[CAUT] spiral staircase...

Wed Jul 21 19:44:08 MDT 2010

Greg-
What's nuts about it? I've seen it done and it worked beautifully. The movers had a skid with a short toe, like an "L"  They moved both grand and vertical pianos (rotated 90 degrees), up and down narrow spiral staircases. The architecture was too tight to slide the piano on the stairs. The only way it could fit was "standing up longways." The movers of the company I worked for could not get the pianos up the stairs, so the other movers were called in for the jobs. 
Ed
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Greg Newell 
  To: 'Ed Sutton' ; caut at ptg.org 
  Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 9:31 PM
  Subject: RE: [CAUT] spiral staircase...

  Ed,

                  With all due respect … that’s nuts. I’m a mover and I’d never do one that way. 

  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 Ed Sutton
  Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 9:13 PM
  To: caut at ptg.org
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] spiral staircase...

  Remove action, music desk and lid. Wrap the piano and strap a skid to the spine. The skid should have a foot that extends around the front of the cheek and keybed. Add appropriate straps for holding and lifting. Stand the piano straight up (spine vertical, keybed down). Walk it up the stairs. The skid can support the piano as needed. You can go up one step at a time. Pay the movers to do it, and stand back and watch.

  es

    ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: Greg Newell 

    To: caut at ptg.org 

    Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 8:50 PM

    Subject: Re: [CAUT] spiral staircase...

    Recently took one down. I suggest nose first going up, always. The guy on the bottom will have a hard time as he has to swing as he pushes. It’s doable though.

    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 Peter
    Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 4:04 PM
    To: caut at ptg.org
    Subject: Re: [CAUT] spiral staircase...

    Anyone tried to get a grand piano up a spiral staircase?

    Keyboard or nose first?

    Was thinking that straightening the staircase would be easier.

    Think I'll get those guys pushing that piano, after a damage evaluation.

    Sent from my iPhone

    On Jul 21, 2010, at 12:44 PM, Kent Swafford <kswafford at gmail.com> wrote:

      Arggh. Lead with the keyboard end first so that obstacles will tend to move the lyre back into the lyre support rods. Sorry,

      Kent

      On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 2:18 PM, Kent Swafford <kswafford at gmail.com> wrote:

      How far is a long distance in this case?

      Perhaps I can reinforce what Ron says.

      Here at UMKC, the pro theater company borrows pianos at times. I insist that I move the piano by myself. They usually ignore me and gather 5-9 guys around the piano and move it for me. They once moved a D off a 2 inch platform, keyboard first; as they were half-way down the hall, they "didn't do anything; the pedals simply fell off." They had broken the lyre off our #1 piano.

      I would suggest that the minimum precaution be to remove the lyre before starting the move. If you cannot remove the lyre, then at least move the piano over thresholds and such _tail-first_, so that you will push the lyre against its support rods if it happens to make contact.

      The fewer people pushing, the better; one or two should be sufficient.. Really. Move at about a third the speed you would expect to be appropriate. You cannot steer or brake a fast-moving piano.

      Kent

      On Jul 21, 2010, at 12:10 PM, Ron Nossaman wrote:

      > reggaepass at aol.com wrote:
      >> In a few days, I will be moving a piano on a stage dolly a long distance with a group of high school piano students.  We are not turning it on its side on a skid board, but simply pushing it.  What collective wisdom should I be to impart to these impressionable youths about how the do-s and don't-s of pushing around pianos?
      >
      > Inadvisable. If there's ANY way not to, don't.
      >
      > If not:
      >
      > Supervise! Someone of legal age needs to be there to fill out the accident report paperwork.
      >
      > Lid down, fall board closed. I know, but it's not necessarily obvious to high school kids, some of whom have likely never thought before.
      >
      > No more than three touching the piano at any given time. Trade off as they get tired, with the rest of the crew over there out of the way. Steering and speed control by mob whim can quickly become the end of piano function as we know it. Also dangerous for the moving units, whether they understand that or not.
      >
      > Walking speed is at least twice as fast as you ought to be going. Enforce it.
      >
      > Approaching thresholds, expansion joints, or any surface discontinuity, they will universally attempt to speed up and jump it. If you could find someone foolish enough to bet against it, you could make some easy money. The problem is that dollies don't jump obstacles. Make them slow down instead. Taze one periodically if necessary.
      >
      > Lyre clearance - lyre clearance - lyre clearance etc.
      >
      > There's more, but I'm starting to get the shakes...
      > Ron N

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