There will definitely be a "piano bass" of some sort using some of the lowest strings and some other bits. Beyond that there's many basses worth of stuff there. 
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Piano scavenging adventures
- Thread starter reverendrally
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- piano
P.s the challenge will be getting a good signal with copper winding on the strings.
Rôckhewer
Commercial User
- Feb 28, 2015
- 2,922
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- Owner/Builder- RockHewer Custom Guitars LLC
Fascinating !
More pictures ?
This inspired me to go to the Rönisch website and read their history ... have you read this ? ...an amazing story. Truely sad when war came and nearly wiped them out.
Also, I came across this about Carl Rönisch:
In 1866, he had the epoch-making idea of using a full cast-iron plate in the piano. This frame had five struts and fully covered the pin-block, which allowed for the first time a high tension scale. This revolutionary invention was soon adopted by virtually every piano maker and remains in universal use today providing power, projection, sustain and sonority in the modern piano
So, if your Rönisch has an all wood frame... isn't that what you mentioned ? .....it may be somewhat older.
That seems like a pretty low serial number.
Also, this picture of their woodworking shop was cool... those old shops with their central motor (or steam engine?)...and belt powered machines fascinate me!
Make sure to send a few tuning pins to @michaelwayneharwood
I'm sure he would really enjoy that.
More pictures ?
Looking forward to seeing what you make from it.
Thanks for sharing!
More pictures ?
This inspired me to go to the Rönisch website and read their history ... have you read this ? ...an amazing story. Truely sad when war came and nearly wiped them out.
Also, I came across this about Carl Rönisch:
In 1866, he had the epoch-making idea of using a full cast-iron plate in the piano. This frame had five struts and fully covered the pin-block, which allowed for the first time a high tension scale. This revolutionary invention was soon adopted by virtually every piano maker and remains in universal use today providing power, projection, sustain and sonority in the modern piano
So, if your Rönisch has an all wood frame... isn't that what you mentioned ? .....it may be somewhat older.
That seems like a pretty low serial number.
Also, this picture of their woodworking shop was cool... those old shops with their central motor (or steam engine?)...and belt powered machines fascinate me!
Make sure to send a few tuning pins to @michaelwayneharwood
I'm sure he would really enjoy that.
More pictures ?
Looking forward to seeing what you make from it.
Thanks for sharing!
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I still don't get the "it's done" mentality. Any stained instrument is about holding a string (series of) at specific tension, so how can it ever be "done" beyond repair? Even something as extreme as your frame has warped, surely you can a) replace the frame b) move the anchor points? Again, genuine question.
Maybe it's more of a "cost to repair greatly exceeds the value" kind of thing? Just speculation...
The problem is, certain strings stop being able to hold pitch. In this case it was the F#s closest to middle C. But there were other notes too. The tensioning pins wouldn't stay in position for even a few days. And yes, part of the problem is the amount of work required to fix it. Let's be fair though. How many 130yo machines do you know that could work nearly every day? Coz that's what this did for 30 years of my life for my mother, then recently for my children. It's simply worn out. We could cry for dollar no object restos, but pianos are cheap and unwanted these days. The new one we have is excellent and dates from the 1950s. It cost less than $1500. See the problem?
@Rôckhewer - this one has that iron frame you mentioned.
@Rôckhewer - this one has that iron frame you mentioned.
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- May 1, 2014
- 2,494
- 2,341
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- Owner Melodious Resonance Constructs
All I can say is that my envy quotient is high on so many levels that I am swooning. What an amazing playground of raw materials for all sorts of fun projects!
Dude, I need to send you some stuff. What would you like? [Within reasons of course]
- May 1, 2014
- 2,494
- 2,341
- 56
- Disclosures
- Owner Melodious Resonance Constructs
That is an incredibly generous offer - thanks so much! The biggest gift you can give me has already been granted - sharing this with TB so I can live vicariously through you is worth a lot!Dude, I need to send you some stuff. What would you like? [Within reasons of course]
Sad to see it go, but glad to see some repurposing happening. Restoration of old pianos sometimes doesn't make sense unless the sentimental value is huge. A full repair and refurbishment does not necessarily significantly improve the value of a particular instrument. If a piano's value ranges between 500-5000 based on condition, then it would make sense to bring it up in condition to get the most value of course, however when you factor in that a general refurb can cost you well above 5000, suddenly it only makes sense if there is really significant long term family sentiment or personal meaning. I too would trust the opinion of those techs/restorers - they don't want to see it die any more than you do, and they get a lot less money advising you to "give up the ghost" than restoring it for you, why would they advise retirement if it could be saved with a reasonable amount of work and $$?
Those veneers are gorgeous, I'm sure this thing is going to live again in many projects that can have years of sentimental value for the family.
Relatedly, my wife's cousin had a beautiful piano from the early 1800s that needed retirement, and he turned it into a bar. From the outside, it looked like a normal piano, right down to the keyboard and bench in front, but the front panel opened up to reveal a really nice liquor cabinet.
Have fun!
Those veneers are gorgeous, I'm sure this thing is going to live again in many projects that can have years of sentimental value for the family.
Relatedly, my wife's cousin had a beautiful piano from the early 1800s that needed retirement, and he turned it into a bar. From the outside, it looked like a normal piano, right down to the keyboard and bench in front, but the front panel opened up to reveal a really nice liquor cabinet. Have fun!
Had a spare hour or so this afternoon so I went out to pull the rest of the strings off. Man, what a mission. In the end I cut the small coiled ends off each one so I wouldn't be pulling them through the A clefs a bit at a time for the next year. Last one...
Here's the pile of bass strings. Most of bigger strings played just one note. I think I've got enough for most "piano bass" type projects.
In the midst off doing all this I discovered this behind the strings.
The builder's signature. Or at least the guy who probably built the soundboard. For some reason it made me feel quite emotional. This name has been covered up since the piano was built. There's a part of me that wishes I could meet him... course I can't speak german.
Anyhow, this is where we are now. I was hoping to rock the piano up on one ended to undo the bottom of the frame and pull it out. When reality struck. The piano stills weighs north of 100 pounds. So it will have to wait til I can get a few extra hands to help me.
Here's the pile of bass strings. Most of bigger strings played just one note. I think I've got enough for most "piano bass" type projects.
In the midst off doing all this I discovered this behind the strings.
The builder's signature. Or at least the guy who probably built the soundboard. For some reason it made me feel quite emotional. This name has been covered up since the piano was built. There's a part of me that wishes I could meet him... course I can't speak german.
Anyhow, this is where we are now. I was hoping to rock the piano up on one ended to undo the bottom of the frame and pull it out. When reality struck. The piano stills weighs north of 100 pounds. So it will have to wait til I can get a few extra hands to help me.
Been keen to get this thing pulled down and out of the way. I have a guitar and car to sort out very soon. So I pulled the frame out and stashed it along a wall. Man, so heavy. Weighs a good 50kg.
With that done, I was aiming to get the soundboard off the piano. This is the bit I've really been keen for. 135yo spruce (I think). The ends came off the frame with just a little massaging...rubber mallet. Didn't make too much of a mess either. The hide glue has began to let go in a number of places so that made my job easier.
Then it was time to try and separate the sound board. After tip from a luthiery forum, there was about an hour of this...
That left 3 sides disconnected, with the top edge along the pin block to let go. It was really awkward to get to with the heat gun. The end, leverage and brute force saw it let go pretty nicely. This is largely because, like the edges of a guitar top, the sound board is only attached about 20mm deep along the edges. I have noticed a number of cracks along joints in the sound board. Again, I think this is down to glue.
So here we have it. 10 braces, 2 bridges and all that lovely timber is mine! Sigh... :rolleyes
The back frame is also still in one piece. It's also quite heavy for what it is.
BTW, @Cowboy in Latvia - you suggested replacing the pinboard wouldn't be all that hard. I beg to differ. Knowing what I know now, you can see how much work would been require just to get to the pinboard. Replacing it would involve hours and hours of unsticking a huge block of hide glued timber. Sure, not totally impossible, but I'd rather do almost anything else.
I thought you might also be interested in some of the fasteners off the piano. I've pulled them all and thrown them in this beach bucket. See how much metal was in it?
The screw below helped attach some of the mechanicals through the sound board into the back frame. Beefy stuff.
Here's the interesting thing though. I had to cut through a screw of this size to get the frame out without knocking the sides off. My modern hack saw blade cut through it like butter. It's really, really, soft steel. I'm used to modern screws killing the blade when you try and cut them, but not this thing. Interesting stuff.
With that done, I was aiming to get the soundboard off the piano. This is the bit I've really been keen for. 135yo spruce (I think). The ends came off the frame with just a little massaging...rubber mallet. Didn't make too much of a mess either. The hide glue has began to let go in a number of places so that made my job easier.
Then it was time to try and separate the sound board. After tip from a luthiery forum, there was about an hour of this...
That left 3 sides disconnected, with the top edge along the pin block to let go. It was really awkward to get to with the heat gun. The end, leverage and brute force saw it let go pretty nicely. This is largely because, like the edges of a guitar top, the sound board is only attached about 20mm deep along the edges. I have noticed a number of cracks along joints in the sound board. Again, I think this is down to glue.
So here we have it. 10 braces, 2 bridges and all that lovely timber is mine! Sigh... :rolleyes
The back frame is also still in one piece. It's also quite heavy for what it is.
BTW, @Cowboy in Latvia - you suggested replacing the pinboard wouldn't be all that hard. I beg to differ. Knowing what I know now, you can see how much work would been require just to get to the pinboard. Replacing it would involve hours and hours of unsticking a huge block of hide glued timber. Sure, not totally impossible, but I'd rather do almost anything else.
I thought you might also be interested in some of the fasteners off the piano. I've pulled them all and thrown them in this beach bucket. See how much metal was in it?
The screw below helped attach some of the mechanicals through the sound board into the back frame. Beefy stuff.
Here's the interesting thing though. I had to cut through a screw of this size to get the frame out without knocking the sides off. My modern hack saw blade cut through it like butter. It's really, really, soft steel. I'm used to modern screws killing the blade when you try and cut them, but not this thing. Interesting stuff.
Many many years ago...
My friend came into some money. he bought a house. he became addicted to crack. his house became a crack house. it was a large Victorian house in the northeast, and it came with a piano. he let us rehearse on his house, we were the house band, in a crackhouse. he ran out of money, and they started dismantling the house for firewood. the was an old player piano in the house.
I brought my chainsaw over one day and we took to dismantlING it in the kitchen with a chainsaw and a sledge.
1. too much metal in a piano for a chainsaw.
2. chainsaws indoors make too much smoke (2stroke engine)
3. got a lot of cool handmade chains and gear's from it.
4. fun menory, bad idea
My friend came into some money. he bought a house. he became addicted to crack. his house became a crack house. it was a large Victorian house in the northeast, and it came with a piano. he let us rehearse on his house, we were the house band, in a crackhouse. he ran out of money, and they started dismantling the house for firewood. the was an old player piano in the house.
I brought my chainsaw over one day and we took to dismantlING it in the kitchen with a chainsaw and a sledge.
1. too much metal in a piano for a chainsaw.
2. chainsaws indoors make too much smoke (2stroke engine)
3. got a lot of cool handmade chains and gear's from it.
4. fun menory, bad idea
For those who were wondering... The sound board is 8mm thick.
A bit too thick for your average acoustic guitar. But good to cut down and carve for some instruments.
BTW, here's what I have now. Ikea style "flatpack piano:...
A bit too thick for your average acoustic guitar. But good to cut down and carve for some instruments.
BTW, here's what I have now. Ikea style "flatpack piano:...
Very interesting.
You may find that the soundboard is thicker at the center. I know they are on grand pianos.
You may find that the soundboard is thicker at the center. I know they are on grand pianos.
The fasteners are only as hard as they need to be. In wood applications, especially, there is generally no need for harden steel fasteners - in fact brass is generally more than strong enough.
In the case of piano hardware like this, the size of the items is sufficient.
Rev, if you ever find yourself doing another of these and making a coffee table with the harp, try leaving the strings on. I've seen a piano harp with strings mounted on a wall as a decoration before. I imagine the strings were loosened up some.
