Upright Side Removal

[Philip Newman]

My teacher and friend, James Musselwhite, uses the following method for
removing sides of uprights.

Make a "T" from 4 x 4 material. The long part of the "T" should be about a
foot shorter than the width of the piano.

With all the other case parts off, put the piano on its side. Insert the "T"
with the horizontal part on the inside of the side which is on the floor.
Put a small hydraulic jack on top of the vertical part of the "T". with a
suitable piece of padded wood on top of the jack.

Pump up jack until one side pops off. Usually the top side pops off first.
Then, get an assistant to lean the piano slightly, so that the side which is
on the floor is angled up a bit. Then jump on the inside of the piano, as
near to the back as possible.

A fine, craftsmanlike, Canadian system! Sounds a bit drastic, but it works.

I like waiting for the side to pop off while the jack is being pumped up.
One has to watch against getting smacked when it does pop though.

Seriously, I've personally assisted with removing the sides from 4 large
uprights, and this method has worked consistently and predictably.

Irie,
Philip Newman
Winnipeg, Manitoba