Upright Side Removal

[Farrell]

The sides of my M&H popped off reasonably easily with three small/medium old chisels. I don't think there was one square inch of glue joint that gave way. Most separation occurred between the side cores and the two inner facing veneer laminations. A few spots of frame broke out, and a few good chunks of side core broke away. The hide glue joint did not fail. So what difference would it make if you used white glue (Titebond)? For that matter, why not epoxy?

I like the idea of the saw. I might try that next time - just to get a nice even predictable surface.

As for using the irregular break out of the torn wood for indexing, that might work for placement, but I have never been able to take an assembly like this apart with significant wood tear-out and been able to put it back together and achieve the same dimensions. I have found that the wood will never go back together as well as it came apart. You look at it and think it should, but that would require that all break-out occurred with sides either being square or obtuse. But I suspect there are plenty of irregular wood chunks broken out at acute angles, thus preventing good re-assembly.

Or am I missing something?

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Moffatt" <moffatt5@telus.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 12:42 AM
Subject: Re: Upright Side Removal/ Terry


Joe, Terry, et tous,

We have done many "piano removals" that have been trapped in rooms built around them. A skill saw?? The sides are attached with hide glue..as a rule. 
A few well placed "hits" with a heavy hammer, and the aid of a chisel, does the job perfectly...particularly if the sides come off with a few chunks of the frame.
These are the only accurate "indexing holes"! Simply align the "chunks with the "divots"....no need for measurements..shimming..dowels etc. Then reglue with hide glue.
That is for the next guy. Lord help him if you used white glue....or the increasing popular (shudder) CA stuff.

Regards,

Bob

Been there, did it the wrong way, learned the right way, now IT'S here to stay!

Moffatt & Sons Piano Atelier
Calgary, Alberta - Canada
Tel. 403 243-0385 
moffattr@cadvision.com



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  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Joseph Garrett 
  To: pianotech@ptg.org 
  Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 6:51 PM
  Subject: Upright Side Removal/ Terry


  Terry et al,
  I had to remove the sides of an upright so that it would go up a very
  narrow/steep set of stairs. The piano had been put into the basement of this
  house before the main floor and the staircase were built! With VERY accurate
  measurements, I determined that the back would indeed fit, diagonally up the
  stairs. But nothing else! So, the piano had to be completely taken apart,
  right down to the strung back! I removed the sides with a 10" Porter-Cable
  (Skill type) saw. It is a really heavy/beefy honker with torque to spare.
  The 10" blade was set at maximum depth, which was about 1/4" to 1/2" shy of
  going all the way through to the plate. I put the piano on it's face and had
  at it! (Yes, I had help with this project....my son. <G>)
  Once we got the piano out of the basement, (the best local mover and his
  helpers did the move up the stairs.), we loaded the whole "piano kit" in the
  trailer and the suburban and headed for the shop. The one mistake I made,
  was that I did not predrill some indexing holes, so it was a little more
  difficult to get everything back and aligned. Because the 10" saw blade made
  an 1/8" kerf, it was easy to put 1/8" maple plywood in as spacers to
  compensate and get the original "width" back to what it was. The piano was
  saved for the "Son" & his wife, by doing this. The Mom and Dad were
  delighted to get the piano out of the downstairs Rec room. Happy ending to a
  real project.
  Best Regards,
  Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)

  Been There, Didn't Like It, So I'm Here To Stay! [G}

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