is , but myself I try to target the market that would like a tool made for them as time is money. Tool makers are selling the time that it takes to design the tool, redesign the tool because = the design did not work or to make it work better, gather all the = parts, make the tool, ship it , attend conventions to promote and show, etc etc.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Not trying to say that we should not = make our own tools when we can, for that is where a lot of us started, but = reminding it is an expensive undertaking to develop tools, especially those the = quality of the Spurlock, Mannino, Franklin, Mahaffy, Renner, etc, etc, = etc</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>Joe Goss<BR><A href="mailto:imatunr@srvinet.com">imatunr@srvinet.com</A><BR><A = href="http://www.mothergoosetools.com">www.mothergoosetools.com</A></DI= V> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=philromano@attglobal.net = href="mailto:philromano@attglobal.net">philromano@attglobal.net</A> = </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, February 28, = 2002 5:19 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Clean = piano</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bill's soundboard cleaning tools = are great but you can make one (or several -different sizezs for various parts of = the board) very easily for quite a bit less than what he charges for = them. A length of brazing rod with a piece of flat brass stock = silver soldered in a "T". You can grind the ends round and file sand buff whatever. = Bend a handle shape in the other end. Cover the brass with bushing = cloth and clean away! I have three home made tools that I have been using for = years. Ever since I saw Spurlock's! </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Phil Romano</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Myrtle Beach, SC</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=rrg@unlv.edu href="mailto:rrg@unlv.edu">Robert = Goodale</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, February = 28, 2002 1:12 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Clean = piano</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>You absolutely MUST get the Spurlock sound board = cleaning brush/rake thingies, (not really sure what to call it, sort of a = squeegee for piano dirt).  Once you use these tools you will never use = anything else.  I have thoroughly cleaned a dirty board in = ten minutes with these.   If you are not familiar with this = tool see it here:<BR><BR><A class=moz-txt-link-freetext = href="http://www.spurlocktools.com/id32.htm">http://www.spurlocktools.c= om/id32.htm</A><BR><BR>Rob Goodale, RPT<BR>Las Vegas, NV<BR><BR><BR><A = class=moz-txt-link-abbreviated href="mailto:HazenBannister@cs.com">HazenBannister@cs.com</A> = wrote:<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE cite=mid:186.40e2657.29af040e@cs.com = type="cite"><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>Hi list, <BR> I was = at a church today for a cleaning,and tuning on a small grand.I used a yard = stick to clean the soundboard,under the strings.It worked a lot better = than a soundboard steel.It is flexible,but stiffer,so you can push a = cloth easier,and a much thicker one.It is also very soft wood,so = there's no chance of scratching the wood.You can also insert it at the = treble string break and cover the whole board.Push the cloth to the top = of the treble,and with the action out,you can remove the cloth with = your hand. <BR>Hazen Bannister</FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCK= QUOTE></BODY></HTML>