If You See Something (IRL), Post Something! (Part 1)

I had no idea. But now that I think about it when someone mentions piano tuner a male always comes to mind.

The gentleman is very proud of his tool. Tool trophy that is.

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My piano tuner is a Black woman. Talk about defying the odds!

And yes, she has physical damage due to being in the business for decades now. It’s particularly bad on the shoulders.

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You’d think that Mikita, Milwaukee or Decker would have a power tool or two by now. :man_shrugging:

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It’s a very manual job. You have to be so careful how far you move any tool in the process. And pianos are made to be tuned, so they come apart in specific ways that don’t require power tools either.

It’s a really old-school profession.

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I doubt a power tool would be delicate/precise enough. This is not like using a torque wrench on a wheel nut. You need the tactile feedback (if that’s the right way to put it, but you know what I mean). Pianos can be quite temperamental.

However, why can’t the tools be modified to give better leverage? Might be tricky for something used inside upright pianos, but in this day and age?

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I don’t see why something like this would be any different for a piano:

Won’t fit in the space, and the pegs don’t have convenient shape for something like that.

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I guess the point is less about the actual layout of the tool rather than something being able to find the proper tension based on the actual tone of the string and still being able to be a power tool, presumably also with stronger torque than the guitar tuner as well.

A piano tuning robot abstract…

http://smc2019.uma.es/articles/S2/S2_02_SMC2019_paper.pdf

image

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Theoretically. You’d need something with a little bit more power, though.

A grand packs between 150,000 and 250,000 Newton total, depending on model/type and how it is tuned.
Let’s say 2,500 Newton per string on average.

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My piano tuner (male) is legally, and functionally, blind. He says he can see light, movement, strong contrast, and strong colors, but he tunes by feel and ear. When he completes the yearly tuning, he always plays for a few minutes, ostensibly to check his work, and he’s smiling the whole time he plays.

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Cheating downspout in Helsinki.

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Look at that hole. Should have used iddqd

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Spotted in a diner in Montgomery, AL in 2019. There’s a lot to unpack here.

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Mr. Linkey picked this up on a trip back from OH:

We had a fun time trying to think up other activities that would also be great for both bachelor parties and corporate team building…any ideas?

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Beer pong? :slightly_smiling_face:

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Underwater relay crocheting.

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I want to work at your company! :slight_smile:

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Competitive pickling and canning? Nothing says “Happy nuptials” or “Go team!” like a gallon jug of pickled eggs.

Or, if you want to go all out, a mason jar of hooch with a frost bitten toe at the bottom is a lovely addition to any wedding swag-bag, and it’s relatively affordable as long as you don’t have too many guests (n<10). Can’t see it taking off as a corporate team building exercise though.

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No JaTiMatic no deal.

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