Passion project: Upright piano Action Model
( Project status as of January 31st, 2024: Ongoing )
Brief Description:
My Passion Project is of a model of an Upright Piano mechanism, demonstrating how the internal system functions create the sound of an upright piano.
Goal of this Project:
My goal for my passion project is was to construct a fully functional upright piano. However, after doing lots of research on the upright piano, I discovered that one singular piano string takes about 825 Newtons of force. With the materials that I have access to, there is nothing that I could manufacture myself that would even stand a chance against to such force. So, after conducting more research on the web, I decided to switch gears to designing and building a fully functional, 1:1 scale Celesta instrument; a keyboard instrument that is a combination of a glockenspiel and an upright piano, where, instead of the hammer hitting a steel wire wrapped in copper, it hits a steel bar.
Inspiration Behind this Project:
After my drafting/ CLE teacher Mr. Csuka introduced the Passion Project to the STEAM classes back in 2021, I was not able to immediately think of a project idea. In fact, it took me about a couple weeks of brain storming before one day, I was playing piano at home when I lifted the lid of the piano and got an idea. To build an upright piano key. This project not only connected with my passion for music and playing the piano, but I was also able to integrate all the letters of STEAM into the project; Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.
Design (Journey) Logs:
Grade 9 phase:
For my passion project I will be making a 1:1 scale singular upright piano hammer. I have almost finished creating the parts for the piano. As you can see, the photos below are a few pieces of the hammer mechanism.
On the bottom left is a picture of the main rail of the piano. It is what connects every major piece together including the hammer, whippen, and damper hammer.
On the bottom right is a picture of the piano jack (left) and the whippen (right). The jack is what pushes the hammer up and lets the hammer hit the string before falling back down. The whippen is one of the most important parts of the mechanism because it is the part that interacts with the key and moves basically moves every part of the mechanism; without it the key will not work.
Grade 10 January 1st 2023:
Although it has been a while since I last edited my passion project, I have not given up on it yet. I still plan on making 1 single key on the piano, most likely a Bb or a C key.
To do this, I will start by reorganizing the pieces I have already made and to begin making the remaining pieces needed to complete the project. This will be done with the laser-cutter and the 3D printer. For the key I will use the CNC router to make engravings onto wood to create a pattern on the key then cut out the piece.
After all the pieces are made, I will then assemble them onto a single board and use the sticker cutter to make additional decorations.
March 30th 2023:
After doing some thorough research into the construction and dimensions of the upright piano key, I have completely restarted the project from scratch. The pieces I had originally made for this project are now what I can only call “upscaled monstrosities or disasters”. So, since my plan is to make a 1:1 scale piano key, I have now begun to utilize a new 3D modelling software called Fusion 360 for this project. I will start by designing a 3D model of the entire key then separating the pieces into separate files to make final changes.
Update April 25th 2023:
I have almost finished the 3D model of the hammer. The image is extremely blurred but it is the current 3D model. As of right now, most of the pieces in the model are ready to be exported and printed.
May 31st 2023:
Update June 10th 2023:
Each piece on from the original 3D model has been printed and fitted together. However, after some testing of the key, I decided to remodel some of the pieces for a better fit. The image on below is the current model, after all the final edits to the mechanism itself has been made.
String?: The only piece that remains now is the string. For that part of the project I will be using a .056 gauge acoustic guitar “Low E” string as a substitute for a standard piano tenor string. The main reason behind this substitute is because of the sheer amount tension required to tension a piano string. It requires 825 Newtons of force for each piano string compared to the 70 Newtons needed for the average acoustic guitar string.
Springs: During the assembly of the mechanism, the pieces that I lacked were the springs seen pressing against the hammer butt and damper hammer. So, I went on a “scavenger hunt” to try and find the springs. These springs were not the conventional coil springs but were the rod-like springs which made it impossible to find in local hardware stores and big stores like Canadian tire and Home Depot.
So after searching for 3 weeks, I decided to opt to modifying some coil springs I bought previously do the job. Good news, it worked.
Plans for June 11 2023:
You can see on the bottom left corner of the wood board that there is a marking there. There will eventually be a hole there for the string to pass through and hook to a hook that will be screwed into place on the bottom wood piece.
June 12th 2023:
I travelled to the Tech-Ed wing at various times in the day and utilized the bandsaw along with some machine sanders to cut wood for the supports of the string. Once I cut all the wood I needed, I attached these wooden beams onto my project using screws placed in strategic areas to provide for maximum strength.
I also made some modifications to the mechanism itself. These modifications included:
Removing some of the grey felt with the softer red felt for cushioning on the hammer rail and adding multiple layers of white felt to the damper lever for it to be able to apply enough pressure onto the string as possible while the key is not pressed.
After these additional modifications, I attached the string to project shown in the image below:
After the attachment process, I played around with the key of the string by tightening and loosening the string to observe how the pitch changes as the tension changes. This did not end too well for the string and I, as after I tuned it above an F#2 key, the steel cable underneath the copper wiring snapped. This is the only expression that could accurately describe what transpired after the steel cable snapped: *CLANG**FWOOSH**BANG**CKRSSHHH**THUMP* and so on and so forth.
Luckily I had a secondary string identical to the first one so I quickly replaced the broken string after 1 minute of shock.
June 13th 2023:
This day was the STEAM Fair. On that day, before the middle schoolers arrived at the fair, the balance rail of the piano key, the piece that is the pivot point for the piano key, snapped while I was tuning the guitar string. S, with only 15 minutes on the clock to repair it, I utilized a hot glue gun to glue and weld the piece that broke off the balance rail back. This weld proved to be effective because it was able to withstand the force of the vibration, being pressed and twisted.
June 13th onwards, the Journey continues. ( Updates will be made at least once per month on the status of the project )
Final Product:
The final product is a fully functional upright piano mechanism action model.
This image below shows the final product:
Reflection (Upright Piano Hammer):
From my experience after presenting my project, I feel that in the future I can improve on the following:
- To be more concise during the presentation of the project.
- Build a more complete and playable project – next year I will be building a fully working celesta instrument that will be more durable and much louder than the project I made this year. This would make it far more interactive and fun to present.
- To put together a more flashy poster as well as a more eye-catching project – Next year, I will be creating a celesta. Next year I will also focus on building a more flashy poster with less writing and more pictures.
Passion Project 2023-2024: The Celesta
Description: This school year I will be building a fully operational Celesta using the materials I have access to at school to showcase the tranquility and beauty of its sound as well as demonstrate how each component works.
Goal:
Inspiration: