Well, we have an odd building.  There are 3 steps in the middle of the first floor and the basement floor!  If a piano has to go from the north end to the south end, we have to push it outside and around! Lots of fun in the Nebraska winters...  Not sure why the architect designed it that way. I think he was experimenting with cannibus products in the early 60's ;>).  There is no physical way to get any of the concert grands to the shop, a 7' grand just barely fits in the elevator, and the 2 big harpsichords we have must be tipped up to 45 degrees to fit in the elevator. At least they're not heavy. Paul <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td>From: <td>David Skolnik <davidskolnik@optonline.net> <tr valign=top> <td>To: <td>caut@ptg.org <tr valign=top> <td>Date: <td>12/05/2011 10:06 AM <tr valign=top> <td>Subject: <td>Re: [CAUT] Moving Grand Pianos Intra-Department</table> <hr noshade> It's great fun, I know, as long as you, or they, don't have to do stairs or put it on end to fit it in an elevator.  I wonder how many Wim used to do. David S At 10:03 AM 12/5/2011, you wrote: I'm sort of "the foreman" kind of guy. Showing which piano, unlocking the rooms, and to where it gets moved.  I don't do anything but remove the lyre before they get there. then 2 guys lift the bass corner, and I knock off the leg so they can set it on the board. Tilt up, and while they're strapping it tight, I knock off the other two legs.  Then, tilt up, dolly under, set down, roll onto where we're going.  It's very fast.  We've moved 6 grands around the building in less than 1.5 hours!  We're a good team. we almost always start first thing at 7:30am before the students show up. Paul From: David Skolnik <davidskolnik@optonline.net> To: caut@ptg.org Date: 12/05/2011 08:56 AM Subject: Re: [CAUT] Moving Grand Pianos Intra-Department On caut@ptg.org - soon to cease functioning Paul - Moving Services. No one could argue with that.  I have one question.  If the guys know what they're doing, why do you have to take the lyre and legs off?  And I have a follow-up question.  Once you've gotten the legs off, how long does it take for the guys to show up?  Just trying to picture it all. David Skolnik Hastings on Hudson, NY At 08:44 AM 12/5/2011, you wrote: We have a dept called Moving Services.  These guys have been moving pianos for us for decades.  They are dependable, fast, and know what they're doing.  Also quite inexpensive.  All I have to do is remove the lyre and legs. They do all the grunt work.  So it depends on what knowledge the university staff people have. If no knowledge, then I would call a professional piano mover. Our facilities and maintenance people don't touch the pianos.  For uprights, I and our own building/facilities manager move ourselves.  We will ask a student to place the dolly under the piano when we lift on and off, but that's all the students are allowed to do. Paul T. Williams RPT Univ. of Nebraska Lincoln From: Zeno Wood <zeno.wood@gmail.com> To: caut@ptg.org Date: 12/04/2011 07:13 PM Subject: Re: [CAUT] Moving Grand Pianos Intra-Department I once thought I could save some money, so I asked the facilities guys to move an upright.  I don't do that anymore.  They didn't take direction very well and of course they all, individually, knew the best way, while I was standing there being ignored.  Never again. If an upright needs to be moved more than a couple of feet, I'll get a couple of students to help put it on a dolly etc.  For grands, the college has to hire movers.  Movers are worth every penny. All the reasons David S cited were right on.  If the piano is damaged, what happens next?  If a person is damaged, then what?