This nickeloden "kit" from Ragtime is driving me nuts!!!  Well I put it
together like they recommended.  It played.  But... You could hear the
stack valves leak every time the notes were on and some notes would
skip.  Thinking the stack was not built right,  I rebuilt an old standard
single valve.  I tested it and  installed it in the piano. Same problem:
leaking on the top seat.  If you pull the tracker tubing off the stack, the
valve will seat right away.

   So I am thinking that since the spool frame is in the bottom there may be
too much tubing to the tracker bar.  If I take a short piece and hook it up
through a spare tracker bar I have, it works right.

  I am going to move the spoolframe up to the top where the original spool
frame was. Maybe that will do the trick.  I am not going to make any
judgments on the Ragtime stack yet until I can at least get things to work
right..  However, I can tell you it leaves alot to be desired.  Especially
the spool frame.

  This is my first attempt at building something like this.  It is fun to hear
it play with the drums. It draws people who have it within earshot.  If I
can only get it TO WORK RIGHT!!!! If anyone has any advise I sure can use
it!!!!

 - - -

   Concerning the fellow that has needs the Beckwith pump:  I sold a
complete Beckwith piano to a friend of mine who was going to build
it up into a "O" roll machine.   I'll check and see if he still has
the pump unit.

                                        best regards.....Andy Taylor mo.