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Edwards folding action caddy

  • 1.  Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-04-2018 20:26
    Hi-

    Does anyone know if there is an Edwards folding action caddy available yet?  I got to use one at the Convention and liked it a lot, but can't find them for sale anywhere.  Any information would be appreciated, or if you have one for sale please let me know. 

    Thanks!

    Dennis Johnson
    --
    Dennis Johnson, R.P.T.
    Piano Technician
    Music Dept.
    St. Olaf College


  • 2.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-04-2018 23:54
    Hi, Dennis,

    I mention those action caddies in my class at convention, so I contacted LaRoy’s daughters in early July to check on their current availability, They are being sold by Brooks. I enjoy using mine a lot, and I know about 5 people locally who use them too.

    Kathy




  • 3.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-05-2018 11:16
    Yes, I just bought mine (and very glad to have it, I thought I might have waited too long) from Melanie Brooks. Drop shipped direct from California.

    ------------------------------
    Susan Kline
    Philomath, Oregon
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Posted 08-06-2018 00:05
    Edwards folding caddy is “still the one!” Yeah kinda weird because at last check when I was looking for one; Brooks didn’t have it listed on their catalogue but I asked around and Brooks said they carried it. lo and behold a buddy of mine bought the “ Flugelbauer version” (copy of Edwards grand action caddy not made by Edwards though)—much less expensive, but the build seems flimsier and spindlier (less stout and thinner wood used in their build as I recall), and the wheels and hardware, tightening knobs etc., are smaller and not as good as Edward’s IMO. It gets the job done for him though and seems to be well made. My buddy had some of the tee nuts strip out on his Flugelbauer and had to replace them. In all fairness, another contemporary of mine had a tee nut strip out on his new Edwards caddy rig (could be that the available hardware is getting to be of slightly lesser quality) and Edwards sent out replacement hardware for his. My mentor Alan Eder has had two Edward’s caddies (different generations) in CalArt’s shop for years and years—very well designed and they hold up very well.

    I went ahead and sought out the Edward’s caddy, it is much stronger and robust in every way. I personally don’t want an action sitting on any less of an action caddy than this.
     
    Sean McLaughlin 
    Head Piano Technician
    UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music 
    Los Angeles CA. 
    “Forever indebted to those generous souls who taught and teach our craft to the rest of us who aspire to be more like them.”


    Sent from my iPhone




  • 5.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-07-2018 10:30
    I've had my Edwards action caddy for seven years. It's great, but I have some maintenance tips. Let me share the mistakes I've made.

    • Get in the habit of storing it vertically with the piano-facing side up. After I replaced the rubber bumpers that touch the <g class="gr_ gr_159 gr-alert gr_spell gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling" id="159" data-gr-id="159">keyslip</g> a few times, I realized I was dragging them off on the ground.
    • It's easy to expand it by loosening the friction screws, holding the top, and letting it drop down with a satisfying snap. A few dozen rounds of <g class="gr_ gr_321 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="321" data-gr-id="321">that,</g> and the force broke out the pieces of wood that the screws touch when it is at full height.
    • Snug up all the screws from time to time, but pay careful attention to the screws holding the casters. One time I had the caddy wobble after I had pulled out a concert grand action, only to find there was only one screw left holding one caster! I've had to eventually replace all four casters.
    • I like to remove the keyslip and cheek blocks, set the height to about 1/4" below the keybed, and lock it. Then I pull the action until the drop screws are visible, and slide the caddy under. Remove any throw rugs first, and make sure the balance rail support screws are lowered.
    • It can be used crosswise in tight spots (parallel to the <g class="gr_ gr_833 gr-alert gr_spell gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling" id="833" data-gr-id="833">keyslip</g>).
    • I touch up the finish occasionally with Minwax. 
    • It just takes a small amount of upward pressure on the balance rail for let-off and checking to work. Those screws are a nice feature.

    I've thought about adding a tool tray. I'd be interested in any modifications that are helpful.

    --Cy--

    ------------------------------
    Cy Shuster, RPT
    Albuquerque, NM
    http://www.shusterpiano.com
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-07-2018 11:43
    Hi, Cy,

    Agreed on the maintenance ideas. Also, I’ve seen other caddies split out the end of the wood pieces where the friction knobs tighten to hold the caddy firm - when it’s up you need to snug those knobs or the top will sink down, but not too much. And when it’s collapsed, I barely snug them at all, just to keep strain off the wood there.

    And LaRoy, what a brain! Always thinking, never fully satisfied with any project. At the last convention, where he taught a class on lots of his inventions, he showed several prototype additions to that caddy. One was a set of front “legs” that would attach to the bottom pieces of the caddy, behind the front wheels, which would tip the whole caddy (action and all) up in front. I think the legs were a good 8-10” long. The result was that you could sit in a chair in front of the action and have a nice sight-line for doing capstans, hammer leveling, etc.

    He also showed a prototype for a regulation rail which would attach to the back of the caddy. I have photos from that class which I haven’t looked at in a while. I certainly have a pic of the front legs, I’d have to look to see if I got one of the regulation rack. None of his ideas were in production then, just asking the class for input and reactions.

    I hadn’t thought about a tool tray, maybe something could be suspended between the rails in the front, where you can reach it. I often just have a chair within reach and put a tool tray on that.

    Lots of possibilities.




  • 7.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-07-2018 11:46
    Hi, all,

    Sorry, that phrasing was misleading. I meant the last convention that LaRoy attended and was teaching a class, not Lancaster. I’d have to look up exactly when that class was done.

    Kathy




  • 8.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-07-2018 11:49
    Hi Kathy,
    I’d love to see a picture of the caddy with the front legs added.
    Thanks,
    ~ jeannie

    Jeannie Grassi, Registered Piano Technician
    Island Piano Service
    Bainbridge Island, WA
    206-842-3721




  • 9.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-07-2018 11:58
    Hey, Jeannie,

    I’ll need to look up those photos. Watch this space, I’ll see what I can do.

    Kathy




  • 10.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-07-2018 12:47
    Here, Jeannie,

    I'll attach two photos here of LaRoy's leg attachment. It was WestPac in Ontario CA in 2015.

    The leg attachment uses a bolt and a big wing nut or knob to attach in the slot used for sliding the rack open. When not in use, you loosen the bolt and remove the leg entirely. In class, he was only using one leg, not two. it seemed sturdy for work, but it was very fast and the group was crowded around. You could also use two.

    (I also have a 20 second video of him in the class taking the leg off - quick and easy, of course.)

    He has always said that any of his ideas are free to the world, so he won't mind if you copy the leg idea. I am grateful that someone else will construct the caddy itself, and I'm more than happy to pay for that, and very happy to have money go to LaRoy. I haven't checked to see if the legs and other attachments ever went into production, but I don't think so.

    Kathy


    .)





  • 11.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-07-2018 15:39
    Thanks for the photos, Kathy. I guess I’m still not clear how the leg is used or what its purpose is. Hard for me to tell from the photo. I can see how to attach it but not sure why?
    Duh…….

    ~jeannie




  • 12.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-07-2018 16:09
    You can see in the pic that the action is tipped down in back. Then if you sit in front of the action, you can see the capstans without ducking your head. No sore neck and headache. Same with a straight sight line across hammer tops for leveling. 





  • 13.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-07-2018 16:12
    I’m currently out at lunch with a five-year-old! Later I may try to send you the quick video of LaRoy taking the leg off. Then you can see where it goes and how it attaches.
    Kathy

    Sent from my iPhone




  • 14.  RE: Edwards folding action caddy

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-07-2018 21:02
    Oh, Too cool! I thought my eyes were deceiving me. What keeps the action from sliding off?