[ Duaine Hechler wrote in 130308 MMDigest:

> I have a customer that needs a complete Duo-Art rebuild, but not
> including piano action, case, etc. -- just player related parts
> and pump.  I need an estimate of the number of hours the work
> would require.

I've seen some perplexing questions posted on MMD, but I think the
one Duaine Hechler posted (MMD 130308) gets the grand prize.  It took
me twice reading his post before I understood what he wanted.

I'm still not certain, but it appears as if he needs to prepare
a quote for a customer in which he will be the restorer, but he doesn't
know the total hours for the task he will perform.   Based on this
understanding, here is my response which is intended to be only
analytical.

Rebuilders are not a standardized group.  Even the most basic concepts
such as gluing elude conformity.  Experience levels within the group
encompass a wide range.  Some rebuilders specialize in specific brands.
Through that specialization, certain tasks become streamlined.   Using
the Duo-Art as an example, since that is what Duaine inquired about,
a first time rebuilder will spend many more hours doing a proper job
of recovering the two accordion pneumatics than would someone who has
completed that task many times.

In addition to increased hours needed by the inexperienced rebuilder,
what guarantee is there that the quality of work once finished is
equal to the experienced rebuilder?  The experienced rebuilder will
know certain techniques that will give better results.  An example
here could be the final regulation of the Duo-Art expression box.  This
chore has confounded rebuilders and owners for years.

Finally, the level of detail between rebuilders has wide variation.
Some may polish everything, others will polish a few items, and some
won't even clean the dirt off certain parts.

Here are some rough numbers to look at.  An experienced rebuilder can
do the task in about 300 hours which includes a moderate amount of
polishing.  A first-time rebuilder would need about 450 hours for that
same work.  A basic "tube and recover" by a speedy experienced person
could be done in about 100 hours.

Some of us charge strictly by the hour and keep a good log of the
hours, which is the only real way to approach the task.  Unforeseen
problems always arise.

Good luck,
Bob Taylor
Missouri