Hey Allan, I would be interested in the "grand chariot" as well as a new 4-wheel dollie. The wheels on the one here are just about worn out. They need to be replaced or the dollie itself needs to be replaced. However, I want to get a good quality dollie. We also need to replace the wheels on the grand trucks since those wheels are worn pretty good. We have the Piano Horse and I really like it. It makes moving a grand extremely easy. We also use the "Jack in the Box" in conjunction with the Piano Horse. The only drawback is picking up the grand piano/skid to get the dollie under it. The Grand Chariot sounds like the ideal thing. Using student help like I do to move grands, the combination of the 3 -Piano Horse; Jack in the Box; and Grand Chariot-would make for a very easy time. For my part, I would never risk the pedal lyre by using it as a pivot point in rolling a grand on it's side. I would be afraid of what might happen to the lyre. Just my two cents worth. Joy! Elwood Elwood Doss, Jr., RPT Technical Director/Piano Technician Department of Music 106 Fine Arts Building University of Tennessee at Martin 731/587-1152 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ----- Original Message ----- From: "Allan Gilreath" <agilreath@mindspring.com> To: "'Pianotech'" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Friday, October 31, 2003 7:14 AM Subject: RE: piano moving/lyre > Allen, > > Moving Equipment Makers was started (and the products developed) by > Harry Day in Duluth, GA. He sold the company to a fellow up in Toccoa, > GA who then moved down to Florida then later closed the business. In > addition to the Grand Chariot, they built some great tools like the > Grand Stand (support for removing the leg), metal skids and ramps, and > some fabulous dollies including pneumatic tire and even the 6-wheeled > all-terrain dolly. I've been talking with Harry some and have wondered > how much interest there would be from the list folk in these particular > products. > > Allan > Allan L. Gilreath, RPT > > -----Original Message----- > From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On > Behalf Of Allen Wright > Sent: Friday, October 31, 2003 12:51 AM > To: Pianotech > Subject: Re: piano moving/lyre > > Allan, > > I agree - the Piano Horse is a wonderful tool, and makes the job of > moving > grands much less stressful. It supports in the same way as the lyre, > only > better because of the smooth roll involved in getting the piano onto > it's > side. It's a beautiful thing. > > For any of you that haven't seen the Horse, picture a 1/4 slice of pie. > That's the shape of the frame, basically, which is fit under the front > part > of the piano (under the keyframe), with a threaded post (for support) > that > screws out against the leg opposite the side that's being dropped onto > the > sled. > > There used to be a grand sled called the Piano Chariot, which had > lockable > wheels, which meant you could move grands without any lifting > whatsoever. > These two in combination made the perfect moving tools, in my opinion. > I'm > not sure the company is still in business, since I just tried the > website > address I had saved a couple years back and it didn't come up. They were > in > Atlanta, or thereabouts. Anybody know what happened to them? They were > called Moving Equipment Makers. They had moved from I think Tennessee > down > to Atlanta with a change of ownership, but perhaps the company didn't > survive the change. > > Allen Wright > > > > ---------- > >From: Allan Gilreath <agilreath@mindspring.com> > >To: 'Pianotech' <pianotech@ptg.org> > >Subject: RE: piano moving/lyre > >Date: Thu, Oct 30, 2003, 11:30 PM > > > > > Carl, > > > > You'll usually find techs/movers (not dividing them into two groups > > there) strongly divided on this issue. I've seen two collapsed lyres > > and quite a few more that had tenons weakened from use of the lyre to > > turn the piano so I quite simply won't do it or allow it to be done on > > any move with which I'm involved. Sure, it's good money repairing > these > > when they're brought in but I cringe at the thought of someone getting > > hurt. > > > > The best route is to use the "Horse" developed by Gordon Crail and > sold > > my Jansen (I think). It's a professional piece of equipment and does > > the job it's designed to do while protecting the movers and the > > customer's investment. It's a frame that fits under the front of the > > piano and allows one person to roll the piano over onto a skid with no > > straining. Two people can easily, and safely, turn even the heaviest > 9' > > piano. > > > > If I don't have one of those available, I remove the lyre and set a > > metal stand (we made one that's adjustable in height) under the bass > end > > of the keybed then remove the bass leg. The bass corner is lifted > > slightly, the second person removes the stand and then the bass corner > > is lowered to the skid. I haven't tried the support running from the > > bottom of the lyre to the treble leg but I still prefer the Horse > > because of the leverage afforded even on small pianos. > > > > My feeling is that if we're going to do this work, we should do it > > safely, efficiently and professionally. Life is just too precious to > > take those kinds of risks. > > > > Allan > > Allan L. Gilreath, RPT > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On > > Behalf Of Carl Meyer > > Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 12:45 PM > > To: files > > Subject: piano moving/lyre > > > > I think that the lyres on most pianos are strong enough for tilting > the > > piano. Most of the movers I've dealt with use them. I would think > > that > > you would want to examine the lyre so that it is solid and attached > > well. > > Large and heavy pianos might be an exception. > > > > I've moved TOO many pianos. I now (if I can't get out of it) lift the > > bass > > end and tuck a 3 inch thick piece of expanded polyethylene under the > > lyre. > > This lifts the bass up enough to remove the bass leg. Now I position > > the > > skid on the dolly properly so that the bass edge tips on the center of > > the > > skid. The dolly will tip so that the left side of the piano will be > > flat on > > the skid until the piano is raised upright. The trick is to position > > the > > dolly so that the piano will balance. Now the piano can be centered > and > > strapped down. > > > > An idea I got from Lowell Wacker (who moves pianos, any size, by > > himself is > > to brace the lyre to the treble leg. I made something for this out of > > threaded rod and plumbing parts. Haven't used it much but I think it > > would > > be some insurance against putting too much side thrust on the lyre. > > > > Anybody seen or heard of a lyre collapse? > > > > Picture of the contraption is attached. > > > > Carl Meyer Ptg assoc > > Santa Clara, Ca. > > > > Photo at: > > > > > https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/files/attachments/4e/48/2e/c7/lyreprop.jpg > > > > Alternate: > > > > http://tinyurl.com/t2h4 > > > > _______________________________________________ > > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > > > _______________________________________________ > > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >
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