Pianotech

  • 1.  Twin Dolly Installation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 10-16-2021 17:38
    I've installed many Heavy Duty Twin Dollies over the years, sold by Schaff.  I secure them with lag bolts not only to the back of vertical pianos, but also underneath.  I've seen too many broken bolts when only secured on the back.

    i've always gotten a helper to tilt the piano onto its side.  My piano tilter is of no help, because it covers the very part of the piano where the dollies will be mounted.

    Has anyone found a one- person method of doing this, short of visiting the gym and taking steroids?

    Thanks!

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    Thomas Armstrong
    Salinas CA
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  • 2.  RE: Twin Dolly Installation

    Posted 10-17-2021 00:18
    Have a person counter-balance at one end while you lift the other end and place the piano on its side.  Offset your tilter to attach one dolly, rest for the other.

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    Regards,

    Jon Page
    mailto:jonpage@comcast.net
    http://www.pianocapecod.com
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  • 3.  RE: Twin Dolly Installation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 10-18-2021 14:06
    I tried to tilt a U1 that had heavy duty twin dollies installed to remove a buzzing caster, but the dollies prevented the tilt to happen (I had no assistant.
    If you use the tilter and then install the dollies, make sure you can get the piano back to the floor without interference from the installed dollies.

    Joe Wiencek
    NYC




  • 4.  RE: Twin Dolly Installation

    Member
    Posted 10-17-2021 04:47
    This is a good question Thomas, thanks for asking. I am getting ready to install my first set of HD dollies from Schaff on a church piano. I have studied Scott Cole's (RPT) new article in the October issue of the PTG Journal (pg 37) on installation of twin dollies using the tileter. He moves the piano back on the tilter and puts 2x4 blocks on the ends of the lift so the 2.5 wheels don't cause the piano to slip out when uprighting. I wondered if it works on these HD dollies with the 5 Inch wheels.

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    Kevin Magill
    Williamsburg VA
    757-220-2420
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  • 5.  RE: Twin Dolly Installation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 10-18-2021 17:49
    I think the distance from the bottom board to the floor will be the same regardless of the wheel diameter. The blocks are a good idea but a furniture strap around the cabinet, below the keybed will insure against disaster.

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    Steven Rosenthal
    Honolulu HI
    808-521-7129
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  • 6.  RE: Twin Dolly Installation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 10-20-2021 01:50
    I have one of those portable fold-up piano tilters.  I don't find that it's too wide to interfere with the installation of the twin dollies.  However the problem, as has been noted,  is setting the piano back down on the floor with the dollies attached.  Scott Cole's solution was the addition of the spacing blocks.  I also strap the frame of the tilter to the back posts,  but then I put down a couple triangular sticks on the floor to act as wedges to stop the wheels from sliding out from underneath when putting the piano back down on the floor.
     I would also like to remark on the importance of using only the highest grade bolts (through the bottom board) and lag screws.  I've had the cheaper one's break the heads off under duress.  Look for a minimum of 3 radial slashes on the head of the bolt.

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    Cecil Snyder
    Torrance CA
    310-542-7108
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  • 7.  RE: Twin Dolly Installation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 10-19-2021 14:07


  • 8.  RE: Twin Dolly Installation

    Posted 10-19-2021 14:18
    Somewhere, I have seen a long lever, wheeled L-shaped pry bar that can be used to lift one side...  Does that ring a bell with anyone? The one I was interested in was offset so that when the bar reaches the ground, the load is balanced and you can walk away and place a block nearer the middle of the piano for support. I've also seen folks using some sort of pump-up air motorcycle lift?

    I have a really heavy-duty 2-wheel dolly that I can place under one side and then lift. It requires a bit of a circus move to hold the dolly down on the floor while placing a block... 

    Installing the dolly is then a two-step process for each side - lift, set in place. Install back bolts. Lift again to work from the bottom to install the bottom bolts.

    Ron Koval

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    Ron Koval
    Chicagoland
    rontuner@hotmail.com
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  • 9.  RE: Twin Dolly Installation

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 10-19-2021 14:25
    Lower logic didn't like my last approach so here's this:

    Mr. Armstrong,
    I'll try and upload some photos of how I did something similar using a KTT piano lifter. I used the lifter under one end and a 3x4 block under the other. If you have a right angle drill you'd probably have enough room to add the bottom screws after you've installed the back screws. Best of luck. Oh, and just because I was dumb enough to do the job alone is no reason that you should do the same.



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    Karl Roeder
    Pompano Beach FL
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