Gutting a piano -aarrgghh!

[Paul Van Ees]

Hilary Henkin wrote:

> Dear wise and wonderful wizards <g>,
> I came across your forum via a search I was doing, and hope you can
> offer me guidance.
>
> I do props for stage plays, movies, etc.  Some years ago, I acquired a
> old upright piano, with nice carvings and detail buried beneath
> horrendous 1970's olive green enamel paint.  The piano was made by
> "Horace Waters & Co., of New York", probably 1900-1920.
> The piano, besides its too-far-from-trendy paint job, clearly has some
> broken hammers, and most of the casters are trashed.  It doesn't roll,
> it shoves.  And lifting it takes more strong men than can fit around
> it.  Not practical as a prop!
>
> I'd like to gut the piano to remove all possible weight, then rig the
> keys to appear to work.  I'd refinish or wood-grain-paint the exterior,
> and would have a lightweight but attractive prop piano.
> When I acquired this beast, I checked with my local used-piano retailer,
> and they said the piano had no particular unusual value, so I wouldn't
> be destroying a valuable antique.
>
> Question 1)  is this a piano of some value, that I wouldn't want to
> gut?  Anyone cringing as they read this?
> Question 2)  If I can gut it, any particular suggestions?  I can reach
> the tops of the strings to loosen and unattach them, but how do I get to
> the bottom strings?  Any tricks to getting the extremely heavy
> brass/bronze/lead <g> sounding board out?  Can I buy/rent/borrow the
> right tool to loosen/remove the strings, or is it a standard size
> socket?
> Question 3)  Is there any use for the parts removed (anyone needing them
> for a similar piano?), or should I just take them to the recycler?
> Question 4)   <g> Anyone in Atlanta willing to help, for not-much-money?
>
> Please reply by email, since I don't subscribe to your forum.
>
> Thanks very much!
>
> Hilary Henkin
> Atlanta, Georgia

Hillary,

After just writing down all the steps and tools you may need and buy to do
this job, I deleted it. Because all you may need is to replace the casters,
or have your local technician do that, as he has the equipment  and tools,
to do this easily.  With proper caster wheels, one person should be able to
move this beast across the stage with  little effort.
These old pianos were made with solid oak and other hardwoods. The
heaviest  part you could remove is the metal plate, made of cast iron,
which weighs up to several hundred pounds. But after all the work , you
would still have a piano weighing three or four hundred pounds, so moving
that as a prop up on different stage levels still would require the help of
the nearest biker-bar around town.

Drop by for a visit with a local piano rebuilding shop, it will give you
some insight. Good luck !

Paul Van Ees
Westminster, Colorado