moving piano away from wall

[Tom Cole]

Mark,

If someone is going to put an upright on a hardwood floor, especially a
new or newly refinished one, or if one is already in place, even if I'm
not going to move the piano away from the wall, I will likely speak to
them about caster cups. Then if the owner or the tech needs to move the
piano away from the wall, it can be moved easily. Schaff has some nice
looking wooden ones with felt bottoms and I keep a few sets in the car.
The casters don't jump out and the felt allows the whole business to slide
without too much effort.

This is easier and much less expensive than installing rubber casters.
Further, I've put school casters on heavy old uprights where the rubber
wheels still left tracks in the floor (some hardwoods are not all that
hard.). So I think it's a better all around solution.

Tom

bases-loaded@juno.com wrote:

> Greetings -
>
> Considering that we all must move pianos large and small away from
> people's walls from time to time for normal servicing, I would be
> interested in hearing what precautions/methods, if any, some of you
> employ when performing this task alone (which I assume, of course, is
> most always) when the piano is on a wood floor.
>
> I recall Ed recommended the use of strips of galvanized metal to use as
> runners.  I also recall Jon suggesting using padding under each end and
> 'scooting' or sliding the piano across the wood floor.
>
> Any other suggestions or ideas?  I admit to having taken no precautions
> for many years with absolutely no problem, but will now change my
> approach when the piano has metal casters and is on a wood floor.
>
> All ideas welcome!
>
> Mark Potter
> bases-loaded@juno.com