Hoisting pianos

[Joseph Alkana]

Keep piano flat (horizontal) for safety, leveled on four beams at all times 
(with shim cribbing). You could even use a square of 1 1/4" plywood  for a 
flooring if you want to. Call this the piano assembly.

When lifted high enough, bridge gap with two or more beams under piano 
assembly. Pull/slide piano assembly across to other stack of cribbing using 
rope. Jack to remove bridge beams, lower piano assembly doing the reverse of 
raising sequence until you reach normal working height. Tip up and etc, etc.

At this point I'm even thinking you could talk to a supplier of railroad 
ties and ask to rent enough of them to do the job.

OK, that's my idea to you on this type of lift. Now, would anybody like to 
expand on the possibility of using rented scaffolding to raise and lower the 
piano? Two towers, rolling up a level at a time between the two. Raising 
incrementally between lifts of piano to a new scaffolding floor...

Come on people, Let's think outside the box!

Joseph Alkana RPT


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Greg Newell" <gnewell at ameritech.net>
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, September 03, 2007 6:32 AM
Subject: Re: Hoisting pianos


> Terry,
>         Seems like a platform across the top of cribbing happening on both 
> sides. I'm not sure about how one could make that stable though or where 
> you would have room to stand to push the piano across. Clearly more 
> research is needed on my part.
>
> best,
> Greg
>
>
>
> At 08:34 AM 9/3/2007, you wrote:
>>I suppose the cribbing method could work to make the piano go up and down. 
>>I wonder though how one would make the piano migrate horizontally while at 
>>its highest point. That would be quite a trick!
>>
>>Terry Farrell
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>>         This is starting to sound kind cool! Cribbing would be needed on 
>>> the other side of the glass wall too. I bet we'd get lots of Oooo's and 
>>> Ahhh's doing it this way. Would take quite a while though. I wonder what 
>>> cost effectiveness this would have compared to a hoist of some sort. 
>>> Either way it's gonna cost 'em. :-)
>>>
>>>Greg Newell
>>
>
> Greg Newell
> Greg's Piano Forté
> www.gregspianoforte.com
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