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Sunday, November 23, 2008

How to Move a Stove

...where there's a wheel...

Some of the same principles used to move a house seem to work to move a stove. First, someone has to want to move a stove. In this case, John really, really wants his 6 burner Wedgewood stove with two ovens in and operational before Thanksgiving. That is "Wedgewood" with an "e" to distinguish it from Wedgwood pottery in England. My 4 burner, one griddle, one oven O'Keefe and Merritt just will no longer do. So the will is there. I graciously volunteer to assist and to clean behind the O'K&M before the even larger but just as antique W moves in.

Second - a clear path from B to K (barn to kitchen) and K to C (kitchen to cottage next door) must be found. Ok - got that taken care of. Lot's and lots of steps though...

Third - an appliance dolly. Large appliances built in the 1950's need a very up to date appliance dolly with good straps and step rollers above the dolly wheels. No problem, John takes care of that while I do the dirty work.

Fourth - heavy duty "simple green" solution to clean behind a stove so heavy it is only moved when it leaves the house. It takes longer than the dolly errand, so there is a bit of stand around time. As a supervisor John could lean on his shovel, but instead he makes sure the parts of each appliance are grouped together - they look so similar...

Fifth - dit dit dit dah - as Beethoven said - the dolly wheels O'K&M from K to C, then W from B to K. One step at a time, very carefully and slowly, John on one end and me on the other. Amazing the power of lever, fulcrum, wheel, and will.

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