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PRACTICAL PIANO TUNING
By ALEXANDER HART
Formerly with Steinway & Sons Tuning Department, Instructor in
Piano Tuning, Teachers College, Columbia University, N. Y.
Registered Member of the
National Association of Piano Tuners
CHAPTER 32 - Piano Tuning in Review
No. 60
To be able to see into intricate places
in piano actions and to be provided with
plenty of light, use a portable light.
The photograph will explain itself. The
length of light cord one requires is up
to the one who intends to use it.
The portable light should always have
a place in the service case, handy and
ready at the moment.
Another item is an oil can that does
not leak.
The next item is a small receptacle
for holding glue. Many times there is
more glue in the case than inside the
vessel; furthermore, a bottle of glue
corked up sometimes breaks, or one
cannot get the cork out without difficulty.
My troubles are over, so far as carrying
glue around is concerned. Hence the
photo and explanation.
Once you get used to these three
gadgets, you will never want to be with-
out them.
Ordinarily one does not require a
light for just tuning the piano, yet it be-
comes convenient at times owing to the
indirect lighting system where the light
shines everywhere but where you want
it to.
Often one finds himself on a spot in a
parlor where there is only one or two
outlets—and these are, or may be fifteen
feet away, one cannot move the lamps
on account of a short cord; also, being
without an extra plug is just as bad.
No. 61
The regluing of jacks, especially in
uprights, without removing the action,
for repairing continuous brass plate
flanges, and working on a spinet where
the action is under the key frame, or a
drop action, requires plenty of light.
With all this talk about having light
on our work, this cannot be made too
joyful without injecting other qualifica-
tions that are not mechanical such as
one's mental attitude. This entails free-
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, AUGUST, 1951
dom from any excessive smoking and
other appetites which interfere with a
steady hand.
scissors and the small non-leakage oil
container. But, before I sign off, if you
have not acquired an electric hand tool,
you have missed a whole lot of helpful-
ness at the moment, such as boring holes
in hammer shanks, and I doubt whether
it weighs more than 7 or 8 ounces.
I have made a place in my own ser-
vice case. When it is needed, it is not
mixed up with other tools. What I have
found most useful is the emery cloth
disc for sanding, and especially made
(7/32-inch diameter) hammer shank
drill for piano work.
One can have many drills turned by
a good machinist to suit one's own pur-
pose.
Hart Made Honorary Life
SCISSORS
OIL CAN
GLUE POT
No. 63
We can now write about the portable
glue holder. You may be able to make
one yourself, but I was fortunate to pick
one up. It holds enough glue for or-
dinary purposes. I use a metal tube with
screw cap made from a typewriter oil
can. It can be heated to soften glue.
It is far better to build your case
around the tools, than the tools around
the case. As an example, the writer in
his early years of traveling around used
to carry a case weighing twenty-five and
thirty pounds. Now, I have had to cut
the-weight to seven or eight pounds, and
this seems to be ample.
In my article for September, I will
write about two more gadgets—a pair of
Member of the N.A.P.T.
Alexander Hart, Technical Editor of
the REVIEW, was notified recently that he
has been made an honorary life member
of the National Association of Piano
Tuners, through a letter from F. X.
Fridel, chairman of the membership
committee, as follows:
"Dear Brother Hart: In gratitude for
the meritorious service which you have
rendered the National Association of
Piano Tuners, as well as the tuning pro-
fession in general, you have been
awarded Honorary Membership in the
National Association of Piano Tuners.
Enclosed herewith is your 1951 Cer-
tificate No. 51308."
Mr. Hart was one of the charter mem-
bers of this organization.
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