Piano Shell Design and Construction - Need Help

[MarkSLSmith]

Hi Folks,

We recently acquired a piano keyboard and I would like to build a piano shell for it (definition: a piece of furniture that looks like a piano but where the keyboard occupies the space where the piano keys are normally located).   I thought, no problem, and started thinking about something based on a console or upright piano.  Then the bombshell dropped: spouse informed me that she wanted it to look like a baby grand.  Given that it took some time to convince her to start out on a digital piano instead of acoustic, I would like to accommodate her wishes.  However, it seems like the challenge level increases by five-fold in this case.  My wworking chops are such that I would not have flinched at an upright design, but now I have many questions.

Does anyone know if plans are available for purchase?

She would like the lid to be able to be raised so the interior can be used for storage.  Given that this is a single, large area slab in an odd shape, how would you go about building it, and with what materials?  For example, if it were solid wood, it would be quite heavy and I can't imagine that it would stay flat.  

She allowed that the sides didn't need to be curved, so this may be less problematic than the lid.  I believe I could put gentle curvature in the sides just by bending 1/4" plywood.  Thoughts?  At least in this area, I can fall back to a straight option as plan b.  

She was surprised that I thought this would be a challenge!

Mark

[Bill Holt]

No help here.  Sure hope you take some pictures and let us enjoy the ride.

[jteneyck]

As long as you are going to make it, I would make it look like a real baby grand.  It's a straight forward bent wood lamination process.  You make a form and clamp thin laminations against that form using a glue that forms a rigid glue line to hold the shape - epoxy, Unibond 800, even TB Original.  You can use bending plywood for the inner layers that won't be seen and put a single layer of your show veneer on both sides.  The railings and moldings on this balcony were made this way.  The railings are 10 layers of 1/4" thick oak, while the moldings are two layers of 3/8" bending plywood on the inside plus a layer of 1/8" oak veneer on the outside, and then a trim strip on the bottom of solid wood.  



The top sounds like the ideal application for a plywood panel with solid wood edging, then veneered on both sides in a vacuum bag.  

Sounds like a great project.  

John

[Petertaylor]

Why not just look for a real baby grand. There is no market for them since things have gone electronic. Our Craigslist has had one for FREE. Also I saw a video of a semi load of pianos being tossed into the dump. Apparently music stores were unloading used pianos.

[MarkSLSmith]

Why not just look for a real baby grand. There is no market for them since things have gone electronic. Our Craigslist has had one for FREE. Also I saw a video of a semi load of pianos being tossed into the dump. Apparently music stores were unloading used pianos.

Yes, we have considered this and it is plan C.  At the moment our Craigslist doesn't have any free ones, but I agree that this is sometimes seen on CL.  I could even pay a couple of hundred bucks and still be ahead.  

Can't wait too long though.  It will need a permanent home or our backs and shoulders are going to be painful.

Mark

[Cooler]

I googled "electronic keyboard stand plans".  Lots of offerings.

https://www.google.com/search?q=+electro...efox-b-1-d


I liked this one:

https://youtu.be/Yqd_ePFoFnY