Pianotech

A question for the group.

I have been hired ( at least temporarily) to take care of a Steinway D located in a community center.  The piano is stored in a large closet off of a main hall or meeting room.  When the piano is used they roll it out onto a small riser.   It's basically only an inch or so off the floor.  Sort of a pad especially for the piano.

So my question is this,  the piano has those individual leg dolly's with three wheels on each leg.  On a piano this large is this ok?  Is there any disadvantage of leg dolly's vs the web type dolly that connects all the legs?

They only roll it out a couple of times a year.  The riser has a metal lip around the perimeter.  Are these three wheel leg casters ok on a 9' piano?  

Thanks in advance for any advice or input.

Steve Blasyak 

Steve

I hope you mean the three-wheel dollies that are attached to each leg the same as regular casters, and not the ones that are not attached and are used to move a piano around the shop for refinishing.  

What concerns me most is when the piano is moved onto the special pad. Even though it's only an inch or so high, that's enough to snap off a leg if the piano is just run onto the pad. Please make sure the community center people know how to properly move the piano out of the closet onto the pad. Each leg needs to be lifted up onto the pad, not just pushed up. It will take at least two strong backs to lift the piano. 

BTW, if moving the piano out of the closet onto the pad is part of your responsibility when you tune the piano, tell them that you can't do this yourself. Tell them you need help each time. If no one is there to help you, please don't do this yourself. You'll hurt yourself. (trust me on this) If no one is around when it's time to move the piano, just tune it in the closet and let the community center people move it later. 

Wim

New client, I don't know how long these individual leg dolly's have been in place.  

What I plan to do is perhaps just price a web type dolly and pass the info along.

Steve 

Yes I said three wheel dolly, each leg has a dolly with three wheels.  To clarify.

I am not responsible for moving it.  

Yes I am concerned enough to ask the experts in this group.  If a leg were to snap it's not my responsibility, I was curious of any opinion of the difference between the three wheeled leg dolly and the more traditional web type dolly.  

Thanks for your input.

Steve