turning a Grand upright

[Cy Shuster]

I don't think the most likely hazard is a lyre collapse during the tilt; 
it's causing the whole structure to be weaker later on during the piano's 
life (by breaking glue joints, etc).  Most lyres I see more than a few years 
old are looser than I'd like in some direction, and it's doubtful that the 
same mover would see that same piano years later.  The cost/benefit is weak. 
Isn't there a good chance of at least breaking a glue joint loose?

Many recent keybeds contain foam; I'm sure many of them aren't all that 
massive.

The best information would be to ask piano manufacturers if they recommend 
tilting on the lyre.

--Cy--
ABQ, NM

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dean May" <deanmay at pianorebuilders.com>
To: "'Pianotech List'" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 8:00 AM
Subject: RE: turning a Grand upright


>>>I have seem lyres shattered from this practice.  More importantly. I
> suspect that the entire weight of the piano, being born at the center of 
> the
> keybed can do no good to the key regulation.
> Don't do it!
> Frank Emerson
>
>
>
> Then why is it standard practice for Keyboard Carriage to use the lyre 
> when
> they are putting a 9 foot piano on a skid?
>
> As a PianoDisc installer who has cut into lots of keybeds and a mechanical
> engineer with a modicum of structural strength comprehension I have every
> confidence that those massively thick keybeds, often reinforced with 
> another
> traverse member attached underneath, can handle the weight. In fact, it 
> was
> at my PianoDisc training session in the early 90's where I first saw the
> practice, it was standard procedure in their factory.
>
> I have seen one lyre break by doing this (thankfully it wasn't me that did
> it). It was an 1890's with ornate lyre, not straight legs. And that mover
> was not employing the brace that I showed in the previous post. No way it
> would have broken with that brace. Using that brace makes the whole thing
> unbelievably strong. There is absolutely no flexure of the lyre.
>
> Even so, I would not do it on a lyre with curved ornate legs. Just use 
> good
> judgment. If the legs and lyre are rickety from the start you may have
> problems no matter what you do.
>
>
> Dean
>
> Dean May             cell 812.239.3359
>
> PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272
>
> Terre Haute IN  47802