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Looking for Soft Tool Case

  • 1.  Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-17-2018 13:10
    Hello all,

    Im looking to possibly get a soft tool case, but preferably to not break the bank while doing so! Does anyone have any recommendations? My requirements would be:

    • Not pink (don't ask) 
    • Holds a full size iPad
    • Fits a 12" Tuning lever
    • Holds basic tuning, regulation, and voicing tools

    Thanks for any suggestions!

    ------------------------------
    Benjamin Sanchez
    Professional Piano Services
    (805)315-8050
    www.professional-piano-services.com
    BenPianoPro@comcast.net
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-17-2018 13:45
    Hi Ben.  I'm on my second or third Targus case.  It's made for laptops but totally works well for holding all my usual tools, invoices, lubes, glues, etc. with room to spare.  Each one I acquired used.  This last one is leather and is pretty smart looking.  I found it on Craigslist using the search term Targus and for far less than new.

    Sent from my Verizon LG Smartphone





  • 3.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Posted 04-17-2018 14:48
    Benjamin,

    I was going to suggest a canvas tool case I got several years ago from Pianotek (CSE-180) but apparently they no longer have it. Nor can I find the video they had for it.

    Having said that, I have a consideration you might want to keep in mind when you decide what to get and how you'll carry it. I posted this elsewhere, but the more I've thought about it the more I believe it's a safety tip worth considering.

    I carry 16+ pounds of tools in the case. I carried it at my side with the shoulder strap over my head on the opposite side. I liked that that freed both my hands.

    Last August I was loaded with the tool bag and grocery bag (not very professional looking, I know) with water bottles, a case of various lubes & glues, and an EDT, and I headed for the building in which I was going to spend the day tuning. I stepped on an uneven place on the ground that threw me off balance, and I could not regain my footing. I landed hard on my right elbow and separated a tendon from the bone and tore half the triceps muscle. That relatively minor misstep led to surgery and 8 weeks of no tuning!

    On later refection the thought came to me that had I not been "tethered" to the tool case, I feel quite certain the injury would not have occurred. The heavy case swung forward and to the right where I landed. The strap prevented me from letting go of the bag.

    The strap has been removed, and I now carry the bag with my hand.



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    David Bauguess
    Grand Junction CO
    970-257-1750
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  • 4.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-17-2018 19:50
    Not to dis PianoTek but I've been through two of the CSE-180 cases, which you can find here...
    https://www.pianoteksupply.com/assets/pdf/tools/toolstoragecases.pdf

    And here is where you can find the video...
    https://www.pianoteksupply.com/instruct-demos.aspx 

    The first case started to come apart at the seams and the handle completely disintegrated after only a couple of months. They took it back and gave me a replacement, which pretty much did the same thing. After a year, the hassle of turning it over every time I needed something, which was always on the other side, I gave up and got a new aluminum hard case from Harbor Freight...

    https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?dir=asc&order=EAScore%2Cf%2CEAFeatured+Weight%2Cf%2CSale+Rank%2Cf&q=hard+case 

    I tossed the dividers that came with it and added some of my own design. Fully loaded, as shown, it weights 19 Lbs. 



    ------------------------------
    Geoff Sykes, RPT
    Los Angeles CA
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  • 5.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-17-2018 20:44
    Hi Geoff,

    Hey, we have the same case! I really like it, but mine isn't nearly as full as yours. Only about half as full, so a lot of extra room; thus the quest to find a smaller case.

    I may have picked up something this afternoon that works, will report back here later....


    Thanks again everyone!

    ------------------------------
    Benjamin Sanchez
    Professional Piano Services
    (805)315-8050
    www.professional-piano-services.com
    BenPianoPro@comcast.net
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-17-2018 14:49
    Benjamin

    I got an AWP shoulder bag at, of all places, Walmart. It has a solid 8"x 16" bottom, but canvas sides. 8 packets on the inside and about 8 pockets on the outside. The bag can be zipped up.  But the neatest feature of this bag is the bottom, which is bright yellow. That makes it very easy to find tools, parts, pencils, loose felts, etc., in the bottom of the bag. Fully leaded with tools, SAT, etc. it weighs about 17 - 20 pounds.

    ------------------------------
    Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
    Mililani, HI 96789
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  • 7.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-18-2018 08:46
    "not break the bank while doing so"

    Benjamin,

    Spend what is necessary to get the best tool case you can.  Your tool case is your most used tool.  Its part of the overall appearance you create when the door opens and you meet someone for the first time.  Also an efficient and well designed tool case saves you time when you are working.  An extra $50 or even $100 will make no difference in your bottom line over the long run.

    My 2 cents.


    David

    David Weiss
    Registered Piano Technician
    (434) 823-9733








  • 8.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-18-2018 18:21
    Hello all,

    I ran across this at Walmart yesterday, and decided to try it:





    It's a pistol case with plenty of pockets. I loaded almost everything from my previous case into this one. It holds all my tuning tools (including both levers) in a removable padded pouch (third picture), regulation tools, my iPad, and a voicing block and three needle voicer. Plus glasses, bandaids, the WNG bedding tool, dusting rag, the credit card reader, the....

    It's a bit tight, but works for a compact case. Easy to transport, hardly any floor space compared to my previous one. Includes a shoulder strap that makes it look like a purse - er, manbag .... $15 from Walmart. 

    Honest opinions, please: What are your thoughts as to how it looks? Does it look smart enough to satisfy your standards of professional?

    (not sure you can tell from the pictures, but it is well organized.)

    ------------------------------
    Benjamin Sanchez
    Professional Piano Services
    (805)315-8050
    www.professional-piano-services.com
    BenPianoPro@comcast.net
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-19-2018 00:05
    Geoff, 
    What did you use to make your custom dividers, and how did you attach them to the inside of the case? I've got 3 of those Harbor Freight briefcases in my car (I kind of prefer the all silver version) and I kind of rotate them down as they get old (newest case for everyday service tools, older one for stringing tools and supplies, oldest one for parts). 

    Benjamin, 
    The man-purse (murse) looks just fine to me.

    ------------------------------
    Anthony Willey
    Shoreline WA
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  • 10.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-19-2018 01:14
    Hey, looking through the archives and found this thread. Might be of interest. Not that old, either....

    ------------------------------
    Benjamin Sanchez
    Professional Piano Services
    (805)315-8050
    www.professional-piano-services.com
    BenPianoPro@comcast.net
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-19-2018 09:40
    I bought this last year.

    http://a.co/3m4Cf0n


    ------------------------------
    David Love RPT
    www.davidlovepianos.com
    davidlovepianos@comcast.net
    415 407 8320
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-19-2018 09:51
    I use a Jensen case, which can take a large assortment of pallets. Here's one from their site:
    Jensen Tools H1948JTR4 Double Black Cordura Case and Pallets Only | JENSEN Tools + Supply


    No, it's not cheap at almost $200. But very versatile.

    ------------------------------
    Scott Cole
    Talent OR
    541-601-9033
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  • 13.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Posted 04-21-2018 08:40
    I've have the Jensen bag. Works great

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    Leslie Koltvedt
    Marietta GA
    734-657-7034
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  • 14.  RE: Looking for Soft Tool Case

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-21-2018 14:20
    Speaking of Jensen cases, twenty-something years ago I ordered half a dozen different tool cases from them (all designed for electricians, but readily adaptable to the needs of piano technicians, as you can see from Leslie's images). I put all of the tools I wanted to carry in each of them, and returned all but one. It is made from ballistic nylon, has great zippers, and is still going strong today!

    Alan

    ------------------------------
    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
    ------------------------------