DIY Piano Dolly

Ever since the piano was invented, people have struggled to move them.

Moving a piano requires expertise and equipment. However, if your move does not involve stairs and your truck has a lift gate, you can easily make your own piano dolly for use with upright pianos. A dolly will help you move a piano without causing you too much strain.

Things You'll Need

• 3/4-plywood sheet -- at least 16" x 28"
• Four 4-inch swivel casters
• 16 carriage bolts, 1/4 inch in diameter and 1 1/2 inches long
• 16 1/4-inch lock nuts
• Table saw
• Pencil
• Drill with 1/4-inch bit
• 1/4-inch socket wrench
• Sandpaper (optional)

Instructions

1. If the 3/4-inch sheet of plywood is larger than 16 inches by 28 inches, use the table saw to cut it to those dimensions.

2. Sand the edges of the plywood, if you like. This is helpful to avoid dents and finish scrapes on your piano, or on walls and trim.

3. Arrange a caster on the plywood. Keeping the caster about 1 inch from the edges of the plywood, trace through the four holes with the pencil to mark the spots to drill. Do this for each corner of the plywood.

4. Drill 16 holes for the casters' bolts.

5. Run the carriage bolt through the top of the plywood and then through the caster. Bolt each caster to the plywood, fastening with the lock nuts.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use lock washers and regular nuts instead of lock nuts if you prefer, but be sure to use some method of keeping the nuts from slipping.

• You can also wrap a piece of a moving blanket or a soft carpet around the top of the dolly, stapling it to the underside with standard industrial staples.

• Moving a grand piano requires removing the piano legs, and special equipment to keep the piano from falling to one side while in transit. Do not attempt to move your own grand piano.

• Do not attempt to move a piano by yourself. You will need at least three strong workers to help you with this.

References

• Piano Moving Dollies