Room-to-room grand piano move

[Leslie W Bartlett]

Jim Geiger is in Waco, moved there a couple years ago.  I learned a lot
of what I know about moving from him, but he's a bit of a horse, moves
things I cannot even imagine moving, and I think, over the years, has
paid a price for doing thing like moving large grands by himself.  He
says he's moved  9' grands alone. I simply cannot imagine that.  Also, he
uses no straps with buckles- ties them all.  It works, but I've wimped
out and gone to the ratcheting straps.   George Golka, here in Houston,
moves hundreds of pianos per year, and has it down to an art form. Time
from arrival to having a grand piano in the truck, tied down, slightly
over 8 minutes........

les bartlett

On Sun, 10 Jan 1999 13:44:58 -0500 nhunt@jagat.com (Newton Hunt) writes:
>I have done this many time just this way, except there is no need to
>immobilize the dolly.
>
>IMPORTANT: instruct your help, before beginning, in each step of the 
>process
>and where you want each one to be and what they will do there.  Tell 
>them
>TWICE.  If you DON'T do this someone, including you, can get hurt.  It 
>is
>easy, it is simple, but each person must know their job and what to 
>expect.
>I never had the same crew twice in moving a grand piano at the 
>university
>and I never had an accident.
>
>Construct a box just a little shorter than the dolly by 4" by the 
>height of
>an average rim.
>Tie the lid in place with some twine or rope.
>Remove the lyre
>Lift the piano bass end and let someone else remove the leg
>Lower the piano to the box with help
>Place the dolly where the piano will be balanced on it from front to 
>back.
>Have someone at the tail of the piano to lift to prevent all the 
>weight
>coming onto the back leg
>Lift and tilt the piano up vertical and onto the dolly
>The box should come right out and then roll away after removing the 
>legs.
>
>I constructed 10 or 12 of the boxes because I stored many pianos on 
>them.  A
>lot less work getting the pianos back onto a dolly.
>
>I moved pianos 15-20 times with student help this way without any 
>problems
>at all.
>
>Setting up the piano is just the reverse.
>
>The reason you do not need to immobilize the dolly is because the 
>weight
>comes down onto the dolly just before the piano is vertical and the 
>piano is
>pivoting on the box and on the real leg, hence the need to someone 
>back
>there to take up the weight.
>
>I have seen one person set up a grand by himself, with not help.  _I_ 
>don't
>think I would try that.
>
>Jim Gieger in Houston is the most efficient moving I know of.
>
>            Newton
>
>Carl Root wrote:
>
>> I have been asked to take charge of move of an older Baldwin 'R' 
>from
>> the lobby of a nursing home down the hall back to the activities 
>room.
>> They called me because they can't find a mover who can get to it, 
>and I
>> put the piano on its' side and repaired a damaged leg plate that 
>the
>> last movers ignored prior to my last visit.
>>
>> There are no steps.  I have a dolly and plenty of help.  I do not 
>have a
>> skid, so the step that involves getting the dolly under the piano 
>once
>> the lid's been removed is the part that makes my a bit nervous.  I
>> thought of making  some sort of support block that was the same 
>height
>> as the dolly and placing it under the bass end side.  Is there a 
>good
>> way to immoblize the dolly?
>>
>> I couldn't find anything useful in the archives.
>>
>> Carl Root, RPT
>
>
>

___________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]