Grand piano repair question

Les Smith lessmith@buffnet.net
Tue, 30 Apr 1996 18:47:57 -0400 (EDT)


One very simple way to do it is the following: Take the piano's bench and
cover it with a piece of heavy blanket or rug to protect it's surface; On
top of the blanket place a piece of 1/2" plywood; on top of the plywood place
a collapsed, medium-sized scissors jack, positioned over and between two
side legs; slide the bench, blanket, plywood and jack into position near
the leg you want to remove and carefully raise the piano. Piece of cake and
you don't need any help at all. Just make sure that the piano's bench is
in good shape before using it, or carry an old, sturdy bench with you on
such calls. Needless to say, after you get the action out of the Vose and
the pinblock blocked up, put the leg back on before you start hammering
the new pins in!

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net

On Tue, 30 Apr 1996, Vanderhoofven wrote:

> Dear Friends on Pianotech,
>
> I have a problem:
>
> -1930's Vose and Sons 5'7" grand (in poor condition) in a town 25 miles away
> -2 broken strings on said piano
> -about a dozen loose tuning pins in bass section (From dry winter)
> -long screw running through leg plate into bass end of keyframe
> -removal of action impossible because of long screw
> -repair of loose tuning pins and replacement of strings not possible because of
>      inability to remove action and support pinblock with pinblock jack
> -twice set up time to have several people assist in repair (remove leg, remove
>      screw, reinstall leg), but no luck in making connections with helpers
>
> Question:  Is it possible for one person to remove and replace a grand piano
> leg by themselves (and live to tell about it) and if so, what is the proper
> procedure?
>
> Thank you for your indulgence of my Associate-level Question.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> David A. Vanderhoofven
> dkvander@clandjop.com
> Joplin, Missouri, USA
> Associate Member, Piano Technicians Guild
> web page:  http://www.clandjop.com/~dkvander/
>
>


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