Garage Work Bench from Old Piano

[GregsRetroGarage]

So I am driving down the alley way today and noticed one of my neighbors threw out an antique piano. I checked it out and found that all the keys were gone along with the top...the once nice piano was too far gone to save. I guess maybe the keys were ivory and someone wanted them? I noticed the really nice wood and the cool brass foot pedals so I decided to push it into my garage as a "take apart project to see how it works" with my kiddos.

After close inspection I found that this piano has a lot of brass and copper in it! There is a brass back plate which weighs in excess of 150 pounds!!! The strings and hardware are copper as well! My plans are to show my kids what is in a piano and make some $$$ from the brass and copper. With the left over piano case I am going to build a really cool garage work bench out of it. We spent a few hours today taking it apart and will have a few weeks worth of disassembly work before I can begin wood working construction. Fun project with the kiddos with a unique work bench in the works. I was wondering if anyone else ever constructed a work bench from a piano before??? I will try and snap some pictures as I move along with the project. Wish me luck!

 

[A_Pmech]

I would be very surprised if the plate was brass or bronze. Every piano I've ever seen has a cast iron plate.

 

[fatboy99]

If its cast iron id still take it to the scrap yard and cash it in. There stealing man hole covers around here to sell for scrap !!!!!!

 

[yevangelis]

pics! sounds like an awesome bench

 

[toytech40]

Saw a designing show on tv use an old piano to make cool looking bar for a living room once.

 

[GregsRetroGarage]

After a closer inspection the back panel is indeed cast iron and not brass. I will certainly recycle all the metal from the piano so it can be reused. The piano case/garage work desk is coming along nicely! So far I have removed around 150 bolts from the back panel! As soon as the cast iron is out it will be way easier to move around!

 

[Zrexxer]

They use a special paint on the cast iron plates to make them look like brass. A gentleman here who restores vintage Steinways makes his own paint to accurately reproduce the original by blending finely ground brass powder in an enamel base.

He did a significant amount of work on my piano, but fortunately my plate was in excellent condition for being 100 years old. He removed it and had it hanging in his shop while he did some repairs on my soundboard though, and that's when he told me about his custom blended finishes.

Kind of got off topic there a little - but that's why it looks like brass.

 

[NASTYZEN]

Watch your self with those wires. If you cut one while it's under tension, that could be bad news for your fingers or worst.

 

[kbs2244]

I am assuming it is an upright.
The woodworking I one is real strong to support all the cast iron.
Do you still have the front panel that is hinged at the top?
And the folding door that covered the keyboard?

Do some internet searching.
I have seen a few projects where, after getting rid of all the heavy metal, they were turned into “hideaway’ workbenches for apartments.

The keyboard area was the up front work area and pegboard style tool boards were behind the lift up panel.
I think on even had two panels back there since it was a pretty deep area.
The up front one was counter weighted so he could slide it up and down.

They great for electronics and other small stuff.
I think one even had a mini wood lathe that folded out some how.

 

[GregsRetroGarage]

I removed all the piano wire today and around 200 bolts!!! I still have around 140 bolts to go before I can get the cast iron backing out! I did find some interesting items in the bottom of the piano today when I removed the bottom panel to get access to the bottom end bolts. Some change and some kind of loose pieces of metal...looks to be small weights? Hidden treasure is always nice...

 

[GregsRetroGarage]

Watch your self with those wires. If you cut one while it's under tension, that could be bad news for your fingers or worst.

I loosened all the wires and then went to work with the cutters. If anyone tackles a piano for scrapping or for the wood/cabinet get ready for a massive amount of tedious work and wear gloves!

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

This is awesome! But you really need some photos! I love the idea of re-using the piano, my work-bench is not nearly as strong, it was re-purposed from a water bed frame. There is a lot of wide, 2" thick, soft wood in those. I think the one I used was southern yellow pine if I remember correctly. I assume you have a nice bin for your new 400 some odd bolt collection, right?

 

[chickenfarmer]

Post lots of pics! I was recently given a piano just like that but I have no way of moving it for now

 

[Brad54]

I had a guy come to my swap meet and tell me he scrapped out a piano and made a bunch of money on the copper wires and the steel pegs and sound board. He said it took him a few days, but he's retired and didn't have anything else to do anyway.

He also got it free.
I looked on Craigslist and there is an abundance of free upright pianos.

I bet someone could make a pretty cool bar out of one.

-Brad

 

[Zeke]

I've had people beg me to take an old upright but I'd have to pay to have it moved and that's not free.

 

[MScott]

Here's an article on doing just what you suggest:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Free-Stealth-Apartment-Workbench/

 

[Outlawmws]

If its cast iron id still take it to the scrap yard and cash it in. There stealing man hole covers around here to sell for scrap !!!!!!

When they do this the go in with TONS of it. my local scrap yards won't pay for anything less than a ton of iron/steel. (you can leave it, they won't pay for it...)

Other metals not a problem....

 

[softailgarage]

 

[wintermute]

could the iron be used as a bench top, or is it too brittle?

 

[mathil]

could the iron be used as a bench top, or is it too brittle?

It's most likely a cast piece shaped like a harp and not a flat plate.

 

[elevator joe]

What kind of wood is the piano made of ? Hard wood or soft,it may not be good bench top stuff but maybe bitchen framework or finish material if you have a table saw!!

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Almost 100% sure that will be hard wood...