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What's the quickest/easiest way to protect the case when removing or installing the plate?

Are there any quick clips available?

Anything, thick carboard is good, thin aluminium with felt inside. I generally install protections all around the belly, but at the time the plate is installed they are too thick .

Long wood dowels to locate the plate holes can help too.

Protection is generally not necessary if you have the plate properly balanced with your rigging of the straps and you have a few extra hands to help. If doing this alone with a chain lift or a cherry picker/engine lift, I've seen the stick on foam/rubber weather stripping strips used on homes serve well as protectors.

The plate can't be lowered down level in this piano. The left side must be angled down about 6" in order to clear part of the case.
I ended up placing card stock over the edge of the case held in place with aluminum clips.

So far I removed and installed the plate twice and it's worked out quite well.

Looks good Dan. What is on the left side you have to get by?

Nice pic, say it all !

Good point Isaac....... Dan, how about a shot from reverse angle to show the left side?

Thanks for the look Dan, I suspected it was one of those. I see how you have the front straps offset so they are vertical when the plate is 6 inches higher on the right. Or maybe that is the camera lens cheating a little.

Dan,

There is a trick ... you should come by ad I will show you.

One person, in and out, simple ..

Bit of a long walk for me Larry, I expect you are addressing Dan?(woodfab)

Hello Larry, sounds good I always appreciate advice.

Also thanks for the replies guys.

Well after resting the plate in to check the bridge height I found out that I threw out the wrong pin-block.

OOPS! Haven't cut out the new one yet.

Greetings,
I have case protectors made from aluminum gutter material. Any on-site gutter truck will have scraps. I sprayed adhesive on one side and glued cheap felt to it, sliced it up into 12" lengths,and bent them over the rim. I have used the same 10 or so pieces for 30 years and they still work.
Regards,

I have the same, but I use the carboard from the bass wire I receive to make adapted shape for the plate braces , just in case a string does not finish where it is intended for !

I also use the aluminium U shaped things to hold blankets or cloths so the inside of the case is protected all along. (this setup is too thick at the moment of insertion of the plate , that is why I install it only after) .

I have also rolls of paper used for the car painting. I like to leave some just in front of the agrafes, it may have avoided some scratches ...

One of the first things I do when a frame (plate) is removed from a piano rim is smooth off the edges with an abrasive grinding wheel on my 4 1/2" grinder.

A flap-disc with a 36- to 40-grit ceramic abrasive will cut the rough edges quickly -- the whole job takes about five minutes -- and will reduce the danger of damaging the finish to almost nothing even without any additional protection.

All you really need to do is remove the rough edges left over from the casting molds but if you want to slightly round the edge it will be good insurance against scratching the finish on the inner rim.

ddf

My whole problem is that you are lifting a plate from a Kimball piano. Why would you rebuild a Kimball??WHY!

Why do you keep replying to threads that are over a year old?

Cut the guy some slack. He's new and just catching up on interesting conversations...