I had imagined that I could use the HD 2" double wheel casters in the back, in the existing 7/8" deep 2-3/8 dia. holes for the originals that IF I ALSO could find hard rubber casters the same as the originals in the toe blocks (20mm.), the pedals would only be lifted 1/4". But for a 20mm. dia. wheel, the load rating drops greatly when going from brass/iron to rubber. Also this arrangement produces a 4º slant toward the front (the direction which helps the forward lean of the piano's back). And I wasn't sure whether the stems would need a backwards 4º tilt to keep the stems vertical, or whether the a 4º tilt of normal would even get in the way of the wheels aligning themselves for traveling.
I also toyed with the idea of attached a 2" square of 3/4" plywood to the bottom board, that the pianist could place their heels. This would raide along with the piano, but on the floor (with a layer of something to be the actual contact surface with the floor).
In the end, I figured that if the above twin dollies' 3/4" pedal lift was wrong for pianists, they would have been redesigned. 3/4" must be tolerable.
Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2023 10:41
From: Keith Roberts
Subject: Real Casters for a Yamaha T118 Vertical
I had the problem of too high pedals on an upright I put casters on. There was no way to recess the wheels. The pedals were about 3+ inches above the floor
The Schimmel came with no wheels. It was a 1950's and had a continuous rim plate.
I saw the pedals were brass or I had a set of brass ones that were similar. I forget. I cut the front off the pedals and brazed it back together at a lower height. I gained 1 1/2".
I was amazed that the brazing rod was the same color as the pedal and when I ground it smooth, you couldn't see the joint.
They looked like it came from the factory that way.
Purely accidental but when it happens that way on your first try and they work perfectly, you wonder if that will ever happen again,,
Original Message:
Sent: 6/3/2023 9:16:00 PM
From: Bill Ballard
Subject: RE: Real Casters for a Yamaha T118 Vertical
I could ask Yamaha. However if your casters didn't change the pedal height (and if you didn't have to sink them deeper into the wooden frame), then they must have been the same size. I think it's really worthwhile to go from the ~20mm originals up to the standard for non-living room pianos - 2" dia. hard rubber, double-wheel, double-race ball-bearing casters.
I'm planning on mounting the new casters up higher in the frame, so as to enjoy the larger dia. wheels AND not change the pedal height.
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William Ballard RPT
WBPS
Saxtons River VT
802-869-9107
"Our lives contain a thousand springs
and dies if one be gone
Strange that a harp of a thousand strings
should keep in tune so long."
...........Dr. Watts, "The Continental Harmony,1774
+++++++++++++++++++++
Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2023 18:49
From: Richard West
Subject: Real Casters for a Yamaha T118 Vertical
Bill
Many years ago I replaced the brass castors on a Yamaha U1. I got replacement casters from Yamaha, so replacement didn't affect pedal height and the replacements didn't require any case modifications. Maybe Yamaha doesn't supply the rubber double-wheel type caster for all models.
Just thought I'd ask, if you checked with Yamaha for their caster rather than trying to make a Schaff caster work.
Richard West
Original Message:
Sent: 6/3/2023 6:25:00 PM
From: Bill Ballard
Subject: RE: Real Casters for a Yamaha T118 Vertical
Hardwood. It's a community that used to be a laundromat. Nicely redone, too.
------------------------------
William Ballard RPT
WBPS
Saxtons River VT
802-869-9107
"Our lives contain a thousand springs
and dies if one be gone
Strange that a harp of a thousand strings
should keep in tune so long."
...........Dr. Watts, "The Continental Harmony,1774
+++++++++++++++++++++
Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2023 17:23
From: Larry Messerly
Subject: Real Casters for a Yamaha T118 Vertical
Carpet or hard wood floor?
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Larry Messerly, RPT
Bringing Harmony to Homes
www.lacrossepianotuning.com
ljmesserly@gmail.com
928-899-7292
Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2023 16:41
From: Bill Ballard
Subject: Real Casters for a Yamaha T118 Vertical
I need to put a set of Schaff #592 HD casters (with die-cast sockets CP-1C) on this piano (which ships with brass casters 1.17" below the piano's bottom - your basic living room wheels). The back wheels mount in sockets in a 2.48" dia. well, 7/8" deep. The front wheels are plate-mounted (in an undercut portion of the toe blocks), and are the same 1.17" from the bottom board.
From my measurements and drawings, if I leave the back wheels' wells at their current depth, they'll raise the pedals by 1.25". I'm prepared to provide the mounting surfaces which will get the new wheels to match the old, as far as the gap between the floor and piano bottom. But is raising the pedals by 1.25" something a pianist would notice? Or would trouble begin more like +2" of pedal height?
TIA
------------------------------
William Ballard RPT
WBPS
Saxtons River VT
802-869-9107
"Our lives contain a thousand springs
and dies if one be gone
Strange that a harp of a thousand strings
should keep in tune so long."
...........Dr. Watts, "The Continental Harmony,1774
+++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------