Why do I need to find out the hard way?

This week I gave myself two of my hardest, challenging and no doubt most time consuming scrap break downs. A old piano (100+ years old) and a 1998 Maytag washing-machine. I read several of the old post on these tear downs, so why did I do it? Simply for the experience, to see for myself and to know not to do that again. Also I have a personal policy that I live by. Never ask someone to do something I wouldn't be willing to do myself. As I do have a person that breaks down scrap for me and hope to have more employed at this. I learned we won't be doing pianos again! I know why the Maytag man is so alone!

I did get some nice coins out of the piano and some nice wood for future a cabinet project. There was some ivory and ebony from the keys, will save them for now. The washing machine was a beast to breakdown, especially the drum and gear assembly portions. I used the metal sides for a work bench I'm building, so that was useful and I'm happy with how those will look/work for me. I try to re-purpose as much as I can, so my efforts go in different directions sometimes.

After these two challenges I'm looking forward to some simple scraping now. On washing machines, take the motor out, the wires, switches, relays, coils and just take what's left to the yard as light steel (Tin). Do a piano if your into it, but I won't do one again.

I'd like to get a piano to try myself, and reuse the wood, keys, pedals, strings, and potentially put the hammers in our own piano if I can find a decent set, ours are going to need replaced soon, its only 100 years old ;)

There was also a member here that would BUY appliance knobs for .75 a piece. Not sure who it was.. maybe do some searching?

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Originally Posted by sledge

There was also a member here that would BUY appliance knobs for .75 a piece. Not sure who it was.. maybe do some searching?

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redcrossnj, so far I've saved him.... One!

No substitute for real life experience.

And your policy as a boss to not ask your workers to do something you won't. Awesome!
One I try to show anyone working for me. Just because I did it once doesn't mean that's it either.. I like the trenches.... keeps a man grounded.

The piano I tore into was a "Train Wreck", I did have a piano instructor I know come by and evaluate it. She told me it was a rare and a beauty in it's day. The piano had been obviously moved a few times too many and probably by non piano movers. It would have cost thousands to restore. She did point out the Ivory and that I could easily resell to professional piano restore shops. It was last tuned in 1966 in San Francisco going by a tag we found on the inside. The newest coin was a 1977 Eisenhower dollar, was some nice silver quarters, dimes and even a silver "S" war nickel. The coins was the best part for me! This upright piano I'm think was in a bar, with the amount o coins I found in it. The washing machine had no coins to my surprise.

Lessons learned the hard way usually means a lesson learned.