June 2022 This is a picture progress report of your player pianos restoration
We began with the piano action with a complete dismanteling, cleaning and the beginning of replacing all of the bridle straps, jack felts, dampers, Card the piano hammers etc.
To make each picture larger just click on it
Thank You June 10/22 Ron
We began with the piano action with a complete dismanteling, cleaning and the beginning of replacing all of the bridle straps, jack felts, dampers, Card the piano hammers etc.
To make each picture larger just click on it
Thank You June 10/22 Ron
July 12 2022, Restoration continous on the piano action with the completion of the instillatiion of the bridle straps, Regulation of the piano action and finally installing back into the piano and removing the lost mostion between the piano keys and the piano action.
Also the ferst of several tunings of the piano was completed today.
Next item is the player piano main pumps.
Also the ferst of several tunings of the piano was completed today.
Next item is the player piano main pumps.
Aug 18/22, I fell behind uploading the pictures of the progress report because of a computer problem but everything is once again in good order.
Work moved to the player piano system after the completion of the piano action and the many tunings it took to bring it back up to A432 pitch.
The following pictures show the upper section of the player system which is called the "Stack" because of the way all of the finger pneumatics that actually play the piano from the information on the paper music roll are mounted on shelves which are stacked on top of each other. The very last part of the stack contains the "spool box" which holds the paper music roll, the "Air motor" which makes the motopn for the paper music roll, forward and in reverse, and the "Tracking pneumatics" which reads the edge of the paper music roll and keeps it running straight over the "Tracker bar" which is the brass bar with all of the little holes that the paper music roll travels over when a roll is played.
*To enlarge a picture just click on it*
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Work moved to the player piano system after the completion of the piano action and the many tunings it took to bring it back up to A432 pitch.
The following pictures show the upper section of the player system which is called the "Stack" because of the way all of the finger pneumatics that actually play the piano from the information on the paper music roll are mounted on shelves which are stacked on top of each other. The very last part of the stack contains the "spool box" which holds the paper music roll, the "Air motor" which makes the motopn for the paper music roll, forward and in reverse, and the "Tracking pneumatics" which reads the edge of the paper music roll and keeps it running straight over the "Tracker bar" which is the brass bar with all of the little holes that the paper music roll travels over when a roll is played.
*To enlarge a picture just click on it*
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Sept 3 2022, Work continued on the player stack over the past several weeks. While many pictures look similar they are actually different parts from the different "Stack" that make up the player pianos action, which is the devise that reads the paper music roll and changes that signal into an actual movement through the little bellows to play the piano.
Next is to restore the top of the stack which is the spool frame, tracking devise and air motor then to retube the top section too the stack. As you can see the old tubing has turned to glass over the past 100+ years and a hammer is used to simply break the old once rubber tubes to seperate the sections. New tubing has been imported from Germany who still make this very special rubber tubing which used clay as a base while other types of rubber tubing would distroy the leather pouches etc.
I will also start to strip the case of it's old finish so we can move ahead on the plans for this part of the restoration.
It was a true pleasure to chat with you the other day and I look forward to your coming visit.
Ron
Next is to restore the top of the stack which is the spool frame, tracking devise and air motor then to retube the top section too the stack. As you can see the old tubing has turned to glass over the past 100+ years and a hammer is used to simply break the old once rubber tubes to seperate the sections. New tubing has been imported from Germany who still make this very special rubber tubing which used clay as a base while other types of rubber tubing would distroy the leather pouches etc.
I will also start to strip the case of it's old finish so we can move ahead on the plans for this part of the restoration.
It was a true pleasure to chat with you the other day and I look forward to your coming visit.
Ron
Sept 11 2022, Work this week was put towards the completion of the top stack section of the player piano then my attention turned toward the restoration of the piano case. The picture progress report below shows the many different parts that make up the various case section and these pictures ensure everything is reassembled once refinished correctly.
Sept 19/22, The piano case is new being hand stripped stripped of it's old finish. This is a slow process of painting on the special stripping compound and then it works away on the old finish for around 30 minutes and is then removed with a variety of tools. Then the process is started again. I am finding it takes around 5 to 6 coats to remove the old varnish down to the original veneer which is then washed with lacqure thinners and made ready for the next strip of color matching all of the many items before the actual refinishing can start..
Oct 3 2022 The piano case is now all stripped and prepaired for refiishing but is left for a week to allow all of the various chemicles bleed off before the next step is started. More on this will be posted on the case refinishing web page.
Work continues with the player piano system and the final big part is the lower pumps which this "Picture progress report covers.
Work continues with the player piano system and the final big part is the lower pumps which this "Picture progress report covers.
The entire main trunk of the pumps had delaminated which required extensive work to repair the many sections which had come unglued and then expanded because of a very damp location that the piano was kept in
Oct 14 2022 Work continued right through the Thanksgiving day holidays on both the restoration of the player system as well as the refinishing of the piano case. This report covers the rest of the players system restoration including the top section of the player stack, Stack air connection through the piano and the final instillation of the players pumps and finally the playing of the instrument for the firt time in a very long tim.
Tne player system is a very easy one to pump with lots of expression through the fot pedles. Presently the expression devices and removed while the piano case is being refinished and once this work is completed then I go back to the final work on the player system
Tne player system is a very easy one to pump with lots of expression through the fot pedles. Presently the expression devices and removed while the piano case is being refinished and once this work is completed then I go back to the final work on the player system
Here is a little video of the first roll the instrument played after it's restoration. As you can see the expression devices are not hooked up until after the piano case is refinished. This is a very easy instrument to play with only baby steps needed to operate the pumps. Thank You
