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Vertical Piano Is Too Big For Doorway
By Roderick Sprattling

What's the Best Way To Disassemble a Melville Clark Piano?

I must move a Melville Clark Apollo upright player piano from a walk-in
basement.  The knees of the ornate legs make the piano a bit over two
inches too deep for the piano to pass through an internal door, down a
narrow hallway and out an external door.

Since the entire instrument needs extensive restoration anyway (in
fact, the left leg has separated enough to expose the dowels) and needs
to come apart eventually, I would prefer disassembling the thing enough
to move it instead of unframing two doorways.

My plan is to remove and package the pump motor, stack, action and
keys, and every panel that flops such as the top and keycover.  I would
then upend the piano onto a dolly, remove its front legs, and escort it
out of the building and onto the trailer.

Is this a sound plan?  What am I missing?  Can uprights be upended
without inherent damage?  Is there an on-line guide to disassembling
upright pianos?

Any help you can provide me is greatly appreciated.

Roderick Sprattling


(Message sent Fri 3 Jan 2003, 18:46:49 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

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