Wim, You don't need to hang the hoist from the existing ceiling. What I do is brace a beam against the ceiling. I use a 4 x 6 beam, held up tight against the ceiling with two 2 x 6's, each with an appropriate notch cut to hold the 4 x 6. As long as it is fit firmly (a wedge or two helps), it works just great. I've always removed plates solo. I have a chain hoist from Grainger (pretty big force multiplier/reduction) I like a lot - I can pull down on the chain with one hand, guide the plate with the other. Holds the plate wherever I leave it. For larger pianos, I add a block and tackle (rope) with a brake, using the chain hoist for the front (strapped to two points, balanced), the rope in the back (need an additional beam for that). I've pulled and replaced a plate from a concert grand, no problem, with this technique. Pull each up a couple inches in turn. Use some metal flashing (aluminum or galvanized, available any building supply house) around the rim to avoid scrapes. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico Wimblees@aol.com wrote: > > A couple of months ago I asked for advice on removing a plate by > myself. I didn't get too many responses, but one person, (who shall > remain nameless), gave a suggestion that helped me come up with a > solution to my problem. > > As you know, when I moved to my new shop at the university, I did not > have any way of hanging a hoist on the ceiling, as I had done in my > other shops. <snip> > Wim
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