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Piano moving skid dolly

  • 1.  Piano moving skid dolly

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-13-2015 18:55
      |   view attached
    Hello all,

    I am considering purchasing the moving supplies from our piano store that is no longer moving pianos. They have a dolly that I am unfamiliar with that I understand was their primary dolly and skidboard for both uprights and grands. I am attaching a picture, although it is kind of hard to see with the other junk in their van. Hopefully you can get an idea. Has anyone used this type of equipment before?

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    Peter Stevenson RPT
    P.S. Piano Service
    Prince George BC
    250-562-5358
    ps@pspianoservice.com
    -------------------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-13-2015 23:28

    Peter,
    The skid in the photo is used primarily for pianos that need to be tipped on end to get it around tight corners. Certainly if you're just beginning to venture into the piano moving business this device is overkill and is not practical for your everyday moving job. Also, a separate dolly will need to be purchased as the wheels on the skid board are not meant to move pianos for more that a few feet.

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    Roger Gable
    Gable Piano
    Everett WA
    425-252-5000
    -------------------------------------------




  • 3.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-14-2015 00:37
    Hello Roger, Thanks for your reply. I was surprised when they said that that was their primary piano moving dolly. When you say that it is for tipping pianos on their end, I assume that you mean grands, yes? I haven't had much trouble getting uprights on end. I also wonder if this tool might be useful for getting uprights up and down stairs. ------------------------------------------- Peter Stevenson RPT P.S. Piano Service Prince George BC 250-562-5358 ps@pspianoservice.com -------------------------------------------


  • 4.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Posted 04-14-2015 07:44
    To get uprights up or down stairs, remove the casters and front legs (if possible). Pad the stairs and slide the piano along. Without the wheels, there is no coaxing the casters over each tread. A little trick at the bottom of the stairs is to tip the piano on end, either onto a dolly or another pad. For going up, tip the piano on end onto a dolly. Roll the piano up to the stairs and lower it onto the staircase, this places you a good way along without struggling the first few steps. Coming down, tip on end onto a pad. rotate the piano 90 degrees and tip down to a dolly; alternatively, tip onto a dolly. If it is a hallway, roll the piano away from the stairs enough to tip onto the dolly.

    For moving equipment, contact New Haven Moving Equipment for dollies, pads and straps. A grand board is a must as is the MoonDog Grand Piano Tilter (I can't say enough good things about this tool).

    The item in the photo might be more for organs or a grand, I'd never use something like that for an upright.
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    Regards,

    Jon Page


  • 5.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Posted 04-14-2015 08:21
    Hey Peter, The device in the picture is a Buckeye Sill Truck. It was popular in the 70s & 80s for moving grands, especially up staircases. I have one that is basically used to store a grand on at this point. I agree with Jon, get thee to New Haven Moving to buy moving equipment. Get their fixed wheel dolly, skid board or boards, moving pads and straps. We use a Piano Horse for grands but I am not sure if they are still available. You will also need various todos to remove legs and lyre but you may already have those. Be sure to designate one side of your pads as the clean side and always fold them with the clean side in. A set of good pads and what New Haven calls storage pads are advisable, the cheap ones come in handy when you need to abuse a pad. As soon as you can justify the expense, grand covers and leg and lyre bags save time, we get ours from Schaff but I think New Haven has them also. Good luck and always hire enough help when you can. DP ------------------------------------------- Dale Probst Registered Piano Technician Wichita Falls TX dale@wardprobst.com -------------------------------------------


  • 6.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Posted 04-14-2015 21:46
    In my piano moving days, I simply placed a 2x6 piece of lumber on the stair case and staddled this with the piano and just pushed it up the board with little effort or slid it down with even less effort. Folded packing quilt at bottom of stairs. No fuss. ------------------------------------------- Thomas Black Decatur AL 256-350-9315 -------------------------------------------


  • 7.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Posted 04-14-2015 21:50
    ------------------------------------------- Frank Tuthill Mancos CO 970-739-9989 ------------------------------------------- At 142 pounds and nearly 63 that's just not going to work for me. Moving pianos-call a mover. I'm happy to supervise these days!


  • 8.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Posted 04-15-2015 09:28
    Amen to that, Frank!

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    John Formsma, RPT
    New Albany MS
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  • 9.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Posted 04-16-2015 07:16
    I've been using MileIQ, and I have to say it is pretty handy. It works for me because, well, I honestly can be a bit absent minded and to have one less thing to think about on the road is always a plus so I can focus on getting to my client on time and prepared. The app doesn't tend to drain my battery, and I can "close" the app. But it will still track the miles. I haven't been bothered by this app and will likely use it for years to come, especially since my car is currently shared. I can also understand the appeal of hand writing your miles.

    Regarding learning what miles constitute business- I still haven't found an answer to this one: if I am done with a client, and traveling back to my office/shop- are those miles considered business miles?

    Sophia Krishnaswami




  • 10.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-16-2015 07:47
    Sophia -
    Before anyone else responds to this, and we all go even more crazy than otherwise, please re-send your post (below) to the correct thread.  This one is about Piano Moving Skid Dolly's.   Unless, of course, that is your mode of locomotion.
    Thanks.

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    David Skolnik
    Hastings-on-Hudson NY
    914-231-7565
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  • 11.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-14-2015 11:23
    Peter,
    Yes, for grand piano tipping. Upright pianos can be moved up or down stairs by simply mounting it on a 5' skid board. You now have a smooth bottom for sliding the piano.
    Roger
    P.S.
    Another blog reader recommended purchasing your skid board from New Haven. Although we purchase a lot of our moving equipment from New Haven, I do not recommend using their skid boards for daily use -- other than for storage -- because of their weak design.
    Because of the weight distribution within a grand piano, they have a propensity to tip over on their lids. If you should have the need to lift a grand piano (while on the skid board) from the tail end you may experience a disaster. I recommend purchasing your skid boards from Jansen or Schaff.

    -------------------------------------------
    Roger Gable
    Gable Piano
    Everett WA
    425-252-5000
    -------------------------------------------




  • 12.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-14-2015 17:14
    Thanks for the ideas for moving uprights up and down stairs. I try to observe piano moves as much as I can, but most of the time I think "There has got to be a better way!"

    Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, none of these good moving supplies are available in Canada. I can't even find a Canadian source for piano skid boards! It could cost as much as $1,000 just for shipping.


    -------------------------------------------
    Peter Stevenson RPT
    P.S. Piano Service
    Prince George BC
    250-562-5358
    ps@pspianoservice.com
    -------------------------------------------




  • 13.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Posted 04-14-2015 17:29
    You can build your own at a very reasonable cost if you have woodworking
    tools and basic skills, and make them any size and strength you want.
    Like some of us, you'll find you need more skids than anticipated for
    the pianos you seem to have sitting around and breeding like coat
    hangers in the closet.
    Ron N




  • 14.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Posted 04-14-2015 20:40
    Consumerism is a dangerous ideology for the field of piano technology. Piano technicians should relearn how to think like independent, self-reliant piano builders. Consider: what would a severe economic setback do to piano technicians/rebuilders who can't buy the tools and parts that they need to function?

    Generic piano skid boards should not be purchased for exorbitant prices in ways that unnecessarily waste resources: they should be custom built [locally] to meet one's own unique requirements.


  • 15.  RE: Piano moving skid dolly

    Posted 04-14-2015 08:21

    Had one. didn't like it.

     

    Greg

     

    Greg Newell

    Greg's Piano Forte'

    www.gregspianoforte.com

    greg@gregspianoforte.com

    216-226-3791 (office)

    216-470-8634 (mobile)