Don, in response to your concerns. >There are a few problems with the change offered below: > >1. Large locking casters require a shorter leg. Trimming the legs doesn't >work too well, so converting a Steinway D would require some legs from a >Hamburg D. Perhaps a supply company or Steinway could supply these with the >casters already installed. Actually, its not too difficult. With a good table saw and blade, set at the proper angle, it takes about 30 minutes. When the New York legs are trimmed they look very much like the Hamburg leg with a shorter flute at the bottom. >2. The mounting of these casters is quite different, with a very large >socket. Once again, a new leg is called for. Though the mounting is different, it is easily overcome. Plug the socket hole and screw holes with the proper size dowels, the larger flange hole has been cut away in the trimming process (I'm probably not using the proper caster terminology here - sorry). Drill for the new casters with two sizes of forstner bits, one for the socket and one for the larger flange (drill for the flange first). If the flange is beveled, as was ours, just drill it straight and fit the caster in with a bead of Marine Tex to fill in the gap. Remember to first spray the casters with McLube or some other mold release (finally, a use for all that otherwise useless McLube we have hanging around here!). Drill for the screws and you're done. The whole process took me 3-4 hours, well worth the time considering the previously mentioned advantages. >3. The piano keybed is affected more by the large casters than by small >ones or the carriage. On a D you should be very careful about aligning both >of the front casters forward or backward for performances or regulating >work. The biggest problem is training the stage crews at concert halls - I >have a hard time getting them to understand this, for those times when the >piano is being rolled into place for a concerto or something. > >Some pianos have stiffer keybeds and are affected less by this problem, but >the front casters should still be pointing the same way (front or back) >during use. I agree with your statement about caster direction and keybed flex. Our performance crews here, however, are quite willing to line things up on stage once we explained the reasoning behind it. Gotta get back to work. Later, ---- Rick Florence, Piano Technician Arizona State University School of Music Rick.Florence@ASU.Edu
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