I don't think the most likely hazard is a lyre collapse during the tilt; it's causing the whole structure to be weaker later on during the piano's life (by breaking glue joints, etc). Most lyres I see more than a few years old are looser than I'd like in some direction, and it's doubtful that the same mover would see that same piano years later. The cost/benefit is weak. Isn't there a good chance of at least breaking a glue joint loose? Many recent keybeds contain foam; I'm sure many of them aren't all that massive. The best information would be to ask piano manufacturers if they recommend tilting on the lyre. --Cy-- ABQ, NM ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dean May" <deanmay at pianorebuilders.com> To: "'Pianotech List'" <pianotech at ptg.org> Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 8:00 AM Subject: RE: turning a Grand upright >>>I have seem lyres shattered from this practice. More importantly. I > suspect that the entire weight of the piano, being born at the center of > the > keybed can do no good to the key regulation. > Don't do it! > Frank Emerson > > > > Then why is it standard practice for Keyboard Carriage to use the lyre > when > they are putting a 9 foot piano on a skid? > > As a PianoDisc installer who has cut into lots of keybeds and a mechanical > engineer with a modicum of structural strength comprehension I have every > confidence that those massively thick keybeds, often reinforced with > another > traverse member attached underneath, can handle the weight. In fact, it > was > at my PianoDisc training session in the early 90's where I first saw the > practice, it was standard procedure in their factory. > > I have seen one lyre break by doing this (thankfully it wasn't me that did > it). It was an 1890's with ornate lyre, not straight legs. And that mover > was not employing the brace that I showed in the previous post. No way it > would have broken with that brace. Using that brace makes the whole thing > unbelievably strong. There is absolutely no flexure of the lyre. > > Even so, I would not do it on a lyre with curved ornate legs. Just use > good > judgment. If the legs and lyre are rickety from the start you may have > problems no matter what you do. > > > Dean > > Dean May cell 812.239.3359 > > PianoRebuilders.com 812.235.5272 > > Terre Haute IN 47802
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