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MMD > Archives > March 1999 > 1999.03.31 > 04Prev  Next


Reroll Problem With Automatic Kit
By Craig Brougher

Hi Reyah,  The reroll Kit is probably a Player Piano Co. unit.
I suggest you do up to four things first and try it.

1.  Regap both valves to throw just a bit further: give them just a tad
more travel.  You do this by removing the outside valve seat and adding
a spacer under it, like card stock, say, about .008"-.010".  Reglue
with white hobby glue PVC.

2.  Make sure there is only one bleed between the two of them.  The
bleed is located behind the cork gasket on one of the block valves.
If the pouch leather between both valves together has a little bleed
loss of their own (when you suck on the pouch tube), stuff the bleed
with something to seal it off completely.  Otherwise, throttle the
amount of bleed air you are getting by roughly one-half.

3.  Cover the outside valve seats of both valves with ~1-1/4" diam.
disk of card (like a playing card stock) having a few little holes
punched through it -- say, no more than 2-3 #50 drill size.  Glue them
down with plastic glue (PVC-E glue) so they won't fall off and won't
leak.  You can start with masking tape first to see how little you will
need.  (Don't use felt, which might get sucked into the top of the seat
by stretching and press down the valve, actually preventing it from
actuating.)

4.  Shorten or enlarge the diameter of the supply tube to the unit.
You can then fit the oversize hose to the unit with the "hose in a
hose" idea at the reroll unit nipple.  Often, this is all you need to
do.  But you must make sure the supply comes from the player reservoir
that goes directly to the pumps and not the player stack vacuum, or the
vacuum will cut itself off as soon as the transmission is thrown into
reroll, and your reroll unit will stop its travel half-way.

This will sensitize it tremendously.  Start with #4 if your hose is
3 feet or more (or has bends in it) and work your way up the list.
If it doesn't work then, it is connected to the wrong place in the
transmission.  Often, your levers and shafts under the piano have too
much play, bending, and wiggle.  Unless things are snugged up and new
bushings installed, etc., no kind of reroll would make it work.

The last thing I can say is, on some players, these units won't work,
regardless whatever else you may try.  You have to build one to order
for those kinds.  But I'd say that 80% of the time, that reroll unit
can be made to work.  You just have to know how to diddle with it.

Craig Brougher


(Message sent Wed 31 Mar 1999, 13:28:36 GMT, from time zone GMT-0600.)

Key Words in Subject:  Automatic, Kit, Problem, Reroll

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