How to Restore an Antique Kohler & Campbell Vertical Piano
Charles Kohler and John Calvin Campbell began building pianos together in the late 1800s. One of their most popular models throughout the 20th century was the upright (a vertical piano), which was known for quality and value. Made of oak, ebony, cherry or mahogany, with ivory keys, many can be beautifully restored. Although some of the process, such as the tuning and restringing, should be done by professionals, you can save yourself some money by taking on part of the project. But, before you do, have a professional tuner take a look at the piano to make sure it is worth it to restore it.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Wood filler
- Wood glue
- White silicone glue
- 0000 steel wool
- Metal polish
- Cloth
- Sponge
- Rubber gloves
- Paint brush
- Furniture stripper
- Nitrocellulose lacquer or tung oil
Instructions
-
Remove Parts
-
1
Maneuver the piano several inches away from the wall to prepare to open it. Stand facing the piano and lift the lid at the top. Slide the hinge pins free. Remove the lid and set it aside.
-
2
Look into the open piano top and free the hardware that holds the front piece to the sides. Lift the front piece upward to release it.
-
-
3
Cover the keys with the key cover and look at the back of it. Remove the screws that you see and lift the key cover off.
Clean and Repair
-
4
Look into the bottom of the piano for any hammer heads or other pieces that may have come loose. Remove debris and dust from the inside of the piano with a small hand vacuum or by picking it out.
-
5
Glue fallen hammer heads back in place.
-
6
Fill holes where hinges or hanger points have torn away from the wood with wood filler or toothpick pieces and glue.
-
7
Remove mildew or other residue from the inside of the piano with denatured alcohol on a sponge, while wearing rubber gloves and making sure ventilation is adequate. Take care not to get the tuning pins wet.
-
8
Lift the metal clip under the key bed and take the lower board out to expose the pedals. Buff with metal polish or send the pedals out to be chrome plated, if they are very worn.
Key Restoration
-
9
Replace ivories, which are the top covers of the keys, if they have come loose or fallen off or are broken. Prepare the key surface by scraping discolorations off with a sharp blade. Paint white silicone glue to the top of the clean key surface and press the ivory into place on it. If you have removed the key, clamp the ivory to the key while the glue sets.
-
10
Clean piano ivories by rubbing them individually with a damp, soapy cloth, taking care not to let moisture run down the sides of the keys. If this method isn’t sufficient, you can remove yellow by scraping the surface of the ivory with the edge of a blade using long strokes. Follow with a damp cloth and dry each key as you clean it.
-
11
Polish the black mahogany sharp keys by buffing them gently with 0000 steel wool.
Refinish
-
12
Strip finish from the inside and outside of the lid and key cover and the rest of the outer surfaces of the piano using paint-on stripper. Use a toothbrush to get into the crevices of detail work. Never use power tools on a piano.
-
13
Refinish surfaces to the desired sheen using tung oil or nitrocellulose lacquer and buff between dried coats with 0000 steel wool.
-
14
Replace the decal.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Kohler and Campbell pianos are heavy. Take care when maneuvering parts.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
