[CAUT] The Piano Horse

[Greg Newell]

PW,

                Better make sure all your moving customers have very high
ceilings over their stairs.

 

Greg Newell

Greg's Piano Forté

www.gregspianoforte.com

216-226-3791 (office)

216-470-8634 (mobile)

 

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Paul T
Williams
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 9:53 AM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] The Piano Horse

 


I want one of those Holzter "track-O" movers!  Way cool and back saving up
and down stairs, trucks, etc.  Probably spendy, though... 

pw 





Ken Zahringer <ZahringerK at missouri.edu> 
Sent by: caut-bounces at ptg.org 

01/11/2008 08:30 AM 


Please respond to
College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>


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Subject

Re: [CAUT] The Piano Horse

 

		




Yes, I've got one, and YES it is absolutely worth it.  I floated the idea to
the director a couple of years ago after we got a bill for around $1200 for
a round trip move on a weekend for our jazz festival.  They were quite
receptive.

BUT-- Don't just buy the horse.  The old school way is still way too much
work.  Here's the system I put together: I have the Piano Horse.  We also
bought the Grand Chariot that Gordon talked about
http://www.premiermovingequipment.com/  It's fantastic.  Why tip a piano all
the way down to the floor, then lift it up again onto a dolly?  One problem,
though: the Horse is designed to tip a piano onto a skid on the floor.  If
you're tipping onto a Chariot, the whole side of the piano is on the
platform, and the Horse is out of the picture, when the piano is at about a
45 degree angle, and you just have to heave it up the rest of the way.  SO,
I built a ramp for the Horse to ride up to the Chariot height (picture
attached).   The length of the ramp is based on the curve length of the
Horse, so it sets the piano down 3-4" past the edge of the Chariot platform.
I can send you dimensions if you want (it's in a closet at the other end of
the building).  I also built my own jack-in-the-box, or rather
jack-on-a-post.  I screwed a bunch of 2X4s together to make a post, screwed
on plywood top and bottom caps, and attached a bottle jack (picture also
attached).  For pads and a bag for legs and lyre, check out Holzter Moving
Gear http://www.holzter.com/ They've got some neat stuff.

Our Wind Ensemble has a Steinway M that they use in the percussion section
at all concerts.  Rehearsal room and concert hall are three blocks apart
(naturally!).  I pack up the piano by myself for every concert, and it's no
big deal.  I just have one of the students help me roll it up the ramp into
the truck (with the rest of the percussion equipment, etc, that is moved for
every concert).  If we have to move a concert grand, I get two student
helpers.  We've been using this rig for two years now, and it has already
paid for itself, and then some.  Figure this: a normal move used to cost
$200-$250 each way.  Wind Ensemble has three concerts per semester.  That's
$2500-3000 in moving costs each year, not counting any other moves.  All the
gear I bought, including pads, straps, etc, was just under $1500.  It works
for us.

Regards,
Ken Z.
I'm 50, but I'm in denial :-)


On 1/10/08 1:23 PM, "Douglas Wood" <dew2 at u.washington.edu> wrote:

> Are any of you using Jansen's Piano Horse for moving grands around
> you facility? We are currently hiring outside movers, and I'm
> wondering if it would be worth purchasing one.
> 
> Doug Wood

-- 
Ken Zahringer, RPT
Piano Technician
MU School of Music
297 Fine Arts
882-1202
cell 489-7529



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