[CAUT] Leg support blocks- and movers

[ed440 at mindspring.com]

Perhaps in a high move situation one could attach each wedge to its leg with two screw eyes and a length of picture framing wire, leaving enough slack to tap out the wedge.
ES

-----Original Message-----
>From: Horace Greeley <hgreeley at stanford.edu>
>Sent: Jul 6, 2006 8:30 PM
>To: College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>
>Subject: Re: [CAUT] Leg support blocks- and movers
>
>
>Hi, Ken,
>
>I think Dennis is talking about the wood wedges.
>
>The problem is that they are _supposed_ to be planed to fit, in 
>pairs, after the stationary wedge is installed.  That is, most of the 
>actually planing-to-fit occurs on the loose piece.
>
>Movers are notorious for bunging these things up to the point of 
>being structurally dangerous.  The only thing that I have ever found 
>which slows the process down is to prominently label the loose wedge 
>with the same number that is stamped into the top of the leg.  Even then....
>
>In terms of the cam locks...while I think that the wedges are 
>structurally stronger, the cam locks usually do not get detached from 
>the instrument and so, usually, are not so easily messed up.
>
>Best.
>
>Horace
>
>
>At 04:11 PM 7/6/2006, you wrote:
>>Hey, Dennis,
>>
>>I have that problem here on one of our Ds - the one that's moved most.  It
>>is an older one that has the cam blocks that hold the legs & lyre in place,
>>like the S/M/L do.  Is that what you're talking about?  I had considered
>>replacing the cams with the sliding wedges like the current Ds have.  That
>>seems like it would be a more robust system.  If the movers don't have to
>>loosen/tighten screws, they have less of a chance of screwing things up.
>>
>>Regards,
>>Ken Z.
>>
>>
>>On 7/6/06 4:23 PM, "johnsond at stolaf.edu" <johnsond at stolaf.edu> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> > Hi-
>> >
>> > Just wondering if others of you have had problems with your movers
>> > damaging leg and pedal support blocks under concert grands- and how,
>> > maybe, you fixed/resolved the situation. They mixed up the wedge shims,
>> > and forced them to the point that now (over a little time) the blocks are
>> > angled and ripping out.  Unfortunately we must move some of our concert
>> > grands way too much, but still, this could have been prevented with some
>> > care.  I do my best to keep things tight, of course, but simply can not
>> > supervise all the moves. They are a private company and we're in process
>> > of researching a different option, but of course it's my problem to
>> > repair.  The screws are ripped out bad enough that the piano can't be
>> > trusted till something is done.
>> >
>> >
>> > thanks,
>> >
>> > dennis johnson
>> > st. olaf college
>> >
>>
>>--
>>Ken Zahringer, RPT
>>Piano Technician
>>MU School of Music
>>297 Fine Arts
>>882-1202
>>cell 489-7529
>