PLATE HOIST's

[Jim_Harvey@yca.ccmail.compuserve.com]

Here are just a few stray thoughts about hoisting, none involving an
engine hoist. All these ideas were STOLEN from colleagues around the
country while visiting their shops.

LINING THE CASE
Richard Davenport uses strips of Formica for this purpose. Rationale:
Reusable, durable, slippery on one side/doesn't mar finish on other
side, and easily conforms to curves.

"SKY" HOOKS
Wally Brooks and Bill Kasimoff both use relatively small eyehooks in
the "normal" ceiling (as opposed to huge beams, chains, and so on).
When challenged about strength, Wally asked me, "Do you think we could
both hang from that hook?" After I responded in the affirmative, he
commented that our combined weight approximated TYPICAL piano plates.
I later realized that porch and lawn swings also support a lot of
weight the same way.

CEILING ALTERNATIVE
John Bloch, RPT(d) used a beefed-up gym set frame, and used it a LOT.
Although the frame was found on the side of the road, it was not
rusted out. He used channel iron to tie the legs together and added
casters to the iron; beefed up the stress points by bolting/welding on
extra pieces, and painted it black (looked more professional than
candy-striped). This combination permitted either placing the piano
under the frame, or, wheeling the frame to the piano, whichever was
easier at the time. It just happened that the frame would 'span' the
width of the piano.

Before I had a need for hoisting plates, I envisioned something
massive and overbuilt. Figuring that the plate constituted most of the
mass of a piano, I envisioned hoisting, say, a Mason-Hamlin 'CC' --
the ENTIRE piano. When reality kicked in, I realized that this amount
of overkill (and expense) was not necessary. In other words, although
a plate constitutes a large portion of the weight of a piano, as a
stand-alone item it's not THAT heavy.

All things considered, I still prefer NOT to raise a plate alone.

Jim Harvey