Dismantle a Piano
Upright pianos are a dime a dozen and I have needed one for a prop in a play or on a float. No keys, no works, just the cosmetic outside and lighter. They can weigh up to 500 pounds, and this is not practical for a stage or lifting to a trailer without a forklift. I took one apart last month, and learned some things to and not to do.
Steps
- Get a piano. Habitat for Humanity, Thrift Stores, want ads. All have pianos for free to several hundred dollars. Stick to the free ones. We went to Habitat and said we could take one of their three pianos away and wouldn't charge them. They smiled and asked if we wanted two. Their prices were $200, but they had been there six months.
- Get it somewhere that you can take it apart. My back porch is on a concrete slab, and I had a small tractor with a bucket to take it off the float. Remember, this thing is heavy! We had to put it on the trailer/float with Habitat's forklift. It usually takes four to six strong people to lift it a couple of feet.
- Look it all over. You can paint, patch, repair cosmetic things later. Don't tip it over. That comes much later. Note that it is several major parts/sections. 1) frame, cover, wheels. 2) keys and hammers. 3) sound/wire frame.
- The objective is to have a good looking prop that you can move. It will not be a piano unless you put in an electric keyboard. More later.
- Take off the top cover, the "knee board", and the front. Pull out the pins of the hinges or the screws, release the clamps, or press the releases. You want to take these off neatly, because they will go back on.
- Lift out all the keys (you may want to put them back in if you want the piano to look like a piano later). Release the hammer assembly. A couple of screws or bolts, and the entire thing should come out.
- Take out any other obvious parts that keep you from getting close to the big "harp" in the back.
- Do NOT unbolt the harp yet. All those strings are really, really tight. First loosen or remove all the strings. All of them, and so loose that they start to sag. This is very important.
- Remove the rear sound board and harp by taking all the bolts out (about an hour) and sliding it up behind the keyboard frame/shelf. Cut some notches out of the frame so it would slide out when the piano was on its back.
- Take the harp to the junkyard.
- The Piano now weighs about 150 pounds and two people can manage it or slide it around.
Warnings
- Empty pianos are still heavy.
- Wires are sharp and under tension.
- Pianos are very heavy.
Related Articles
- Buy a Piano
- Store a Piano
- Compose Music on Piano
- Move a Piano
- Draw a Piano
