<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> Dave, You've got a lot of courage!  <G>  If you run into the same situation again in the future, you can stick to your guns but suggest they get a second opinion.  "That'll be a $xx consultation fee (unless you want to talk with me longer)." But yeah, you do run into situations.  About a month ago I saw a totally shot upright, not serviced in more than fifty years.  I declined to touch it, and they accepted that, but the little grandma will keep playing it just the way it is.  They're not going to get anything else.  I still think about that, sometimes wondering if I made the right decision. Regards, Clyde PNHISTIC1@AOL.COM wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE>List, Two days ago, I encountered one of those pianos that makes you want to back out of the door as soon as you get in the house.  Other than being brought into the world as a Krakauer, there were virtually no redeeming qualities:  7 broken shanks, not a single un-rotted bridle strap, barely a bushing left in a key, flat hammers, rusty pins and strings, a hefty coating of dust throughout, etc., etc... I tried my hardest to beg off, realizing that nothing less than a complete rebuild would be satisfactory.  But they wouldn't hear of it.  The gentleman asked me to fix the hammers, get it running so that he could play it.  I explained that without major repairs, it would never work to anyone's satisfaction, that the shanks were probably cedar and would continue to break.   Again, they gently insisted that I fix the hammers. Two hours and several replaced and sleeved shanks later, I had "completed" the job.  I never got to tune it--which is just as well, considering the condition of the strings and pins--but had spent substantial time on the monster. The "G" Piano Works Guide was very useful for quantifying the job I had done in a way that my customer could understand.  I was able to make enough money that it wasn't a total waste, and I gained some valuable experience.  I recommend carrying this useful guide in your kit or your car. Thanks to Joe and everyone else who put hours into creating this! Dave Stahl</blockquote> </html>