Piano Recycling - Page 2

check the electronic contactors value

I'm recycling one now I'll let you know how it goes... Copper jacketed steel wires cast iron back brass foot pedals aluminum brackets and I cast the lead into ingots

The copper/steel type of piano wires is fairly easy to separate the copper with just a little bit effort. Maybe something you might want to do when it's to cold to do anything else this winter. Just cut the wires to 12 to 14 inches (easy to handle & store). Then when your ready to harvest the copper: 1. put one end of the cut wire into a cordless drill motor (right angle drill motors work best). 2. clamp a "vice grip needle nose pliers to the other end. 3. run your drill motor slowly and in reverse, simply unwind the copper wire off the steel wire. The old upright piano I did had 5 to 6 pounds of #2 copper. I did all of mine in just over a hour. $1.85 for #2 copper is better than $0.10 a pound for copper bearing steel.

Rereading this thread got me curious on the piano bar...







They even get re-purposed to be shelving!


Next time someone asks you what good an old piano is...you can show them this thread.

Your welcome.

Sirscrapalot - Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside. - Mark Twain

I have only did the one piano breakdown, I didn't ever think I would do one as it would be the last thing thrown or dumped in next to one of our dumpsters. I have seen just about anything and everything that one could put in or near my dumpsters. The best, the trash I like the most is when people throw money away, especially the green paper kind, as I just process that straight into my wallet (people I really don't mind throwing your money in my dumpsters). The worse, the thing that should never get tossed in a dumpster (especially my dumpsters if I catch you!), is dead dogs (that's not a good way to bury your pets).

So far no pianos have been dumped, if that happens I know how to do one anyway. As I have read all the threads about how to scrap one here at SMF (thank you members). A little over a year ago I was at my friends appliance shop, my friend has been giving me his scrap metal for awhile (mostly steel as he sells scrap too). At his shop I notice a old upright piano, Charlie says almost immediately "Do you want it? I'll deliver it free". I immediately say "No, the only music I play is the stereo, thanks anyway". Latter that night I started researching "old pianos", as I did take sometime to record the maker and serial number of his very old looking piano. The next morning I called my friend to say "Charlie I want your piano".

Well it wasn't what I thought it might turn out to be. So I scrapped it, by far the hardest thing I have scrapped. Making me determined to use every part of that old piano. The easiest was all of the coins that old upright had been saving for me (especially liked the silver nickel). I wanted to make a storage cabinet out of the wood and keys, to store my large LP record collection. I was over ruled by the lady that controls my house. She thinks I should throw those old LP's out with next weeks trash (not going to happen). I was obviously not going to be able to build a nice storage cabinet to center piece my vast music collection in the play room. I have used almost all of the wood for other projects and the only other part that remains is the old cast iron harp. Still trying to think how to re-purpose that into another useful item!

Sorry for re-living this thread...

I go to auctions regularly and sees pianos for free or $1. At most times, nobody want them even for free. In my case, I just want one for the wire, but hate to dismantle the piano myself.

If you recently scrap a piano, maybe we can do a deal on the wire (?). I have a project in mind for my upcoming junk shows. Thanks.

Keep an eye out for the older '80s electric Kimball organs. Some of them may have a surprise inside. Last summer I found a busted up one on the curbside. First gold chip I found on a brown board. Also got a nice paper cone 12" subwoofer out of it, huge magnet. Also had a re-verb device that I sold.

The one I found was close to this one



This is the chip i got out of it, added it to my collection