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Car setups for techs

  • 1.  Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 13 days ago
      |   view attached

    Dear List

    I had meant to include this picture of how my vehicle is setup in one of the previous posts. This setup has been with me for more than 30 yrs., and it's a be tried and true way of organizing our tools and supplies for our profession.  As the photo shows, it's due to be rebuilt and get things more in order. But the picture at least shows the basic setup.

    It's a combination of metal and wooden storage bins, all housed into this removable box. Everything lives nicely in carefully designed compartments, which makes managing a lot of tools and supplies a breeze. The best feature is the top shelf of the box which is reserved for keyboard cartage. The keyboards are strapped firmly to top the box, making transporting keyboards a safe way to get from point A to B.

    This set up has fit all of my vehicles for the past 30 yrs. Even my old Volvo station wagon had the needed width and height to accommodate this setup. Lately I've liked the larger SUV type of vehicles, but this setup could easily work for most hatchbacks.

     

    I would love to see pics of how some of you are managing your tooling storage.

     

    Tom Servinsky 

    Registered Piano Technician

    Concert Artist Piano Technician

    Director/Conductor- Academy Orchestra

    Managing Conductor-Treasure Coast Youth Symphony

    Keyboardist- Beatles Re-Imagined

    Pianist with TLC Jazz Duo

    tompiano@tomservinsky.com

    772 221 1011 office

    772 260 7110 cell

     

    Attachment(s)

    eml
    Car photo.eml   8.49 MB 1 version


  • 2.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 13 days ago
    I had a similar set up when I had a mini van with tool boxes, etc, underneath a shelve on which I transported actions. I laid the board for action on top of the wheel wells. 

    Wim





  • 3.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 13 days ago

    Set up for home service. Vacuum and cleaning supplies, wire and stringing, centerpinning, voicing, regulating and bits and bobs.

    Trunk


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



  • 4.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 13 days ago

    I suggested a section for the PTJ: Whats in your tool kit, that could be a regular exploration of individual tech's car, tool kit or shop, but it went nowhere.

    I still think its a good idea.

    I designed a parts box for my car trunk that I believe works very well and I would love to feature it, as well as my tool boxes/kits.



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    Blaine Hebert RPT
    Duarte CA
    (626) 390-0512
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  • 5.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11 days ago

    I'll be car shopping sometime in the next year and am hoping that my next vehicle can be a much smaller version of what I have.   I'm trying to visualize how to duplicate my set up in much smaller quarters. If you are driving a sub-compact car and do transport grand actions, I would appreciate seeing pics of your set-ups.  Gas prices are my big issue and need to find something in the 35-40mph/gal range. Still not ready to take the plunge into a fully electric car, but the hybrids have my full attention. Seems like a good mix to increase mileage.

     

    Tom Servinsky 

    Registered Piano Technician

    Concert Artist Piano Technician

    Director/Conductor- Academy Orchestra

    Managing Conductor-Treasure Coast Youth Symphony

    Keyboardist- Beatles Re-Imagined

    Pianist with TLC Jazz Duo

    tompiano@tomservinsky.com

    772 221 1011 office

    772 260 7110 cell

     






  • 6.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11 days ago

    I have heard it said that the Prius is the most common piano tuner's car.  Personally I am a Corolla man myself.  A grand action will fit across the back seat, though occasionally I have to rest an action on an arm rest.  It does scratch up an interior a bit.

    I much prefer a 4 door with a trunk; I have never had my tools stolen from a trunk, but I have been cleaned out from a station wagon.

    My only big issue is that there is an overflow of materials on my back seat.  I keep my bass strings in two string cases and a bag of felts and some parts on the floor.

     



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    Blaine Hebert RPT
    Duarte CA
    (626) 390-0512
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 8 days ago

    I used to have a Prius. Got rid of it because it was full of horrible blind spots and there was no visual security in what Toyota called a trunk. Traded it in for a Corolla Hybrid which, it turns out, is basically a Prius drive train in a Corolla shell. Much better visibility plus I'm getting the same 55.6 MPG mileage I got in the Prius. Getting back to subject, the trunk is larger than the Prius and it will hold everything I need plus my LaRoy Edwards piano action dolly that I used to have to keep in the back seat in the Prius. Also, the back seats fold down much flatter than the Prius. I had a 3/4", (or is it 1/2"?), piece of plywood cut to fit the space above the folded down back seats. It accomplishes two things. It provides a seamless hard surface on which I can place either an upright or a grand action, and, because the seats are folded down, with that additional 3/4" the actions, with a little care, the actions clear the door arm rests. I then tie the action in place using a couple of tie down straps from Harbor Freight hooked on to the conveniently supplied holes in the body just behind the folded down seats. (I do not leave this board in place all the time. I only put it in when I know I'm going to be carrying an action. The rest of the time the back seats are just normal Corolla back seats.) I'm not nearly as tool and parts complete as Isaac was in his Magic Van, but I have almost everything I need to handle most repair situations that I come across conveniently, and securely stowed in my trunk, with even a little room to spare. 



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    Geoff Sykes, RPT
    Los Angeles CA
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  • 8.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 8 days ago

    Jeep Wagoneer, no problems (10 mpg), Mitsubishi Mirage no problems (30 mpg). Toyota 4Runner no problems, (23 mpg) Prius no problems (50 mpg), Hyundai Elantra no problems (30 mpg). Was able to get both vertical actions and grand actions inside. I now remove the action stack from keys due to age. Car manufacturers design for piano technicians.



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



  • 9.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 9 days ago

    Tom,

    With regard to grand action transport in smaller vehicles, I have a solution that has worked for my previous vehicles (Toyota Camry, Honda Accord) and my current one (Toyota Prius, my first hybrid which, after eight years and counting, I have no regrets about).

    I have a piece of plywood that gets suspended above the armrests in the back seat. The key frame gets fed onto this board through an open window. (If one wants to make that move easier to manage, the top stack may be removed from the keyframe and placed on the seat itself, where the keyframe will NOT fit, due to interference with the arm rests). I have had an S&S "D" action in there, but have yet to try a full-sized action with more than 88 keys.

    Once the keyframe is in place, slide the front passenger seat back to clamp it in place. 

    With the stack removed from the keyframe, a towel or furniture pad may be safely placed on top of the keyframe and used for more storage.

    Also, I attached a 2x2 to the underside of the action board, so I can clamp the board into the jaws of a WorkMate while performing service at the piano.

    Please let us know which vehicle you wind up choosing!

    Alan



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    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
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  • 10.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Posted 6 days ago

    Blaine,

    That is a great idea!   Too bad there was no interest!



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    Patrick Greene
    OWNER
    Knoxville TN
    (865) 384-6582
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  • 11.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 6 days ago

    I have written several articles and offered to write 24 more, but there doesn't seem to be any interest, or perhaps I am seen as too much of a loose cannon.



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    Blaine Hebert RPT
    Duarte CA
    (626) 390-0512
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 6 days ago

    I also suggested a series of interesting photos, but no interest.



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    Blaine Hebert RPT
    Duarte CA
    (626) 390-0512
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  • 13.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Posted 12 days ago

    Not sure how to handle this image?  Have downloaded it, looks like just a folder to me. Any help is appreciated. 



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    Les Koltvedt
    Marietta GA
    lkpianos@gmail.com
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  • 14.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12 days ago
      |   view attached

    Leslie, here is Tom's picture as a .jpg image. 




  • 15.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Posted 11 days ago
    Thank you. How do I handle elm images in the future. I have Apple products
    Les Koltvedt
    (404) 631-7177
    LKPianos.com





  • 16.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11 days ago

    Les,

    I use GIMP, a free image manipulation program available for microsoft and macOS. One can open an 'elm' image (and many other kinds) within GIMP, then export it as a different file of your choosing. Here is the download page: https://www.gimp.org/downloads/

    It's a fairly robust program that I use infrequently. If you have other questions about it please send a private message so this thread stays on subject. 




  • 17.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 9 days ago

    I had the same issue, have an Apple~ can't see images.



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    Gina Bonfietti, RPT
    Connecticut
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  • 18.  RE: Car setups for techs

    Posted 6 days ago
      |   view attached

    I have a Kia Soul and I removed my back seats.  I keep meaning to get a piece of plywood and cut it to fit for the cargo space to have a good platform.  I can handily haul a grand or console action in the back. Plus I get about 40 MPG.   Also  Dewalt sells these drawer systems for $33.00 to $35.00 each.  I have them loaded with parts/tools and they can go handily from my car to some shelving in my garage.  They also attach to each other and can be stacked vertically when one needs space in the vehicle.  



    ------------------------------
    Patrick Greene
    OWNER
    Knoxville TN
    (865) 384-6582
    ------------------------------