Player Rebuilding Tips
By Debbie Legg
Dear Members, After reading the digest for about a month and contribu- ting info where I felt I may have some insight, may I offer some general advice to first time player rebuilders. This is by no means an attempt to dissuade anyone from asking for technical help. These are simply some methods I use to save kicking myself later.
Before tearing into a rebuild job invest in a good instant camera and take pictures. This can verify, sometimes weeks or months later, where that tube went, etc. It's amazing how often you forget the things you are sure, at the time, you'll remember. Anytime I rebuild a player that is significantly different from the common, I make my own tubing diagram. Using colored pencils keeps the diagram easy to follow when re-tubing. Often even when a lot of tubing has decayed and fallen apart, enough is left to do a nearly complete drawing.
I organize and label all sets of screws and fittings. Zip-lock snack bags and margarine tubs with masking tape labels work well for this. These are usually labeled specifically (e.g., pouch board screws) or sometimes generally for those elbows, Tee's, etc., that have fallen off with old tubing (e.g., bottom of piano). Always visually inspect tubing connectors as you remove them to see if they contain a bleed (particu- larly in reproducers). Make a note of this on your diagram.
Make a penciled register line on any multiple-layered parts before taking them apart. Keep your markings as small and discreet as possible but still legible. A 'T' (treble) or 'B' (bass) indication is also helpful on some parts. Keep multiple, seemingly identical parts in order and in the same orientation. Just because they look alike doesn't mean they are.
Finally, many tubing diagrams and service manuals for specific instru- ments are available through piano supply companies and Player Piano Co. Some are better than others, some players are slightly different from the written material on them, but the more prepared you are the more rewarding your rebuild will be. Arthur Reblitz's Player Piano Servicing and Rebuilding is an excellent book.
Hope this helps. I'm sure other techs have some great shop tips, too. MMD is a valuable resource.
Best to all, Debbie Legg
|
(Message sent Thu 20 Feb 1997, 15:37:35 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
|
|
Mechanical
Music Digest™ Archives
