In the past, there had been really good discussions in this forum about standard quality-made cordura quilted piano covers with double thick batting offering fair protection. However, even these are not invincible when certain individuals rolling pianos around are not being careful enough, either due to forgetting about the momentum/weight, the value of a finish, simply not thinking, or without experience as they may not have attended my annual stage tech crew training with rigorous warnings, which realistically can't reach everybody on campus who might associate with pianos. Even with a bumper of thick pipe insulation in a sock velcroed around the perimeter, there's no perfect assurance against damages if at speed, not to mention other stage equipment bumping the rim below this line, or the lid height difference between a D and a B when in nesting positions.
Together with the theater costume technician who runs an industrial sewing machine on campus, I brought up the idea of looking into creating a more collision proof cover than those typically available, suggesting materials that are intended for impact resistance. We are looking for some ideas. Doing some browsing at the local Joaan's, I found a roll of this stuff: Black Playmat Utility Fabric | JOANN Could this be sewn into the middle layers for a better effect than standard batting? Could its assembly/internal layout guide folding crease lines via sectional panels? (At first I was just envisioning wrap-around leg protectors using it, which is feasible.)
P.S. This is for an institution where there is not really a dedicated storage "garage" for concert pianos, where space is at a premium, and there has been historical resistance to building one.
Thank you,
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Adrian Carcione RPT
Cal Poly Humboldt
Eureka CA
(805) 823-3231
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