Re: Substitutes for Authentic Materials
By Bob Conant
I meant to include in my earlier posting about the nickel plate screws that there is even more crossover between the pianos and the automobiles.
Remember that the heyday of the player piano was between 1910 and 1930. During that period the auto manufacturers went to the same set of vendors for hardware that the piano makers did. During the twenties (and thirties) there was a lot of wood used in automobiles for framing, for trim and for tacking strips. Today there are not only some of the original OEM vendors for hardware but also quite a few reproducers of the stuff. So things like cup washers, T bolts, convertible top snaps along with nuts, bolts, bearings, etc., are often readily available to restorers of pre-1940 cars.
For example, virtually all the Snap-The-Dot snap fasteners needed to attach a belly cloth to the bottom of an Ampico grand are being used by restorers attaching canvas tops to roadsters and cabriolets. Usually these are available to restorers in "kits", or at least in small quantities. Finishes are brass, nickel and the like which are compatible with the era of our pneumatic machines.
Chrome plating did not become common until about 1930. Prior to that a copper/nickel plating process was used. This was good looking but did not hold up well outdoors (for bumpers and trim), while chrome was a big improvement but has a decidedly different appearance.
As I previously noted, many auto restorers substitute stainless steel fasteners for the nickel plate as the stainless holds up much better than nickel over steel and the appearance is nearly identical. Both stainless and nickel are available today. One company that comes to mind that supplies stainless fasteners is Tioga Stainless in Johnson City, NY.
Sorry I don't have access to my library at this time but there are some other antique car folks on this list that may be able to mention a few other vendors of fasteners and fittings. Hope this helps.
Bob Conant
Endicott, NY
(Currently hiding out in N. Ft. Myers, FL) |
(Message sent Sun 5 Jan 1997, 16:05:50 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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