Chest piano convert to desk

[Steve Jenkins]

A friend of mine wants me to make the conversion. Has any one done this? I have the keyboard,soundboard, and harp out but looking for advice on cutting the piece above the keyboard and removing all the blocking.
Anyone?

[Bradley Gray]

I converted a piano to a china cabinet last year for a client - pulled the harp out with a block and tackle like pulling an engine. I left the sound board in place so it wouldn't fall apart (you may have to make a new back).

Pix aren't great:

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[Tom Bender]

I've heard that ordinary upright pianos are hard to give away. Better ones have value. So converting one to a desk seem like a good way to put all that beautiful furniturage to use.

(yes I had to wrestle spell check for furniturage)

[Bradley Gray]

I wouldn't have converted a really good piano. This one, a "Lester" was made circa 1950 with plastic hammers that probably seemed really modern at the time but all but a dozen or so just fell apart.

The owners had it in the dining room and since restoring would have been spendy and no one played it they opted for a spendy conversion to a buffet.