Pianotech

Starting a new thread on this, just in case others have some input.

Noticed in the damper-lifter-thread that someone dropped a piano 'when the casters hit the floor' off a tilt-table. I know this feeling. There is a sickening OMG moment as the weight begins its freefall, a nasty adrenalin rush (...unless you enjoy that kind of thing), and a time-suspended eternity as you wait for the piano to finish hitting the ground. Time enough to wonder just how much damage is REALLY going to happen when it finally smacks down. And as you dance your toes away from the impact point there is even a second or two to consider how the heck you are going to lift the damn thing back up again. WHAAAAAMMM!

When I told another tech about this he just smiled a moment. And then offered a piece of advice which I have used for pushing 30 years now...with no dropped pianos ever again.

Cut yourself two pieces of 2X4 about 18" or 20" long. When you plan to tilt a piano put these under the bottom board, front to back, just inside the rear casters. Let 'em stick out an inch or three, and verify that your tilt table will clear them. The casters are no longer in contact with the ground when you tilt the piano. I generally lift one side, and kick the 2X4 into place; get it anywhere close and you can swing it into place...even with the piano resting on top. Nicer to have someone put 'em in...but not always an option, is it? :>)

Tilting off the casters, or back on, this has never failed me. It is important to have that extra couple inches sticking out from the back, so that the piano doesn't catch the edge of the 2X4 and skate away. You want to land solidly on the 'meat' of the 2X4, and they won't squirm. Straps? We don't need no stinkin' straps! Well....I did add one when I did the last set of caster replacements. Wasn't sure that the double-wheel beauties were as short as the previous set, and wanted the insurance in case the 2X4 wasn't quite tall enough, but wasn't needed after all. Solid, smooth, and safe.

Comments?

BTW; Piano Moving; I place 2X4 supports under upright pianos in the trailer, too. Getting them off the casters stops them from shifting as easily, reduces marks from straps since they don't wiggle, and just feels (...is) safer and more secure.

-------------------------------------------
Jeffrey T. Hickey, RPT
North Bend OR
tunerjeff@aol.com
Portland Chapter #972
**** Time Is the Best Teacher; Unfortunately it Kills All Its Students. *****

Thanks for the excellent tips, Jeff.

Sometime ago I posted some pics and a video clip showing the tilting of an upright with a different twist than yours, but with the same purpose, to keep from losing a piano when tilting, and the reasons why it can happen as a result of the bottom board's location in relation to the feet of the tilter.

The link is Portable Folding Piano Tilter.

SPECIAL NOTE:
For some reason each .jpg acts like a 5 second .mov, so click 3x on the 1st .jpg, let it load up for the 5 seconds, and it will move on to the next .jpg. Then click 2x on the following .jpgs to have them move on until you get to the usingtilter.mov.

Keith McGavern, RPT
Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA
tune-repair@allegiance.tv

Original Message:
Sent: 05-26-2012 23:58
From: Jeffrey Hickey

.... Comments? ...

Not only did my piano slide down the tilter, when the top of the piano hit the two prongs at the bottom of the tilter, it catapulted the tilter over the piano, and in the process, took a big chunk out of the top, (see picture), and landed on the bottom board, causing even more damage. As with Jeff, I was very fortunate my feet were able to get out of the way. That little incident cost me about $1800. Figuring I only charged $150 to replace the casters, it was a very expensive job.

-------------------------------------------
Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
Mililani, HI 96789
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 05-26-2012 23:58
From: Jeffrey Hickey
Subject: Piano Tilting- Safety Tip

Starting a new thread on this, just in case others have some input.

Noticed in the damper-lifter-thread that someone dropped a piano 'when the casters hit the floor' off a tilt-table. I know this feeling. There is a sickening OMG moment as the weight begins its freefall, a nasty adrenalin rush (...unless you enjoy that kind of thing), and a time-suspended eternity as you wait for the piano to finish hitting the ground. Time enough to wonder just how much damage is REALLY going to happen when it finally smacks down. And as you dance your toes away from the impact point there is even a second or two to consider how the heck you are going to lift the damn thing back up again. WHAAAAAMMM!

When I told another tech about this he just smiled a moment. And then offered a piece of advice which I have used for pushing 30 years now...with no dropped pianos ever again.

Cut yourself two pieces of 2X4 about 18" or 20" long. When you plan to tilt a piano put these under the bottom board, front to back, just inside the rear casters. Let 'em stick out an inch or three, and verify that your tilt table will clear them. The casters are no longer in contact with the ground when you tilt the piano. I generally lift one side, and kick the 2X4 into place; get it anywhere close and you can swing it into place...even with the piano resting on top. Nicer to have someone put 'em in...but not always an option, is it? :>)

Tilting off the casters, or back on, this has never failed me. It is important to have that extra couple inches sticking out from the back, so that the piano doesn't catch the edge of the 2X4 and skate away. You want to land solidly on the 'meat' of the 2X4, and they won't squirm. Straps? We don't need no stinkin' straps! Well....I did add one when I did the last set of caster replacements. Wasn't sure that the double-wheel beauties were as short as the previous set, and wanted the insurance in case the 2X4 wasn't quite tall enough, but wasn't needed after all. Solid, smooth, and safe.

Comments?

BTW; Piano Moving; I place 2X4 supports under upright pianos in the trailer, too. Getting them off the casters stops them from shifting as easily, reduces marks from straps since they don't wiggle, and just feels (...is) safer and more secure.

-------------------------------------------
Jeffrey T. Hickey, RPT
North Bend OR
tunerjeff@aol.com
Portland Chapter #972
**** Time Is the Best Teacher; Unfortunately it Kills All Its Students. *****

Many years ago I had a Baldwin 243 studio on a tilter, and it slid away from me as the casters touched the floor.  There was no damage, thankfully.  Only a big fright.

Then at a convention I attended a class where Fern Henry gave two very important steps to setting the piano upright without clamping or strapping the tilter to the backposts.  1) Turn the rear casters up and watch carefully that they do not swivel down as the tilter is lifted upright.  2) At the point where the rear casters touch the floor, pull back on the tilter so that the two prongs on the bottom of the tilter dig into the piano bottom, keeping it from moving it away from you.

-------------------------------------------
Bill Maxim, RPT
Columbia SC
803-732-9225
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 05-27-2012 16:23
From: Willem Blees
Subject: Piano Tilting- Safety Tip

Not only did my piano slide down the tilter, when the top of the piano hit the two prongs at the bottom of the tilter, it catapulted the tilter over the piano, and in the process, took a big chunk out of the top, (see picture), and landed on the bottom board, causing even more damage. As with Jeff, I was very fortunate my feet were able to get out of the way. That little incident cost me about $1800. Figuring I only charged $150 to replace the casters, it was a very expensive job.

-------------------------------------------
Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
Mililani, HI 96789
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 05-26-2012 23:58
From: Jeffrey Hickey
Subject: Piano Tilting- Safety Tip

Starting a new thread on this, just in case others have some input.

Noticed in the damper-lifter-thread that someone dropped a piano 'when the casters hit the floor' off a tilt-table. I know this feeling. There is a sickening OMG moment as the weight begins its freefall, a nasty adrenalin rush (...unless you enjoy that kind of thing), and a time-suspended eternity as you wait for the piano to finish hitting the ground. Time enough to wonder just how much damage is REALLY going to happen when it finally smacks down. And as you dance your toes away from the impact point there is even a second or two to consider how the heck you are going to lift the damn thing back up again. WHAAAAAMMM!

When I told another tech about this he just smiled a moment. And then offered a piece of advice which I have used for pushing 30 years now...with no dropped pianos ever again.

Cut yourself two pieces of 2X4 about 18" or 20" long. When you plan to tilt a piano put these under the bottom board, front to back, just inside the rear casters. Let 'em stick out an inch or three, and verify that your tilt table will clear them. The casters are no longer in contact with the ground when you tilt the piano. I generally lift one side, and kick the 2X4 into place; get it anywhere close and you can swing it into place...even with the piano resting on top. Nicer to have someone put 'em in...but not always an option, is it? :>)

Tilting off the casters, or back on, this has never failed me. It is important to have that extra couple inches sticking out from the back, so that the piano doesn't catch the edge of the 2X4 and skate away. You want to land solidly on the 'meat' of the 2X4, and they won't squirm. Straps? We don't need no stinkin' straps! Well....I did add one when I did the last set of caster replacements. Wasn't sure that the double-wheel beauties were as short as the previous set, and wanted the insurance in case the 2X4 wasn't quite tall enough, but wasn't needed after all. Solid, smooth, and safe.

Comments?

BTW; Piano Moving; I place 2X4 supports under upright pianos in the trailer, too. Getting them off the casters stops them from shifting as easily, reduces marks from straps since they don't wiggle, and just feels (...is) safer and more secure.

-------------------------------------------
Jeffrey T. Hickey, RPT
North Bend OR
tunerjeff@aol.com
Portland Chapter #972
**** Time Is the Best Teacher; Unfortunately it Kills All Its Students. *****