[pianotech] Round bottom Steinways and other

[Bruce Browning]

Yes please, and publish it here as well for all to take advantage.
Tips and tricks about this subject are back-saving.

On 17 January 2012 08:47, Douglas Gregg <classicpianodoc at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks everyone who put in their advice, sympathy, and commiseration
> on the issue of the "round bottom" pianos. It boils down to doing what
> I have been doing by putting a block under front of the bottom board.
> My "Steinway Stick" is a 60 inch long 1 x 6  yellow pine decking board
> that slips under the piano front edge and is long enough to also fit
> under both leg supports too.  I think I will improve this and use a
> 1x3 oak board 60 inches long with a 45 degree ripped bevel edge to
> match the bottom board bevel.  That will fit inside my all terrain
> home made dolly with 10 inch pneumatic tires. This dolly is about as
> wide as a regular one and the piano fits inside the wheels rather than
> on top as  the 6 wheel all terrain commercial dolly does.I think that
> one is very high and tippy.
>
> I suspect that the old timers tipped these pianos on their side, took
> off the wheels and used the bottom board as a skid. It is still too
> narrow to be very stable but it might work OK.  I was hoping there was
> a secret that I missed on this one.
>
> As luck would have it, I just got a call to do another Victorian
> Heintzman upright that is similar to the Steinways, I think. . There
> are also a bunch of steps to go up. Those are regular steps spaced at
> 4 foot intervals. Uggh!  Too long to easily ramp and too short to stop
> and move one ramp.
>
> I do almost all solo moves ( since the gorillas sometimes don't show
> up). I have my piano moving very mechanized as I weigh only 150 lbs. I
> have a two story shop with about 15 pianos on the second floor. I get
> them there solo with a winch with no sweat.  For remote locations with
> steps I use a ramp and a  12 Volt ATV winch with a wireless remote and
> a car battery for power.  I have two big U bolts on the back of the
> winch. I rig it off a door frame or a window frame spanned with a pipe
> or a stout rectangular square bar.  I have on occasion even rigged the
> winch off a tree trunk on the opposite side of the house with a
> minimal stretch climbing rope going through a window and through  the
> house, and winch the piano up a ramp on the other side.   Whenever
> possible, I  let my finger do the work. I rarely directly lift any
> piano. When all else fails, I have hired a crane.
>
> FWIW, I  also made  a grand tipper similar to the "horse" but I
> consider an improved model I made with plywood  sides and 2x6 width.
> It is lighter, less likely to scratch, easier to position and has no
> long adjusting screw. Also it does not screw into the keybed like the
> new one advertised. Best of all it cost about $20 to build if you
> don't find the materialsfor free.  I was considering doing an article
> for the PTGJ on "solo moving without sweat" if there is an interest.
> Let me know.
>
> Doug Gregg
> Classic Piano Doc
>



-- 
Bruce Browning
The Piano Tuner
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