Guy Turns A 1907 Upright Piano Into A One Of A Kind Desk

#1 He Found A Piano For Free Online

He was surfing the classifieds on Craiglist for a computer desk but got distracted when he came upon an old upright piano from 1907 that was in the Giveaway section. He fell in love with it, even though he had no idea how to play the piano.

#2 He Decided To Make It A DIY Project

"I found an old upright piano that someone on craigslist was giving away for free. They had said that if no one wanted it, it was going to the dump. So I picked it up and hauled it back home. All the keys were stripped of the ivory so I couldn't salvage any of it. I had this DIY project on my to-do list for awhile. I finally I was able to start it."

He had no carpentry skills whatsoever but still wanted to give his project a try. "I found a lumber mill that sold slabs of wood. I wanted a solid piece for the desktop. I was able to get a 2 1/2in thick, 2ft wide and 6ft long board. I cut it down to fit inside where the piano keys had laid."

#3 He Had No Idea How To Begin The Project

He planed all the weather stain and uneven bowing of the wood. He used this hand liner for about 30 minutes and then decided he need to use something stronger, so he bought an electric planer, "Because, ain't nobody got time for dat."

#4 He Finally Went Online And Did Some Research

He decided that the project needed its own lighting system so he went searching for light and how to install them online. "I wanted an elegant lighting system for the desk. So I was able to purchase these warm, mini, dimmable, recessed light from amazon." In no time at all he had installed attractive lighting to his new desk.

#5 The Most Important Part Was His Desktop

The most important feature would be the top of the desk, so he searched DIY sites online for instructions on how to create a perfect finish using some epoxy and hardener. "Next was to coat the desktop. I wanted to do epoxy seeing how it was the best stuff for taking a beating. It was either this or glass, and this was cheaper... and more fun."

#6 He Applied A Top Coat To The Desktop

First, he had to put down a top coat. He covered the wood with his epoxy mixture and used a few cheap brushes to apply it. He had found out during his research that the epoxy was the strongest and would work well on a desktop.

#7 He Finished The Desktop With A Floodcoat And A Blow Torch

When the top coat was finished and completely dried, he put on a flood coat, which he had no idea about until he did his research online. "I used a blowtorch to pop the remaining bubbles," he explained. The results were astonishing.

#8 He Kept The Piano As It Was And Polished And Waxed It

"After it was done, I strongly debated whether or not I would strip the piano of its old stain and restain it, but instead I kept it because this was that piano's story. So I used feed-n-wax to polish and shine the wood." He was surprised at how well the desktop and the piano base matched when lit up.

#9 A Piece Of History Of His Very Own

He decided to research the history of the piano itself and discovered that it was made in 1907. "Seeing how this piano serviced the great depression, WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and to this day, brings me such happiness, to know I have a little piece of history right in my own home."

"People will say that I ruined a fine piano, But I feel the opposite to that. I was able to take this piano, that was going to be thrown away, and give a new purpose in life."

#10 A Beautiful Piece Of Furniture With Historic Twist

He had originally debated on whether or not to do his project at all, and he almost restored the old piano to its natural state, but that would have cost a small fortune. Now that it is complete, he is very happy about what he has created all by himself. "In the end, there were many flaws, but I am so happy with how it turned out."