# anyone repurposed an old upright piano



## lathman (Oct 25, 2012)

i came across an old upright piano…over a hundred years old….great looking zebra oak body with a birdseye maple inside….i am thinking of turning it into a desk or bar…..anyone with experience tearing the guts out of one???just looking for any tips before i start…..why am i doing this….....just crazy enough to try i guess!


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

Before you start cutting it up, you might want to find out if there is any greater value in that item as an antique piano. There should be some manufacturer's information, and maybe a serial number, inside the piano. The internals of an old piano are very heavy. Make sure you have some help when you take out the sound board. I wouldn't recommend cutting the strings until they were loosened-some of those strings are very tight, so loosen the tuning pegs before removing the strings. I've seen one show where they repurposed an old piano to make a bar. There were not a lot of details presented though. Good luck with the project.


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## alba (Jul 31, 2010)

You got my attention

I got two upright piano's and I'm

looking at re-skinning one of them

with natural edges.

jamie


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## BentheViking (May 19, 2011)

sounds like a cool project.. cant wait to see the photos


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

The "plate" holding the strings can have upwards of 14,000 lbs. of string pressure.
The sound board could have valuable wood for guitar makers using the board for tops.
The body will likely be veneered.
The keys might have ivory surfacing. Underline "MIGHT".
My first job, a zillion years ago, was working in a piano refurb shop. We found some astounding wood and other material in those old beauties. 
Look at the piano with the thought of further use.
Bill


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## davidmicraig (Nov 21, 2009)

If you take it apart, do not throw away the keys. If they are wooden, the black keys are more than likely made of ebony, the white out of holly. Both fairly expensive woods and useful for small projects or accents to larger ones.

Have fun,

David


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## lathman (Oct 25, 2012)

end of first day…..i don't work all that hard so…...all the easy stuff off….now how should i go about "removing the beast"? any thoughts.otherwise i will figure it out tomorrow


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## lathman (Oct 25, 2012)

oops here's the end of the first day …...


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

That's beautiful lathman. Once you get down to wood and refinish it with something that will make it pop. Age has dulled it. I bet that wood is crazy hard now too.


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

Wow. Coincidence. I saved a spinet piano from the landfill and it's in my shop. I think it will hold a TV inside when I get done with it.

Here's the general idea:

I think it couild be done without any visual clues. Keys showing, music on the music holder, push the button on the remote and up comes the plasma.

Anyone done this?

Kindly,

Lee


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## davidmicraig (Nov 21, 2009)

I think I would be the type that would more likely make a rustic bookcase out of a TV than use a rustic bookcare to hold one


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

That's a really nice looking ornate piano….my opinion is that it'd be a shame to do anything but restore it as a beautiful functioning piano.


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

Hate to say this, but that piano is most likely worth more as a…piano. Tiger oak, nice Empire styling, that could go for well over $1200-1500 refinished, maybe even $2000, as long as all the hammers, tappets, and other parts are there. All the keys there? Boy, I'd be hard pressed to dismantle that one.
I refinished a few pianos in my time, not that hard. Hope you have not taken it apart past the point of no return yet.


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## 489tad (Feb 26, 2010)

From my experience if its not going to be played take it apart. We have a 100 year old up right. The kids started taking lessons. Called a tuner he did the best he could. Said it needed new strings. New strings way too expensive. Your piano is beautiful on the outside, maybe there is a nice sound board. I'd go with a bar instead of a desk.


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## kizerpea (Dec 2, 2011)

there should b a big hunk of hard rock maple in there…really good wood for a gun stock or woodn plane..

look for old money under the keys..i found a few bufflo nickles under the one i wrecked..


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## lathman (Oct 25, 2012)

just finished up with my second day on the piano…..not two real intense days since i'm a month removed from back surgery and am supposed to take it easy for a couple more weeks, but the piano is disassembled…..it was actually a bit easier than i thought and quite a bit of fun too…..amazing how something that big and heavy is basicallly just screwed together…..only a couple areas that i saw were even glued…it was kinda something reflecting on what it must have been like 100+ years ago when this was going together…..those folks were some real craftsmen back then…..everytime i backed out a screw it was kinda neat thinking that that screw was last touched over a hundred years ago…..anyway….it is in manageable pieces and now on to starting to clean up the wood….i have to admit that after 30 years in the wood business i have very little experience in refinishing….i am open to suggestions…..i want to keep the color as original as possible so i dont really want to grind it down to bare wood…..formby's refinisher??? is that my option? i do want to put a nice finish on it so i was wondering if i can still spray lacquer over the formby stuff….i will hang up and listen….oh and a couple pix…...


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## Susiewongha (Feb 10, 2017)

Hi There 
Did you get to finish the 100 year old piano. Dated 10/29/2012. I have seen some other piano project photos that you have made into desks…. My daughter is at university taking a teaching degree. I would love to make her a piano desk. As her and her bf have just got their new home.
You have give me food for thought.


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## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

Your on the right track.
People are asking $2500 for this one converted to bar


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## RandyinFlorida (Sep 27, 2012)

Did you save the keys? I saw recently where someone made an American flag using the keys for the white stripes.


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## GR8HUNTER (Jun 13, 2016)

> Your on the right track.
> People are asking $2500 for this one converted to bar
> 
> - canadianchips


DAMN I need 100 of those …LMAO :<))


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