3 March 2016
3 March 2016
Wichita Chapter PTG officers
President Joe Wisner
Vice President Gary Telleen
Secretary David Norman
Treasurer Marty Hess
Newsletter Editor Roy Howard (with assistance from Kent Willis)
Next Meeting Thursday, March 10, at 7pm
For previous chapter newsletters see INDEX
Video: Highlights of Marty Hess's tool kit that he takes into a service call.
Video: Joe Wisner shares Tool Case Tips.
Video: Highlights of a discussion about tool ideas to tie the hitch pin loop.
Video: Tool ideas to reset the hammer return spring.
Video: Adjusting key up-weight and down-weight.
Video: A simple tension rod serves to measure the length for a missing pedal lyre support rod.
Video: A simple dowel attached with elastic holds the drop stickers in place for action removal.
Please submit articles and tips for the newsletter and the meetings.
The donated band instruments for Uganda are starting to arrive from Spain to help the Happy Angels Youth Brass Band learn to repair so that individuals can become luthiers.
Conference 2016 in Ecuador is scheduled for four weeks in June, covering topics for techs and musicians of strings, woodwinds, brass, and pianos.
Don't miss the March technical.
More ideas
MULTI-PURPOSE TAPE RULE
The Easy Way to Measure String Height
Inside Outside Tape Rule
SR-1933 Inside/Outside Tape Rule
Finally an easy and accurate way to measure string height in a grand piano!
This German made professional quality tape measure with a ABS high impact housing, features the following 4 functions:
1. Standard tape measure. 10' long x ½" wide, mm/inch tapeline with lock button.
2. Inside dimension reading. Measurement in window gives the length from the tip of the blade to the back of the housing. When using it to measure string height, engage the lock button and pull the tape up to the underside of the string at the point where the hammer contacts the string. Then remove the tape measure from the action cavity and read the string height in the tape window.
3. Horizontal level. Level vial can be read from the side or top.
Circle Drawing
4. Circle drawing. Flip out the compass point from the bottom of the case, dial in the radius of the circle you want in the window, and insert a pen or pencil into the grommet hole at the beginning of the tapeline. (Okay, not something you need every day for piano work, but still kind of cool.)
#SR-1933 10' Inside/Outside Tape Rule . . $23.00
ELECTRIC SHANK BENDING PLIERS
The Best Tool for the Task
Hammer alignment (also known as "mating" the hammers to the strings) is an essential part of piano regulation. It is accomplished by "travelling" the shank flange (normally with thin paper shims) to the rail and bending the shank itself near the hammer. The most common way of shank bending involves heat using either an alcohol lamp or butane lighters. While these methods do work, they can result in actual charring of the wood or igniting unintended small fires.
Our electric shank bending pliers eliminate any potential risks of this nature. Simple and easy to use, these pliers are the best for the job.
JSP-2 Electric Shank Bending Pliers
FEATURES:
* Pre-set heat level for optimum bending.
* Easy access top-mounted on/off switch.
* Measures just over 12" long with a 6' cord.
* Weighs 14 oz.
* Comfortable grip.
#JSP-2 Electric Shank Bending Pliers . . . . $160.00
To view full information go to PianoTek Supply.
NEWS
The brand new Sundrop Sonata, Ann Fell's novel of suspense featuring pianos and a piano tuner in rural Kansas, is now available on Amazon, as a digital or a print book. Click on the banner for more information. What’s it about?
With her passion for helping people, piano tuner Isabel Woods loves her job – but passion can be a dangerous thing. Reluctantly agreeing to harbor a client’s autistic daughter, Izzy’s good intentions unexpectedly expose her own family to a murderous fiend with a chilling agenda. Human trafficking and bio-terrorism are no longer just buzz words from the nightly news. For Izzy, they have become terrifying and real. As the deadly Sundrop Sonata begins to play, Izzy has one chance to save the people and the country she loves armed with nothing more than courage, intelligence, and her esoteric knowledge of pianos.
Be one of the first to read Sundrop Sonata. Early readers rave about its plot and pace.
Saturday March 5, 2016 marks the 163nd anniversary of Steinway & Son
On March 5, 1853, Steinway & Sons was founded, setting up shop on Varrick Street on the West Side of Manhattan, manufacturing square grand pianos.
Bass String Source
PTG Exhibits at NAMM
PTG representatives were again on hand for the 2016 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM0) show. NAMM is the world's largest trade event for the music products industry and drew more than 100,000 people to Anaheim, CA for the four-day show.
MendakBass Company was founded in 2003 by Jakub Mendak, graduate of the Europe-wide famous Piano Technicians High-School in Kalisz. After three years working in restoration and piano building companies, he and his wife decided to start producing bass strings by themselves. Today MendakBass supplies many restoration companies and piano producers from Poland, Western Europe and USA.
"For our strings we use only the best quality materials. We do our best to shorten the delivery time of ready strings. We deliver the strings per regular or daily post. New strings are made on the basis of measurements from the old ones or of our calculations. To calculate the strings we use special software of the famous piano technician Wolfgang Bürkner, who owned the company producing bass strings for over 25 years. Although calculating bass string diameters is time-consuming and difficult, it pays to do it, because it makes our customers satisfied with our services and products."
www.mendakbass.pl
Vice President Paul Brown, RPT; Barbara Cassaday, Executive Director; and Shawn Bruce, Marketing Manager attended. In addition, PTG members from the area also helped staff the booth and answer questions while Institute team member Ashley Turner, RPT, was there to secure the use of pianos for the Norfolk Convention.
www.PTGWestPac.org March 31 - April 3, 2016 Piano Technicians Guild, Western and Pacific Northwest Region Piano Technicians Guild, Seattle 2016 WestPac VI Online Registration Now Open! Exceptional All-Day Seminars Special Guest and Premier Instructors Food and Beverage Every Day Breakfast Buffet • Breaks • Lunch Buffet Fine Food and Entertainment Evenings National Exhibitors and Vendors 4,000 Sq. Ft. • Over 30 Booths
www.PTGNEECSO.org
April 14 - April 17, 2016
Piano Technicians Guild, New England Eastern Canada Seminar Organization
Piano Technicians Guild, Nashua 2016 NEECSO
Online Registration Now Open!
Exceptional All-Day Seminars
Special Guest and Premier Instructors
Food and Beverage Every Day
Breakfast Buffet • Breaks • Lunch Buffet
Fine Food and Entertainment Evenings
National Exhibitors and Vendors
4,000 Sq. Ft. • Over 30 Booths
PTG National
Go For Free, Come Home an RPT - Foundation Scholarship Available
37 Steps Class in Kansas City
Piano Jobs
Online Classifieds at www.ptg.org
Piano Technicians Journal Media on YouTube
For PTG member resources go to www.my.ptg.org
The Journal Chapter Technical. Please share the interesting and meaningful technical programs you have conducted that can be reproduced by other chapters.
If you're an Associate member interested in a free convention registration and someone to cover the cost of your third and final RPT exam, consider applying for the Piano Technicians Guild Foundation's Associate Scholarship. Download an application and instructions. Applications must be received at the PTG Home Office on or before April 1, 2016.
There are only a few slots available in the April 28 - 30, 2016 Grand Action Regulation in 37 Steps class. Held at the PTG Home Office in Kansas City, it includes three days of intensive hands-on learning. Click to register online or call 913-432-9975 to register by phone.
Click here to go directly to the new Piano Jobs community.
Send your articles and pictures to:
John Parham
john440@me.com
828-244-2487
Pianos for Sale
Kawai GX-A $65,000
Square Grand. Owner in Plevna, KS is asking $5000. It is tuneable but needs 20 custom keys made to finish the restoration. (Stephen Francis)
Why should someone want to be professional?
Feel good about yourself.
Do a better job, which leads to recognition and perhaps better pay.
You increase your value to the company.
You maintain integrity.
Others think highly of you.
You set the example.
You get it by doing the ten traits of a professional, doing your best job, and being prepared.
As an employee you should show up on time, work late, doing your best on the job, never steal, and treating everyone with respect. If for some reason you cannot make it to work, be responsible and notify your boss. If you don’t want to work quit, but don’t take excessive days off from your job. This leaves everyone with a bad feeling.
Subscribe to the PTG YouTube Channel
Chisel Away Key Fronts as seen in the Piano Technicians Journal, May 2012 issue
Floyd Gadd from the Manitoba Canada chapter of the Piano Technicians Guild demonstrates the technique he uses for removing key fronts from the front of a piano key.
At this point, US Fish and Wildlife anticipates publishing the final special rule on African Elephants in the second quarter of 2016. That proposed rule includes a de minimis exemption of 200 grams. USFW chose that weight, ".... because we understand that this is the approximate maximum weight of the ivory veneer on a piano with a full set of ivory keys and that this quantity would also cover most other musical instruments with ivory trim or appointments." The proposed rule can be reviewed at www.regulations.gov. Goldberg said he was doubtful of the second quarter date and guess it would more likely become law in the third quarter. He also said he doubts many changes will be made to the proposed rule although there have been some discussions about musical instruments that don't fall under the exemption such as pipe organs.
At the state level, Goldberg said the music instrument industry has come out pretty well so far. Four states (New Jersey, New York, Washington and California) have legislation in place; all except New Jersey contain musical instrument exemptions. Goldberg said it appears Hawaii and Vermont will enact bills in 2016; both have musical instrument exemptions though not as "clean" as the music industry would prefer, he said. Massachusetts is currently considering ivory legislation and Ohio is also a strong possibility for legislation in 2016.
Several other states have seen legislation introduced. One of the best resources for checking activity at the state levels is to visit www.legiscan.com. Scroll down to lower left and check all states and enter the keyword ivory. Goldberg, along with the rest of NAMM's legislative team, emphasized the importance of following activity on the state level and reaching out to legislators to express the impact of the bill. Goldberg attributed much of the success in obtaining exemptions on the state level to one-on-one interaction between music industry representatives and legislators.
PTG's official statement is available at www.ptg.org and NAMM occasionally updates legislation (and their responses). Outside of the music industry, elephantprotection.org also tracks legislation and provides resources.
Greetings all in the Wichita Chapter, P.T.G.