To what extremes will we go to salvage player pianos?

I am one of the worst about keeping any and all playerstuff around. Even
ruined pianos have their value under certain circumstances. I remember
an old Hamilton player that had been in a fire and the case was charred
to the point if no return, but complete. This piano sit in the shop for
several years, I just didn't have the heart to throw the poor thing out.
I later got a old Wing & Son player that had water damage and the
soundboard was ruined. But the case was beautiful.

I had watched a video tape of the folks at Ragtime who were building a
beautiful case around an old upright. (despite what I have written about
their stuff I admire their craftsmanship in that area) It gave me a idea.

The next day found me down in the shop with the tape measure. the strung
back on the Hamilton was "54, the Wing was "54!/2 humm, I muttered, it
just might work! I took apart both pianos and found that the Wing strung
back was wider than the Hamilton's so I took some 1x4 boards glued them
to the sides of the Hamilton strung back and planed them down to the
with of the other one. After glueing the Wing & Son sides to the Hamilton,
I found the keybed to be 1/2 inch too high. Moving the key cheeks down
1/2 solved this and the pillasters had to be trimmed down that amount.

The scale was unlike of course. So I took the keyframe and keys of the
Hamilton and placed them into the keybed in the proper position and also
had to relocate the action posts. Outside of having to compensate for
that 1/2 inch In the case parts, and keyblocks, It worked out fine,
looks good and after a restringing job and getting the Baldwin player
action in there (another story) I have a Hamilton like no other.

Both pianos were free for the taking. It is not original, maybe not
worth as much, But handsome and fully usable. I am sure that Both of
these pianos would have gone to the junk for sure. If any of you crack
a upright plate, I might have one I always keep plates from junk pianos
around. I save these pianos any way I can And always get satisfaction
bringing back something back that seems Hopeless.

        Andy Taylor