DIY Piano Shell

[doncolga]

Hey all,

I'm considering building an empty piano shell for my 88 key MIDI controller. It just looks classier. Lots of pictures of these things online. I'm looking at 3-4 feet deep and 10-12 inches tall. Plywood for the top and bottom. I'm not sure about the sides, especially if I do a curve in the back similar to a grand piano. I've also seen a half circle design that looked good and I'd thought about something with no curves...just a box. Not sure how I'd make curves happen. Ones I've seen online have been as light at 45 pounds, which seems doable to me. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

Donny

[BrentEvans]

Not sure how I'd make curves happen.

I am far from a master woodworker, but it seems pretty straightforward. Build the frame first.. top and bottom pieces cut with a jigsaw from a piece of ply, and put "studs" around the inside. Use bendyply for the curved panel, and glue & fasten the curved panel to the outside of the ribs and frames. Finish appropriately.

[doncolga]

Not sure how I'd make curves happen.

I am far from a master woodworker, but it seems pretty straightforward. Build the frame first.. top and bottom pieces cut with a jigsaw from a piece of ply, and put "studs" around the inside. Use bendyply for the curved panel, and glue & fasten the curved panel to the outside of the ribs and frames. Finish appropriately.

The bendyply stuff was where I was getting stuck...I wonder if Lowes would have anything like that? I agree, I don't think it would be to bad to build one of these things. The least expensive I've seen online was about $1200.

[BrentEvans]

Don't know about Lowes, but DixiePly has it.

[David Raehn]

You could do a Hammond cabinet clone, stretched for your 88 keys.... Lowes has the legs. Omit the pedals, of course. Or do a chopped Hammond-style. Mostly simple carpentry. Stair treads would be fairly inexpensive and have good grain.

[ncgrove]

The bendyply stuff was where I was getting stuck....

Take a look at some DR or Jack Lite plans and you'll figure it out in no time.

[Rick Lee]

Bendy ply is just 1/8" BB. Wherever you get your 1/2" BB hopefully they carry it. Should be under $20 a sheet. If they don't carry it see if they'll give you the protective sheets from a pallet of BB. Same stuff just with a flaw somewhere on it.

[BrentEvans]

Bendy ply is just 1/8" BB. Wherever you get your 1/2" BB hopefully they carry it. Should be under $20 a sheet. If they don't carry it see if they'll give you the protective sheets from a pallet of BB. Same stuff just with a flaw somewhere on it.

There is actually a kind of plywood that has all the grains running in the same direction that is sold as "BendyPly." It comes in other dimension than 1/8", too.

[Rick Lee]

There is actually a kind of plywood that has all the grains running in the same direction that is sold as "BendyPly." It comes in other dimension than 1/8", too.

True! I'm just so used to using the 1/8" stuff...

[Harley]

Here's a keyboard in a grand piano shell that a keyboardist I played bass with in a group for many years, made up

[doncolga]

Here's a keyboard in a grand piano shell that a keyboardist I played bass with in a group for many years, made up

Very nice...and exactly what I'm looking to do. I'm still debating on the shape. I've seen full circular backs that I like alot, and I've seen some with curves like a traditional grand. I hope to plan through this weekend/week and start getting materials by late next week. I'm aiming for just paint and poly coat to keep it simple.

[byacey]

Ive seen 1/2" and 3/4" plywood bent into complex curves by cutting a whole bunch of saw kerfs with a table saw into the back side of the plywood, almost the full thickness deep. Once bent to the desired curve, a thin piece can be glued to the inside surface to hold it permanently to shape.

[biodad]

Greetings
I do a dueling piano show, travel 600 to 1000 miles a week, and small, light, and cheap is my default starting line.

check out these folks - PRECISION PUNCH & PLASTICS. 1-800-227-0690. They have very good products for this.
I believe I paid $40 for a 4 ' x 8 ' sheet and my stuff is too thick so it takes a set or has a memory to the shape as i coil it.
Springtime I will order thinner stuff and rebuild my rig. This stuff also works good for moving a fish house but that's another thread.

Ask if they can send some thickness samples. Too thick sucks for the above reason. If you want, I'll send my " too thick" sample so you know. Too thick is fine but you're going to coil it and toss in the piano shell or a milk crate and it will not lay flat as well against the velcro. Coil it so the velcro is protected and on the inside of the coil.

Along the underside of the lid, i have a one inch tall recessed wooden lip that i staple velcro to. This lip isnt perfectly rounded or contiguosly connected of course, it is small wood sections but there is plenty of grab area for the plastic sides. On the inside of the plastic piano side, is the soft part of the velcro, one inch thick. Use the hard velcro on the piano shell ( the stapled velcro) as the soft velcro will flex better when coiling the piano side.

Use industrial velcro and never just grab one end and rip it off the piano lid, use 2 hands and pull a foot or so at a time off, or replace velcro often.

NOTE- do not get ultra thick plastic. I wish mine was 1/2 the thickness of what I bought.
We do 95% corporate events and this stuff looks good and I never get complaints.

For legs, if you want an idea, ABS pipe. Same as PCV ( as far as my use is concerned ) but black instead. Steel wool the name and painted info off gently and it's already black. This makes for a wobbly piano shell if someone leans against it but in corporate, no one does. For bar work, use lead couplings and screw lead pipe in for the legs. You'll hate how heavy the legs are when in a 1/2 inch thick wooden box. I can carry my shell with the plastic side coiled inside and the lid into a ballroom one trip.
I also split the lid in half with a piano hinge so i can fold it in half, bungy it and the shell to my dolly and roll in a baby grand with ease. The sissy factor is wisdom that comes with age.

Also, I like the PCV base that the legs go into ( screwed onto the under side of the piano shell and lid ) to be the "slide it in" type, not the screw it in type.

If you want, I could take some photo's of my shell and lid and email them to you, or any other of the elite keyboard cats that are considered to be the most important of all musicians. Amen
Good luck with it.

[doncolga]

Greetings
I do a dueling piano show, travel 600 to 1000 miles a week, and small, light, and cheap is my default starting line.

check out these folks - PRECISION PUNCH & PLASTICS. 1-800-227-0690. They have very good products for this.
I believe I paid $40 for a 4 ' x 8 ' sheet and my stuff is too thick so it takes a set or has a memory to the shape as i coil it.
Springtime I will order thinner stuff and rebuild my rig. This stuff also works good for moving a fish house but that's another thread.

Ask if they can send some thickness samples. Too thick sucks for the above reason. If you want, I'll send my " too thick" sample so you know. Too thick is fine but you're going to coil it and toss in the piano shell or a milk crate and it will not lay flat as well against the velcro. Coil it so the velcro is protected and on the inside of the coil.

Along the underside of the lid, i have a one inch tall recessed wooden lip that i staple velcro to. This lip isnt perfectly rounded or contiguosly connected of course, it is small wood sections but there is plenty of grab area for the plastic sides. On the inside of the plastic piano side, is the soft part of the velcro, one inch thick. Use the hard velcro on the piano shell ( the stapled velcro) as the soft velcro will flex better when coiling the piano side.

Use industrial velcro and never just grab one end and rip it off the piano lid, use 2 hands and pull a foot or so at a time off, or replace velcro often.

NOTE- do not get ultra thick plastic. I wish mine was 1/2 the thickness of what I bought.
We do 95% corporate events and this stuff looks good and I never get complaints.

For legs, if you want an idea, ABS pipe. Same as PCV ( as far as my use is concerned ) but black instead. Steel wool the name and painted info off gently and it's already black. This makes for a wobbly piano shell if someone leans against it but in corporate, no one does. For bar work, use lead couplings and screw lead pipe in for the legs. You'll hate how heavy the legs are when in a 1/2 inch thick wooden box. I can carry my shell with the plastic side coiled inside and the lid into a ballroom one trip.
I also split the lid in half with a piano hinge so i can fold it in half, bungy it and the shell to my dolly and roll in a baby grand with ease. The sissy factor is wisdom that comes with age.

Also, I like the PCV base that the legs go into ( screwed onto the under side of the piano shell and lid ) to be the "slide it in" type, not the screw it in type.

If you want, I could take some photo's of my shell and lid and email them to you, or any other of the elite keyboard cats that are considered to be the most important of all musicians. Amen
Good luck with it.

LOL! Thanks for the message man. PM about to be sent.

[biodad]

p.m. sent.