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Oh boy! I get to go two times in a row!

Did 6 again today. 1 Yamaha P22, 4 Everett studios made in South Haven Michigan and 1 Baldwin studio about 55 years old. Then, I drove for our Local Ronald McDonald House. I've been driving as a volunteer for them every other Wednesday evening from 6-9 PM for going on 9 years now. That was my day!

I've been tuning for Santa Clara University all week, subcontracting for a friend of mine. I finished up the practice rooms and am working on the pianos in offices, etc. Broke 2 strings, both 14 1/2, both Steinways (one M, one B). Replaced a set of bicords in a Kawai grand. All kinds of noises develop in pianos that get played this often and this hard...and school hasn't even started yet.

Some voicing, some regulation, always something. I'm enjoying the energy of the environment here.

Tuned 7 pianos today. A Mason & Hamilin BB, Schimmel grand, Yamaha grand -C3, Yamaha P202, Kawai UST 8, A Yamaha console M1A, A Baldwin studio. Nice day! Feeling great!

Ironed damp dampers, they were all fuzzy and of course would not seat properly. about 6 just below break, also reset a few treble. Nice to know it worked!

Did 7 on Friday. P-22, Baldwin L, Chickering console, Kimball console, Acro console, old Hamilton grand, Shiller upright for a internet cafe/coffee house. Blueberry cheesecake scone... mmmmmmm

One of my daughters got married today. Everyone from out of town stayed at the local Holiday Inn, which boasted a small Samick grand in the lobby. I'd pitch raised it on an emergency basis 3 years ago when they had a Jazz thing at the hotel. I advised the clerk perhaps it was time for another pitch raise!

Congratulations Bob!!!

I tuned 7 again today. Well, sort of. My son tuned 2 and I tuned 5 but, WE got 7 done plus, we did some repair work like regulation to eliminate bobbling hammers and junk like that. I tuned 1. May Berlin by Schimmel. Don't like it. 2. Schimmel studio. 3. Kawai K-15 studio. 4. Palatino upright. Chinese built. 5. Kawai K-2. 6. An older Everett studio. 7. Kawai UST-8.

Oh good grief, My final for tonight. I just love this topic, it's unloading maximally. ...
So I have this one Yamaha c7 that has been "jerk" tuned in past, and is a pistol. Mind you there is never again the possibility of restoring any semblance of torque in tuning this piano. So last Friday I let it ... down.... waited the weekend to let it equalize a bit. Still a beast! But, DUN

Technically not today, but yesterday...

Placed my order for various technician's tools recently, and while waiting for the delivery, finished up some woodwork - a handmade gate at the top of our staircase, to keep my 20 month old rascal from falling down the stairs. So I thought I'd sprinkle this thread with something non-piano but vaguely related, for anyone interested - hope you don't mind:









Must say, I love woodwork, including the satisfaction of using the finished product. This is built from Meranti (Shorea, Lauan), by the way, using the harder, reddish pieces to receive the support screws, hinges, etc.

Nice woodworking! That's an art, and I envy those who do it well.

--Loren

"Today" has now become yesterday, but had I written this last night, I would have written about first tuning a private Steinway O that's had new hammers installed (on the original worn-knuckled/verdigris'd shanks!), installing a new bass string on a 90's Kimball console, and then three tunings at a local high/middle school. One was a pretty worn 70's era Hamilton, another a 90's Yamaha P22 with hammers beat to Hades and back (flattened and insanely bright, but they won't do anything about it), and a 3 year old Boston grand. The grand is not bad, but like others have mentioned, there is a degree of falseness in the treble and overall tone waver throughout. Some bass unisons out of phase.

Funny, I'm very used to impact tuning on verticals now and am spoiled at doing it without muscular strain. Problem is, after I do a few grands, I feel it!

Mark:

The gate looks "grate".

I recognized the luaun immediately. I've always called it Philippine mahogany. I am worried that there is no jamb, only a latch. If the latch gives way when slammed into by a running kid…. In any case, the gate should not be able to swing down stairs.

I knew of a seaman with the nickname of “Birdman” He had just gotten on a particular small ship (that I later sailed on) and while still tied to the dock, leaned against a portion of the handrail that was unlatched and could swing outward. His toes were against the “fishplate” and he could not spring out to land feet first. He broke both arms while falling head first, hence his nickname! They changed the section of handrail so it could only swing in.

My latest project is a cherry hope chest for my teenage daughter. I pick up the wood on Friday.

Thanks for the compliments.

Jeff, I really had a hard time deciding how to design and mount the gate. The problem is that the landing is extremely small, perhaps 2' by 5', and opens into four rooms! I had considered a design opening into the landing rather than the staircase, but hinging it on the left would have had the gate blocking access into the bathroom - because the bathroom door opens into the landing, as you can see on the extreme left of the last picture. And hinging it on the right would have had the gate protruding into the door frame of one of the bedrooms. And using a sliding design, the gate wouldn't have opened far enough.

Either and any way, it would have interfered with all those doors and the normal traffic over the landing as soon as it stood open.

I therefore grudgingly decided to have it opening into the stairway, even though this goes, pardon the pun, completely against my grain (having worked on some chemical plants and cement factory chimneys and being aware of safety).

However, the gate does, at least, have a jamb. You can see it in the last picture, below the block that carries the latch plate. Here's a close-up of the second-last picture:



At the top is the block carrying the latch plate, plugged to the wall. At the bottom right, below the philips/pozidriv screw, is the reddish jamb, also fixed to the wall. At the bottom center is the brownish top horizontal slat of the gate, which is about half as thick as the jamb is wide. On the bottom left is the reddish vertical slat carrying the latch. This vertical slat actually protrudes 3/8" from the gate chassis, fits underneath the lock block, and is pulled up tightly against the jamb by the latch.

Fact remains, a shock load would bend the L-shaped latch plate open, or simply tear its two screws from the wood block. So I know, it's not totally safe, but I reckon it's safer than no gate at all. Fortunately our little terror tends not to run into things, except if they're soft.

Wish I wasn't forced into this compromise, but there you have it. I may make a sturdier lock block, with a piece of angle iron in stead of that rather flimsy L-plate.

Mark:

Hey, you did what you could with what you had. I understand the constraints you were faced with.

Another possibility would be to have the gate hinged also in the middle so that it could be stowed in the stairway, but when in place and locked would be self “jamming”. Extra wide stiles for the middle hinge would be needed for leverage. And additional latches for this hinge would be needed also.

It is probably all moot anyway. It won't be long before your 20 month old will solve the secret of the gate! I read somewhere that toddler proof (yeah, right…) locks need to have two things done simultaneously. My boy learned to just whack things with something heavy until they came apart!

The gate still looks nice, though.

Monday, a nice day, tuned 3. Ahhhh. A Yamaha P202, a Kawai RX-7, very nice piano, a Baldwin R.

Tuesday, tuned 5. A Kawai RX-2, another Kawai grand, I already forgot the model, a Baldwin studio, a Story & Clark studio, A Kawai UST-8.

Jerry needs lake time

One consultation and 4 tunings. Nice full day.

Today, tuned 5 again. A Yamaha GH1 and a Yamaha P202. A Schimmel grand, a Baldwin studio and a Baldwin Hamilton.

Nice, Jerry! Nice pianos to work with. I remember one day around 15 years ago, I wound up with back to back Whitney spinets. And yes, both were 75-100 cents flat.

Yes, I do enjoy servicing those pianos alright.