Pianotech

Sent from my iPhone
I’m helping my apprentice get a supply of repair parts together for his trunk. What would you consider a basic parts supply list, excluding strings which he already has?

Original Message:
Sent: 8/25/2025 3:01:00 PM
From: James Johnson
Subject: Car supplies

Sent from my iPhone
I’m helping my apprentice get a supply of repair parts together for his trunk. What would you consider a basic parts supply list, excluding strings which he already has?

I don't know of Schaff has it but 40 years ago I bought from Hale plastic divider box assortments. Flat head slotted screws round head slotted screws, brass screws, rubber buttons, desk knobs, hinge pins. Makes me a hero in clients eyes.

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Larry Messerly, RPT
Bringing Harmony to Homes
www.lacrossepianotuning.com
ljmesserly@gmail.com
928-899-7292
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2025 15:21
From: Wim Blees
Subject: Car supplies

It's impossible to put a list together for a car. He can have his whole shop in the trunk, and invariably he'll need a part or a tool that's not there. My best advice is that as he needs a part, put one just like it in a box in the car. Over the next year, he'll have most of what he needs for the future. 

Wim

Original Message:
Sent: 8/25/2025 3:01:00 PM
From: James Johnson
Subject: Car supplies

Sent from my iPhone
I'm helping my apprentice get a supply of repair parts together for his trunk. What would you consider a basic parts supply list, excluding strings which he already has?

After I realized that I was lugging a lot of weight in and out of sites that I rarely used, I broke down my set-up into different tool packs. For instance, I have a separate stringing kit, as I have to go back out to my car to get the appropriate string, I leave the tools in my trunk along with them. Note: a set of 1/4lb reels w/brakes of each string size. I have a tiny 2" long metric micrometer in my kit which is adequate for determining string size so sometimes I just cut a length that I need and don't even bring the reel back into the venue. Most of the felt sets I might need I leave in the car. 

Then there is a vacuum and cleaning supplies, center pin replacement kit, various hardware, oversized screwdriver (phillips) primarily for Kimball vertical action removal, large crescent wrench, voicing and regulation kit beyond the combination regulation kit I do carry into the house. Generally, if the vast majority of my work is tuning and minor repairs then everything else I don't need to bring into every house or venue. I got my regular kit down to 16 lbs. and I have another one that is 6 lbs. if the job involves a trek and is almost certainly just going to be just tuning although that one still has a combo regulation tool kit, pliers, needlnose, and 6" vice grip, a voicing tool and a chopstick voicer but no extra parts or felt. 

While in the larger one I have some film canisters with some paper punchings, screws, bridle straps, some voicing tools, lube, random pieces of felt, etc. I keep the larger collections of those in the car. I'm now mostly working on instruments built in this century so I don't run into the issues most others will with older pianos, so individuals would adjust accordingly as to what they tend to need more often.

Wim and Larry's suggestions are good, parts and tools accumulate over time but we don't need to carry them into every venue. I think the two rubbermaid type containers in the back of my car take up about 5.5 cubic feet and they hold all the smaller kits and containers for tools and parts, plus a canvas gate mouth tool bag that holds the vacuum and cleaning supplies. 

I also have some kits that I keep in my shop, caster repair and carriage installation that has everything for all contingencies i.e. shims, spacers, drill bits, wrenches etc., that way I don't spend a half hour gathering things together in my shop for a remote repair, a lot less chance of losing shop tools that way. As I've been around for a long time I already have duplicates so outfitting the different kits wasn't a problem. 

------------------------------
Steven Rosenthal RPT
Honolulu HI
(808) 521-7129
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2025 16:59
From: Larry Messerly
Subject: Car supplies

I don't know of Schaff has it but 40 years ago I bought from Hale plastic divider box assortments. Flat head slotted screws round head slotted screws, brass screws, rubber buttons, desk knobs, hinge pins. Makes me a hero in clients eyes.

------------------------------
Larry Messerly, RPT
Bringing Harmony to Homes
www.lacrossepianotuning.com
ljmesserly@gmail.com
928-899-7292

Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2025 15:21
From: Wim Blees
Subject: Car supplies

It's impossible to put a list together for a car. He can have his whole shop in the trunk, and invariably he'll need a part or a tool that's not there. My best advice is that as he needs a part, put one just like it in a box in the car. Over the next year, he'll have most of what he needs for the future. 

Wim

Original Message:
Sent: 8/25/2025 3:01:00 PM
From: James Johnson
Subject: Car supplies

Sent from my iPhone
I'm helping my apprentice get a supply of repair parts together for his trunk. What would you consider a basic parts supply list, excluding strings which he already has?

One of the things that made a big difference in how I worked out of the car was preparing for the RPT exams. When I started grouping tools and supplies into separate bags depending on the job that was at hand as is recommended for taking the exam, it simplified the setup in the car. I used a set of bags used for toiletries for travel. The stringing supplies are in a tool box with a small bag again for tools. The tool box is never taken in the house, but is the perfect size to hold canisters of wire. A tackle box has small parts and a large workman's bag helps me collect everything to take it back out to the car in one trip. Small bags are stored in a carry on luggage bag. There is more, but that is the basics the have helped me to organize. I realized that it didn't matter if I had supplies and tools at home if they were not available at the customer's house, so I work out of the back of my car even at home.

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Rex Roseman
Norton OH
(330) 289-2948
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2025 17:48
From: Steven Rosenthal
Subject: Car supplies

After I realized that I was lugging a lot of weight in and out of sites that I rarely used, I broke down my set-up into different tool packs. For instance, I have a separate stringing kit, as I have to go back out to my car to get the appropriate string, I leave the tools in my trunk along with them. Note: a set of 1/4lb reels w/brakes of each string size. I have a tiny 2" long metric micrometer in my kit which is adequate for determining string size so sometimes I just cut a length that I need and don't even bring the reel back into the venue. Most of the felt sets I might need I leave in the car. 

Then there is a vacuum and cleaning supplies, center pin replacement kit, various hardware, oversized screwdriver (phillips) primarily for Kimball vertical action removal, large crescent wrench, voicing and regulation kit beyond the combination regulation kit I do carry into the house. Generally, if the vast majority of my work is tuning and minor repairs then everything else I don't need to bring into every house or venue. I got my regular kit down to 16 lbs. and I have another one that is 6 lbs. if the job involves a trek and is almost certainly just going to be just tuning although that one still has a combo regulation tool kit, pliers, needlnose, and 6" vice grip, a voicing tool and a chopstick voicer but no extra parts or felt. 

While in the larger one I have some film canisters with some paper punchings, screws, bridle straps, some voicing tools, lube, random pieces of felt, etc. I keep the larger collections of those in the car. I'm now mostly working on instruments built in this century so I don't run into the issues most others will with older pianos, so individuals would adjust accordingly as to what they tend to need more often.

Wim and Larry's suggestions are good, parts and tools accumulate over time but we don't need to carry them into every venue. I think the two rubbermaid type containers in the back of my car take up about 5.5 cubic feet and they hold all the smaller kits and containers for tools and parts, plus a canvas gate mouth tool bag that holds the vacuum and cleaning supplies. 

I also have some kits that I keep in my shop, caster repair and carriage installation that has everything for all contingencies i.e. shims, spacers, drill bits, wrenches etc., that way I don't spend a half hour gathering things together in my shop for a remote repair, a lot less chance of losing shop tools that way. As I've been around for a long time I already have duplicates so outfitting the different kits wasn't a problem. 

------------------------------
Steven Rosenthal RPT
Honolulu HI
(808) 521-7129

Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2025 16:59
From: Larry Messerly
Subject: Car supplies

I don't know of Schaff has it but 40 years ago I bought from Hale plastic divider box assortments. Flat head slotted screws round head slotted screws, brass screws, rubber buttons, desk knobs, hinge pins. Makes me a hero in clients eyes.

------------------------------
Larry Messerly, RPT
Bringing Harmony to Homes
www.lacrossepianotuning.com
ljmesserly@gmail.com
928-899-7292

Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2025 15:21
From: Wim Blees
Subject: Car supplies

It's impossible to put a list together for a car. He can have his whole shop in the trunk, and invariably he'll need a part or a tool that's not there. My best advice is that as he needs a part, put one just like it in a box in the car. Over the next year, he'll have most of what he needs for the future. 

Wim

Original Message:
Sent: 8/25/2025 3:01:00 PM
From: James Johnson
Subject: Car supplies

Sent from my iPhone
I'm helping my apprentice get a supply of repair parts together for his trunk. What would you consider a basic parts supply list, excluding strings which he already has?

Below is a picture of my current car set-up. I drive a Toyota Corella hatchback, which has a smaller trunk space than my previous vehicle but still plenty big enough to transport everything I need on a daily basis. I can even put the seats down to transport an action and still carry all these tools.

My main tool case is the black one. This holds all my regularly used tools (tuning, regulation, voicing, screwdrivers, and some pliers). This case covers about 90% of the jobs I do and is usually the only one I take into homes.

I also have my stringing kit (the brown one) from Supply88. This only comes in with me when I need it.

The blue cooler is my chemicals kit. This includes things like my polishes, ProTek, CA glue, wood glue, and any other adhesives or lubricants I may need. Being insulated helps to preserve the chemicals inside from the summer heat.

The big tackle box is my repair kit. It holds all the tools and related supplies to do all the repairs I do out in the field. Every internal container is sorted by job. I built this case up over the course of three years. Every time I had a repair job, I would make sure to buy extras of the supplies for that job to save for next time. It was a good way to build up a parts supply without breaking the bank.

Behind the repair kit is a portable vacuum and other cleaning supplies. 

However you organize your car, customize it for your specific business. Don't carry things for jobs you don't do, and make sure to carry tools and supplies for the jobs you do. Organizing things into specific cases goes a long way. The longer you work on pianos, the more you'll find exactly what you like and how you like it. 

------------------------------
Benjamin Sanchez, RPT
Piano Technician / Artisan
(256) 947-9999
www.professional-piano-services.com
www.FromZeroToSixFiguresBook.com
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2025 15:01
From: James Johnson
Subject: Car supplies

Sent from my iPhone
I'm helping my apprentice get a supply of repair parts together for his trunk. What would you consider a basic parts supply list, excluding strings which he already has?

For parts specifically, I'd suggest having easy access to strong sewing thread or embroidery floss, an assortment of center pins, assorted fallboard knobs, assorted screws (like Larry mentioned), a small assortment of punchings and a variety of felts/cloth.  A manila folder is great for keeping paperwork flat and can be used to make shims in a pinch.  It's a good idea to have Dampp-Chaser pads handy, too.

------------------------------
Dale Dahlberg
Eden Prairie MN
(612) 326-4184
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2025 15:01
From: James Johnson
Subject: Car supplies

Sent from my iPhone
I'm helping my apprentice get a supply of repair parts together for his trunk. What would you consider a basic parts supply list, excluding strings which he already has?

Jim,

This is an excellent question! In my earlier years back east I always traveled light which also sometimes required a return visit for specialized repairs and maybe a few extra dollars. After moving to CA in 1992, I found that living in the foothills, I was traveling farther to appointments and my onboard supplies expanded. When I started gypsy tuning on the north coast and Reno, supplies in back increased more. In response to your question, I thought of just filming a video of the back of my car and ignoring my lack of efficient organization compared to others presented in these posts. It's a great question! Alas, I wonder if there is a video of the late Isaac Sadigursky's class regarding his van. Impressive, he could almost handle absolutely anything during a service visit short of a new piano on the spot.

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Tremaine Parsons RPT
Georgetown CA
(530) 333-9299
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-26-2025 16:08
From: Dale Dahlberg
Subject: Car supplies

For parts specifically, I'd suggest having easy access to strong sewing thread or embroidery floss, an assortment of center pins, assorted fallboard knobs, assorted screws (like Larry mentioned), a small assortment of punchings and a variety of felts/cloth.  A manila folder is great for keeping paperwork flat and can be used to make shims in a pinch.  It's a good idea to have Dampp-Chaser pads handy, too.

------------------------------
Dale Dahlberg
Eden Prairie MN
(612) 326-4184

Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2025 15:01
From: James Johnson
Subject: Car supplies

Sent from my iPhone
I'm helping my apprentice get a supply of repair parts together for his trunk. What would you consider a basic parts supply list, excluding strings which he already has?