A bit more on Roger Waring's query.

Roger said the Steck in question had tubing that was 'original lead
(80%) or red rubber (20%)'.  Aeolian didn't use lead.  The 80% is black
rubber that has gone rock-hard.  A complete retubing seems necessary.

This will be an English Steck, not related to its American namesake.
If it's similar to mine, getting the piano action out is quite easy.
It takes me perhaps an hour or two these days, now I've learnt what
to do.  Learning took ages, of course.

The spool box is fixed to the piano action, and once detached at the
back will simply slide out with the action.  The tubing underneath and
the connector block at the bass end just unscrew as described by
others.  You must also unscrew the Theme Primary / Tracking valve box
from the piano case so it will come out with the action.  The wind
motor hose is just reachable and can be pushed off easily, but
reconnecting is something of a challenge.  For this, Steve Cox's
Silicone rubber tubing is much easier to manage than the heavier
traditional cloth-wound black rubber.

You only need detach the player's spoolbox from the piano action if
necessary.  Do it by pulling off all the tubing from the brass tubes
inserted between the keys and then simply unscrewing it.  Note the tube
runs first, of course; they are more complex than an upright, as there
are two or even three rows of tubes, and there is no clue about what
should go where.

There is a short tubing run from the underside connector blocks to the
stack.  If taking the stack out (or just retubing), all of these need
to be removed.  This is a very fiddly task, as the working space is
quite restricted.  Tweezers and patience are needed !

Berley Firmin very reasonably suggests a proper restoration instead.
However, UK Aeolian stuff is very well made and loong-lived, and it is
often quite okay to leave things well alone when there are no obvious
problems.  My Steck upright has its original rubber cloth on, absolute-
ly perfect with no sign of wear, and it's been used every day for
years!  Also, its connector blocks must have been on and off dozens of
times over the years and are fine -- the leather doesn't need replacing
(although the screw threads have stripped).

There is a valid place for repair work, but it requires an appreciation
of the condition of the rest of the instrument so that the repair can
be justified (for both the repairer and the client, for different
reasons).

On the business side, why not give a written note warning that:

   (1) The patch-up repair is just that -- not a restoration,
   (2) it is not an investment but a running cost, and
   (3) some of the cost will be incurred again if another fault
       needs fixing.

And why not follow it up with:

   (4) Restoration may cost more but is better value.

(You may get the job!)

As in the Chesters-Danckaert saga (and many other unfortunate and
avoidable disputes disagreements in the mechanical music world),
making things clear beforehand often helps avoid misunderstandings.
Also, all the work done by any restorer should be _fully_ detailed so
a future repairer knows what's being taking on, and the customer knows
what been paid for.

Julian Dyer