[pianotech] not for the feint of heart or anything else

Brian Trout brian_trout at hotmail.com
Mon Jun 21 09:01:47 MDT 2010


If it's in blankets, that's a good thing.  If it's strapped to a board, that's even better.  

 

If it's not in blankets or strapped to a board, I'm thinking that it could be a good idea to go ahead and strap one on where it is (will be a pain, but it can be done) before righting it so that as you move towards the position of the piano sitting on it's long side, it has something other than the edge of the lid to come down upon.  Lots depends on what's there now.  

 

A moving company would (hopefully) be a little more in tune with what kinds of procedures for lifting might be most effective with a large piano but having a number of knowledgable people on hand would be a plus.  (Other guild chapter members, maybe?)

 

I am aware of a concert grand that went over on it's lid as it was being moved in a school.  I think it was a middle school.  I do not know the circumstances of how the piano came to be where it was, upside down on it's lid on stage.  But amazingly, with a group of little fingers, as tightly packed as they could get them around the rim of the piano, upon the orchestration of a single person, that piano very quickly came back to it's moving pisition, long side down.  I'm not necessarily recommending it.  Just mentioning that it's happened before.  Damages were relatively minor for the piano if I recall.  

 

If you have a hoist and the thing is not wrapped or on a board, that would be very helpful in getting it protected a little better if you choose to do so.  You may even be able to use the hoist to bring the treble end of the piano up to a height where just a couple of thoughtful people could safely complete the lifting back to the long side down position.  (You may not have the travel on the hoist to take it all the way from flat on the ground to standing up.?)

 

There are numerous ways.  Think about what you do before you do it.  Consider the surface that the piano is sitting on and whether it could have a tendency to slide out from under you.  

 

Best of luck.  The planning part of it will probably take you way longer than actually doing it.  And hopefully, the damages won't be severe.  Prepare (both you & your crew and the owner(s) of the piano) for the worst, which would basically be a junk piano.  But hope for the best.  It may not be so bad at all.

 

Let us know how it comes out and what you decide to do.

 

Brian

 

 
 		 	   		  
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