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  #1  
Old 11-01-2019, 06:10 AM
Quickstep192 Quickstep192 is offline
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Default Use for wood from old piano

A friend had an old piano they’re looking to have hauled to the dump. To my surprise and disappointment, they can’t even give it away.

The case is mahogany and it has a spruce soundboard, so I’m wondering if there’s any re-use opportunity that could allow it to somehow live on in another instrument.

As luthiers, would you have any interest in 50 year old re-claimed mahogany?
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Old 11-01-2019, 06:25 AM
Glen H Glen H is offline
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It’s more than likely veneer.
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Old 11-01-2019, 06:28 AM
hat hat is offline
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check the keys for real Ivory. The key top overlays can be used to make a nice thin yet stiff pick, or use for inlays. the soundboard MAY be solid spruce. Doubtful, but some are.
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Old 11-01-2019, 06:57 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Yes most general use older upright pianos are pretty well worthless, the cost of refurbishment exceeds replacement costs, older wood soundboards also tend to be cracked.

Last restoration on a piano i did was 3 yrs ago and it was a small grand, i quoted 5000

On an upright, the only wood that could be of any value is the lid (top board) most front boards and side boards are too thin to use in lutherie

Steve
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Old 11-01-2019, 07:22 AM
JonWint JonWint is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hat View Post
check the keys for real Ivory. The key top overlays can be used to make a nice thin yet stiff pick, or use for inlays. the soundboard MAY be solid spruce. Doubtful, but some are.
Pre-1940's pianos usually have ivory keys. The clue is if they are 2-piece they are ivory.

I laminate them to make replacement saddles for my Martins that originally had ivory (Martins up to 1970). Could also be used for nuts.
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Old 11-01-2019, 07:45 AM
hat hat is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JonWint View Post
Pre-1940's pianos usually have ivory keys. The clue is if they are 2-piece they are ivory.

I laminate them to make replacement saddles for my Martins that originally had ivory (Martins up to 1970). Could also be used for nuts.
I considered that with the long pieces. What do you use to glue them, thin CA?
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Old 11-01-2019, 08:01 AM
JonWint JonWint is offline
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Yes, CA. Laminations barely noticeable from one foot away.

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Old 11-01-2019, 09:38 AM
runamuck runamuck is offline
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I was once a piano tech.

I've rarely seen spruce in a piano that I'd want to use. Generally, the standards are lower and the grain used in pianos is much wider than would be acceptable in a guitar.

On a grand, tops are usually either Spanish Cedar or Mahogany, veneered with whatever matches the rest of the case. By the time the veneer is removed and the core cleaned up, you might have some usable wood that's 1/2" thick, but it won't necessarily be quarter sawn.

The case is often oak of some kind that's been veneered. That's the bulk of the solid wood in a piano but it's been lam'ed up and not usable, in my opinion, for guitar construction.
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Old 11-02-2019, 07:51 PM
ruby50 ruby50 is offline
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A friend just gave me a dozen piano keys off an old piano. I looked close and they were ivoroid. Compared to some modern stuff, the color is almost identical, and the little lines are a bit more numerous, but it will work great for some inlays. The glue would not soften with solvents or hot water, so I just sawed them off.

Ed
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Old 11-03-2019, 07:51 AM
John Arnold John Arnold is offline
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I have not seen oak in the core of the case, but I have seen many other woods, including chestnut (which looks like oak), poplar (very common), elm, sycamore, and alder. While I have saved soundboards from junk pianos, the pieces are usually less than 5" wide, and too thin to resaw for book matching. The braces can be reused for guitar braces.
By far, the most useful part for me has been the pin block, which is almost always hard maple. Well seasoned old growth hard maple makes excellent bridgeplates, and with careful resawing, one piano will yield quite a few. However, it is a big job to salvage this part, because it involves complete disassembly, including removing all the tuning pins. Some hard maple may also be found in the bridges of a piano, but it is only wide enough for a 1" bridgeplate. Piano maple has also been used for banjo bridges.
I have used piano key ivory for inlays and heel caps.
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