Replacement Casters & New Tool

[Farrell]

I've been using the Darnell double-wheel casters. They seem pretty
substantial. Is this the type that has been a problem? Or are the ones
falling apart the standard supply-house type - the ones that "are approved
by school boards", or some such rot?

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph Alkana" <jfa19@IDT.NET>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2000 12:46 AM
Subject: Re: Replacement Casters & New Tool


>
>
> John Ross wrote:
> >
> > Hi List,
> > I have had my second school, complain of the replacement double
> > rubber wheel casters, splitting.
> > The supplier tells me he has had no complaints from anyone else.
> > The schools insist that there was no rough moving involved. (Naturally)
> > They had been installed less than a year before.
> >
> > Has anyone else had this problem?
> >
> > As a tie in with caster replacement. I found a wonderful tool that
> > enlarges the cavity for the casters. It is called a Rotozip, spiral saw.
> > I don't like building up the caster height with the spacers, making it
> > higher.
> > Another tool I recently found, was a mini heat gun, by Ryobi, only
> > $20 Cdn. I intend to use it where I previously used the small propane
> > torch. It is 350W and gives heat up to 350C, and weighs .9lb.
> > Regards
> >
> > John M. Ross,
> > Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada.
>
> John,
> Thanks for the great tip on using the Rotozip. I've been wanting to try
> one out but hadn't really come up with a use to justify the cost. Guess
> that's all changed now. Any special set up or method you use?
>
> I, too, have had new castors split up on me this past year. Also the
> facility engineers claim no rough treatment was perpetrated on the those
> hapless instruments involved. I believe the castors came from APSCO.
> Could be just a bad batch or something. Probably going to be hard to get
> the suppliers to fess up to shoddy parts. Frankly, I think we're going
> to see more of this in the future, but I digress pessimistically! Of
> course, the best solution for pianos in an institutional setting is to
> use a suitable piano truck intended to take greater abuse than the stock
> wheels. If the party that owns the piano doesn't want to put up the
> money for an adequate transport, then you can get the extra $$ to repair
> same when the wheels come off again!
>
> Joseph Alkana
>