Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum I got into UWO

I got official notice that I've been accepted into University of Western Ontario’s 9-month Piano Technology Program this fall in London Ontario Canada.

Here's a short video about the school:

http://www.pianotech.uwo.ca/media.htm

website about school:

http://www.pianotech.uwo.ca/

Anyway a good friend is giving me an old clunker piano to practice working on.
See pics below.
I’m not going to really dig into it till I get out of school a year from now, but I do want to do a few things to it now.

Don’t worry, I have no illusions that it will ever be worth anything.

I want to touch up the black case.
What do you use for this? Shoe polish? Sharpie pen?
I’ll probably pay a real tech just to replace that one broken string in the treble.

Next a sharp is broken off.
I’ll look into Arthur Reblitz book on repairing that if nobody has advice here.
Or do you advise me to pay a real tech to fix this too?

I’d like to get it into functional condition because while I’m in school the piano will live next door, and my neighbor will play it.
I am told all 88 keys work, the pins hold a tune well and hammers are in surprisingly good condition.

Advice please.

Congratulations, Kenny! I am very pleased for you.

Kenny,

Congrats on the acceptance to UWO. Will there be an acceptance speech?? Anyways, the technician can glue the F# back on while he is waiting for the treble wire to stretch a bit.

Touching up the black cabinet? This is another career entirely, furniture refinishing, black is not usually touched up when it has gone that far on the edges, try Mohawk for touch-up colours in the marker style but you won’t be able to do much. Black is the hardest colour to do, because any chip or divot or crack in the finish will show up.

Concentrate on learning the inside of the instrument first and the paint job can wait. This type of black is paint after all and is not easy to do correctly. That‘s all I can think of for the moment…………..

Cheers, and enjoy your new career.

Good job Kenny. All my best.

Thanks.

Again this is free piano I rescued from a trip to the landfill and just a project for training.

Yes it is possible in the coming years I may refinish properly, for the learning experience not for intent to resell at profit.

I was just wondering if there are any touch up products/processes that will make make it look slightly better than it does now.
Then again perhaps anything I use today will make eventual refinishing impossible or more difficult.

Kenny,

Try the touch up pens.... they are like a felt marker.They may cover the worn spots.
You will not hurt the woodwork or prevent it from being refinished at some point. Black is a solid colour and a smooth surface is more important. Solid colours cover everything. Or a spray can of satin black lacquer paint.

Kenny:

Consider hiring a tech to show you how to do these repairs yourself. This will give you experience and establish a connection.

Best of Luck.

Thanks, good idea.
Actually I am discussing this with a great tech right now.

Kenny, I am very envious. I recently attended UWO's Tune in to UWO III, a series of classes for techs held in the faculty there. There were a number of current students, recent grads, and working techs. The format was much like a PTG convention, with 90-minute classes by industry pros repeated frequently so you could take advantage of almost all of them. I would give a lot to attend a program like UWO's, but having a young family in a different city, this option is not available to me. We all do what we can/have to! Good luck.

I didnt get there this year...but went to the first Tune in to UWO. Excellent. Staff were great. Great to meet so many others that shared the "passion".

Yes Anne Flemming-Reed told me about this seminar.
I would have loved to attend.

I had to pay my own way from Los Angeles to Ontario last month so they could interview and test me so just could not cough up another $1000ish to fly back for that seminar.

But two days ago I was able to attend a local PTG presentation given by Kent Webb, Manager of Technical Services and Support at NY Steinway.
Kent mentioned he had just been to UWO and said good things about the program.