What Are Ball Castors?

By Author: Carn Gerrish
Total Articles: 26
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Pianos are enormous and bulky making them unwieldy to move around frequently. While in the house they are kept stationary, in concert halls and on stage, they are repeatedly moved around. In contrast to other instruments, the piano is large, yet fragile, making it delicate cargo. It is therefore best to fix castors onto a piano, not only to ensure smooth operation, but also to ensure a safe operation- for the piano and the worker.


The perfect type of castors for instruments such as pianos is the heavy-duty and extra heavy-duty kind. A normal piano weighs roughly 660lbs. However, this is solely a rough estimate, as the weight of each piano depends on its metal. Grand pianos range between 500lbs-1000lbs, while their smaller counterparts, the full size uprights and the average console or spinet weighs relatively around 700-1000 pounds, and 300-500 pounds respectively. Thus, it is safe to assume that pianos at a glance belong to the heavier group on the weight scale. While a heavy-duty sack truck can shift it over a large surface area, moving a piano over a marginally smaller area would be easiest with piano ...
... castors.


Piano castors have special components called piano castor cups. Castor cups operate as furniture pads, ensuring that when the piano is stationary, it does not destroy the surface due to exaggerated weight. They are available as twin wheeled castor cups and single wheel castor cups. Castor cups can be polished brass, antique brass, chrome, and many other materials. Additionally, some castor cups come in specific glide versions for carpet floors, to prevent the castor from making an impression and damaging the surface. They can be installed onto the piano legs, similar to the way normal castors fit onto machinery and furniture and are perfect for any floor type.


It is common knowledge that soft castors are great for hard floor surfaces, while the opposite is true for soft floors, such as carpets. Considering the heavy weight of a piano, experts believe that brass piano castors are the best option. These wheels are floor safe, and comfortably carry the total weight of the piano. Furthermore they believe that the focus when attaching castors onto pianos should chiefly be to provide absolute solidity, and elasticity to reduce damage to the instrument, as the piano is sensitive to vibrations, therefore particularly susceptible during movement.


Double-wheeled rubber casters are also a favorite type of piano caster as they are strong, and versatile on many surfaces. These double-wheeled rubber casters are sturdy and provide excellent shock resistance during grueling and harsh transportations.


Just as much as it is important to have piano casters fitted on pianos, it is likewise important to have proper and consistent servicing. The level of friction on these casters is comparatively more than standard casters, and should therefore be lubricated and serviced repeatedly to ensure no friction is present between the wheels and pivots.


The benefit of installing piano casters is unmistakable. Aside from helping easier mobility, they cause little or no strain on the workers, while consistently reducing the chances of mishaps and most importantly damage to the piano. Since there are hosts of piano casters available on the market, it is best to solicit the advice of experts, to ensure the castor supports the weight of the piano, and does not damage the surface.
Visit http://www.bil-castors-and-wheels.co.uk for further resources on castors and casters