Do musicians ever form lynch mobs ? Dale's piano graveyard.

Recycling old pianos for the wood.

At least every two weeks, I see an add for a free piano. They always need work. They are heavy and awkward to move. It can be quite dangerous for the unskilled.

It would be nice if every unwanted piano and organ could find a new home. Many will not. I have seen many that are made from high quality hardwoods. This resource should not be wasted. Flat portions could make tables. Legs could be used unaltered or as raw turning stock. Some parts would lend themselves to decorative stair rails. The innards contain more wood and wire. I'm sure there's a market for real ivory keys. Leftovers make high quality firewood.

I plan to investigate this further. I'll find a piano guy and won't destroy any that he believes can be economically saved. A friend is a retired piano mover. He made several machines to aid in transport. His advice will be sought.

I can imagine having a shed full of salable units and stacks of parts for sale. It costs $200+ to have a piano moved. Some trial and error would determine the viability of such an enterprise.
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I smell boiling tar. Why are those people tearing open perfectly good feather pillows ?

How much space is inside of a piano if you take the guts out? Seems like they might make an interesting storage space.

PIANO BEEHIVE

Can bees hum a tune ?

Miles Flansburg wrote:Can bees hum a tune ?

Depends on what key they are in.

How about a decorative piano raised bed? Take the top off for one layer, the key area makes another and cut a few choice holes in other locations. If you filled it with wood, dirt and compost it could be a good "front yard" edible garden structure for people living in those places where veggies in the front yard is frowned upon -" this isn't a veggie garden - it's Art!"

Just *don't* get yourself hurt moving those things!

I think this is a great idea Dale we had a piano it was free unfortunetly thé tuning was £ 60 a time. Thats why so many people get rid of them.

David

Real ivory keys are $$$$$$$, but can be troublesome in some nanny state dept. of make you sad areas.

There should be a market for old strings (someone needs one replaced and new ones just sound different) and parts. But it would be a huge inventory tracking problem and website design problem.

There are some with BEAUTIFUL wood. And broken soundboards.

Hi everyone. That's a lot of responses for such a short time. Catchy title

I would never build a website around this. I'm thinking of it more as a local hardwood supply than as a piano parts store. People from the city 8 miles away, could look at my pile when they come this way looking for lumber from a cedar mill a mile from here. The mill sells only cedar. Not a competitor. The owners ride horses along my road.

I want to eventually get a little bandsaw mill for processing fruit wood and other hardwoods. Dead pianos would join the pile.

Antique ivory is exempt when it comes to legal issues. In the Yukon, mammoth and mastodon ivory is a craft sale item.

For some odd reason this reminds me of a man I knew who got through one hungry winter in part by responding to "free to good home" ads for pet rabbits -- and then he'd stew them.