Upright Piano Morphs into Work Table

My Upright Piano Workbench

 

     A couple of years ago, I got an old upright piano free for the hauling.  With the help of some able-bodied friends, we got it moved into our dining room, and the renovation work began.  I soon realized that years of temperature changes and moisture had pushed this piano beyond the possibility of a decent renovation.  I chalked it up as a failure, and moved the piano onto the porch, a step closer to its final proper resting place in a landfill.

     Three or four years later, it was still on the porch, when inspiration struck.  It still had a good solid frame, and we could use a solid work table on the porch for gardening and craft projects.  So began the upright piano work table project.

Outer Casework and Piano Action Removed

Keys Removed showing Balance Rail and Key Bed

  Let the Construction Begin

Key Bed and Balance Rail Removed

     Removing the innards was relatively easy.  The piano action, the mechanism with all the hammers, flanges and wooden levers, is held with four nuts.  The outer casework is removed by removing the screws that hold them in place.  The keys simply rest on the pins shown in the key bed, and the key bed and balance rail are removed by loosening  about 12 screws.  This then reveals a flat surface at desk height to support whatever surface you choose for the top of your table, desk or workbench.  For the tabletop and the backboard, I used an old discarded computer desk that was in my barn warehouse.  For some of the shelving I used parts of the piano casework.

     As I didn't remove the cast iron harp and strings in the back, whenever you hit the table very hard, the strings vibrate some, and you can hear the distant sound of an angel choir.  If you don't care for angel music, you could mute out the strings with felt or cloth, but I don't recommend trying to remove the harp and strings.  That would change a simple home project into a major headache.

      The Sky's the Limit

     So let your imagination run wild and start work on that old upright that's been out in the granary for he last 10 years hosting several generations of rodents.  Be creative with those old piano parts you remove.  That balance rail with 88 pins must be useful in some kind of weaving project.  How about a clamp to hold down your work operated by foot with the soft pedal?  Or my favorite and possible future project, a combination work table and upright hammered dulcimer.

The Rest of the Farm

    I just walked outside to close up the chicken coop, and saw by the moon it's about time to get the peas in the ground.  That also means that next week is time to plant potato and other root crops outside.  The eggs that Miss Wohlters is setting on should be hatching in the next 3 or 4 days.  Lots going on and I'll be giving a full report in a week or 10 days. 

Super Pooper Scooper

     For now, I'll close with the following picture of my latest splurge in equipment purchases.   $14 for a picker-upper so I don't have to lean over, and my basket-tied-to-a-handtruck so I don't have to walk far to drop the load.  It's been working wonderfully well on spring dog poop removal.  Money isn't everything, but $14 just made my life a whole lot better.