Along came a Spider...

[Gilreath@aol.com]

Hello all,

The subject of installing a stage dolly (or spider) on a grand piano may not
be of concern to some.  Further, perhaps most folks have already figured out
the easy to do this.  However, if you are in the category that I was in until
recently, ie. this was a pain to accomplish, then this post is for you.

Simply put, for one person to easily install one of these dollies you only
need three small pieces of 2x4, something to prop up the piano with, and the
necessary tools to remove casters.  The device to prop up the piano could be
the leg and lyre box with hydraulic jack that Susan Graham described in the
September '88 PTJ or, if you are large person, an old heavy duty piano bench
and some wood blocks.  If your lower leg is long enough simply have the bench
in place, lift the corner of the piano as a calf press and slide the
appropriate block or blocks in place to prop the instrument up or use the
aforementioned box to jack up the corner of the instrument.  You can now
remove the caster by just popping it out of the socket or removing the leg
and unscrewing the socket if necessary (like Baldwin and Kawai.)  Then
position the appropriate portion of the spider under the leg with one of the
pieces of 2x4 UNDER the socket.  Now lower the piano back down onto the
spider and continue to the next leg.  Do this to the front legs first and
then the rear.  After getting all three legs onto the spider, lift slightly
to remove the pieces of 2x4 and the grand is now resting on the spider with
very little effort on your part.

Now one person can easily install one of these monsters on any size piano
safely and efficiently.

Hope this helps.

Allan Gilreath
Gilreath Piano & Organ Co.
Berry College
Gilreath@aol.com