Mark, I have an electric winch mounted off to the side on the central beam in my shop. The cable runs along the beam to a pulley. I move the piano under the pulley and attach the plate via racketing straps (3 or 4). With the control switch in one hand and the plate in the other, I can pull a plate by myself. I usually protect the inside of the case from scrapes. Once the plate is above the rim I push the lighter case away and roll in my upright tilter to lower the plate. I will use the grand refinishing truck if it is unoccupied. I've done a 9' Chickering by myself. A word of caution, make certain your straps are secure. I have never lost anything but the little bumps when things cinch-up can be a little startling. Over-kill on the winch - 1 ton capacity. This is nothing to have straining. Welcome to the list and 1999, Jon Page Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At 08:20 AM 1/1/99 -0500, you wrote: >Hello! > >I am a first timer to this venue and have a New Year's resolution that >perhaps someone could assist me with. I rebuild 5-6 grands per year and >am getting tired of having to round up Larry, Moe and Curly everytime I >need the plate removed or re-installed after refinishing. The long-term >effects of this method are frightening: we may all have bad backs and >hernias and I may no longer have any friends! > >I would like to set up an elegant method of using a lift that will bring >the plate up safely and in a controlled manner, and can then be easily >transported away from the piano and set down on my tilting truck. I know >that a block and tackle system could be devised with rails for transport, >but I am more interested in something portable, like a small engine >hoist. Keeping the lift controlled is something that I am looking for >help with, so as to minimize scarring the rim, particularly on re-entry! > >Any helpful ideas are welcomed! > >Happy New Year! > >Mark Potter >76 South Center St. >West Jefferson, Oh 43162 >(614) 879-5005 > >e-mail: bases-loaded@juno.com >
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