I found a piano last year and bought it for myself as a Mother's Day gift. It turned out to be a big hassle getting it home and even then we couldn't get it in the house. It sat in our garage for months until one day I remembered our friend, Jeremy, telling me pianos come apart. I managed to take it apart, fix it up real nice, and then put it back together in our living room. It was a lot of work but I'm so happy with what it adds to our home. Here's how I did it and a few things I learned along the way.
Prior to buying a piano you should think about how you're going to get it home. Are you going to need to borrow or rent a truck? Do you have willing helpers who will be able to get it from point A to point B? You'll also want to think about the cost of materials to sand and repaint your new piano as well as the cost of tuning it once it's settled in at your house.
The first thing I did was power sand the larger outside surfaces of the piano and then hand sand the detailed and delicate parts. After wiping everything down with a damp cloth and letting it dry, I started taking it apart. I suggest taking step-by-step photos as you go in case you can't put it back together right away and forget what goes where and in which order.
Pianos vary from model to model but the basics are kind of standard. I first lifted the lid back on the very top to access two latches that held the top front panel in place. Once those were unlatched I could remove the panel. I set it aside and then found out that I needed to take off the lid to the keys. It folds back so you need to take care you don't smash your fingers. Once your lid is off you can see all the keys. There will be a thin board that spans the keys that you'll also need to remove. Next, you will want to remove the hammer rail which is what is shown below. It's a huge piece and can be removed by yourself but I do suggest asking for help so you don't accidentally drop it. Place it gently out of the way as it's a delicate piece.
The next step is to remove your keys. They may or may not be numbered. Mine were numbered in two places so it didn't matter if they got moved around but if yours are not numbered you'll want to write on them near the end that strikes. Once they're all out you may want to use an air compressor to blow out any dust or debris that has settled under your keys. Don't vacuum things up because you may lose a few felt pads in the process!
As you can see in the photo above I replaced some of the keys in the keyboard but not before sliding the keyboard out from the piano case. This not only made our piano much lighter, it made it half as wide, which allowed us to finally roll the piano through the back door and into our living room. If your piano is as heavy as ours was you'll want to ensure you don't ruin your floors (if wooden or laminate) by placing something under the wheels or getting it on a rolling device.
I wanted to get my piano inside before painting it so I could be sure of the color. I could've refinished it but I knew I really wanted to paint it a subtle color. It was big so I wanted it to be something light and soft that would coordinate with the rest of the colors in our living room. I also wanted to choose something I knew I wouldn't get tired of a year later. Wooden pianos are beautiful and I don't like painting most of our wood furniture as much as I did three years ago but this was begging to be painted.
I went to Lowe's and picked out Valspar's Paint and Primer in One and got it tinted to their Icy Mint (6001-7A) in an eggshell finish. I wanted a high gloss but told the employee my son was going to be taking lessons and she suggested something that wouldn't show fingerprints as easily. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I think a high gloss would look great if it were the focal point of the room or if it were a bolder color. I then used a Minwax Polycrylic sealant that she suggested but it had a yellowing effect on the paint so I'm not confident in suggesting it.
Using both a paint roller and small brush, I followed manufacturer's directions with the paint and primer in one and applied two coats with 24 hours drying time in between in order to let it set. I did not resand in between coats. I actually put the keyboard back on before painting and then painted the keyboard lid and front panel separately before putting them back on. However, I painted the ends of the lid and the top of the pieces where the lid rests and then realized after they were dry that it added enough of a layer to make the pieces too tight to fit properly. I had to resand the ends to get the paint off before they'd fit. I also painted over the brass hinges instead of taping them. The paint is coming off on it's own and is much easier than trying to tape things.
As you can see below I haven't reattached the bottom panel as I misplaced it in my garage until last weekend. Hooray! I also chose not to paint the inside of my keyboard lid because I didn't want to paint over the label. I did, however, drill two holes in the lid in order to add knobs to make it easier for the kids to open and close.
I considered a few things before deciding to go ahead and paint it. I had heard that painting a piano can affect it's sound but after reading up on a few websites and hearing comments from pianists and tuners alike that as long as you don't paint the sound board (the back piece in this piano's case), painting the piano wouldn't cause enough of a change to be noticeable. I also resist the idea of painting most vintage wooden furniture these days but I loved the idea of a painted piano more than a wooden one. It wasn't a fancy antique so I wasn't necessarily devaluing it, plus I know it's going to be enjoyed in our family for quite awhile.
Our piano has been situated near a wall with a window that starts just above it, so it's currently holding a few plants. I'm already thinking about ways we can decorate it for the holidays! I was told pianos need to sit for a few weeks after being transported so we're just about ready to call a tuner to come over and get it adjusted so we can start Sebastian on lessons.
Painting a piano doesn't have to feel like an impossible project but it will take a little space, a little time, and a little elbow grease. Just promise me you won't take any short cuts and paint it all in one piece. If you paint it shut you'll never be able to get it tuned and you'll be up a creek.
Did you take lessons as a kid? What kept you going? I'm thinking maybe a huge jar of bubble gum on the lid as an incentive.
-Rachel
