[pianotech] Transporting a grand action

[John Ross]

I am not too worried about the weight.
If it is heavy, two people.
It is the fact I want to protect the action from damage. I.e. hitting door frames. sliding around in the van during an emergency stop etc.
The base would be plywood, the 'protection' just hardboard.
Don't have to worry about reproducers, and any big stuff.
I used to have lots of room, minivan rear seats removed. But I downsized to a Journey, and am in the process, of figuring out what to carry, and addition of 'shelves', parts boxes etc. Journey seems to be versatile, in what I can do, it has all sorts of nooks and crannies to store stuff.
I am looking forward to driving it out to Las Vegas, to the next convention.
Not 100% sure, but 90%. I do enjoy the conventions, and meeting people from the list.
I used to carry everything but the kitchen sink. I found that I never used 95% of the stuff I carried. I know, if I don't carry something, that is the thing I will need.
I used to cover an area, 2 hours away, and sometimes more In my 'older' age, I have cut down to about an hour away. If I need something, I will just make an appointment, for the next week.
John Ross,
Windsor, Nova Scotia
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: James Johnson 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 1:15 AM
  Subject: Re: [pianotech] Transporting a grand action


  I used to drive station wagons or a pickup with a camper shell, but I decided that with all the time I spend behind the wheel, I wanted to drive something more fun.  That presented the problem of how to transport actions in a sports sedan.  I made a pallet covered with industrial carpet that I can use to slide a grand action into my trunk.  It folds in the middle so that it fits in the trunk with the rear seat folded up and then unfolds to slightly more than the length of the action and allows me to slide the action up over the hump into the rear seat area with the rear seats down.  I then cover the action with a doubled over moving pad to protect it while traveling.  I have used this system in two cars ( an Acura Integra and my present car, a Nissan Maxima.) and over a period of over 22 years. ( I keep my cars for a long time.  My Maxima just went over 260,000 miles today on a trip to the Bay Area.)  In all those years and hundreds of grand action transports I have never broken a hammer shank or damaged an action.  Anything approaching an "action suitcase" made of plywood would probably double the weight of an action and would become very difficult to carry.  Also, it would have to be unnecessarily large to accommodate 7' and 9' and reproducer actions with their longer keys.  You would probably want to line it with carpet to protect the action inside the case, which would add still more weight.  Some grand actions are so heavy that they are almost too much to carry all alone, let alone with any added weight.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: John Ross 
    To: Pianotech List 
    Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2010 11:44 AM
    Subject: [pianotech] Transporting a grand action


    I am always afraid of breaking off a hammer, or something dropping on an action.
    I was thinking on making a base with a handle, sides, and a back. The back portion would have a top to protect the hammers. It would have clamps to hold the action secure. Made from 1/2" plywood.
    Something like 54"X23" X8".
    A person, could then transport the action like a suitcase. It could be laid across folded seats. It could be used for upright actions as well, with them lying on the back.
    I just have the idea now, but haven't started figuring out sizes to accomaodate most.
    Has anyone made something like this?
    I know about the one made with a folding golf cart, which is a good idea.
    John Ross,
    Windsor, Nova Scotia 
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