Removing grand plate

[Carl Root]

Paul Plumb wrote:
> What would you recommend to attach from the hoist to the
> plate and any safety precautions I need to take.

Seat belts work well.

For those who don't have a steel I-beam handy, I have used two other
methods to support the weight of the plate:  

1)  A HD hook attached to a plate which is then mounted on 2 X 12 double
floor joists with four 1/2" lag screws.

2)  A child's swing set!  Really.  I don't know if I'd trust a 9 -
footer with this, but the trick is to attach a HD chain that is the same
length as the cross piece to eye bolts mounted in each corner.  Then
hang the hoist from the center of the chain, NOT the cross piece.

If you've never removed a plate, it's easy to underestimate the
importance of registering it's location - front to back, side to side,
up and down.  Make wooden shims that fit snugly around the perimeter at
each plate screw and number them.  Make two blocks of wood fitted with a
lag screw that will sit on marked locations on the keybed at the base
and treble end.  Adjust the lag screw until touches the plate.    

Carl Root, RPT