Hi; I read with great interest the comments Mr. Roan's note to the MMD
has generated.  I'm very glad to read how important it is to craftsman
of merit to use the correct materials.

A case that just this weekend that bears this out is my little Seeburg C
piano which I picked up back in 1984 and am just now getting started on.
The stack, I discovered, is a full "Elmer's Glue Job".

All the pneumatics were glued on with copious amounts of Elmer's glue
and, just to make sure things were airtight, the previous "worker"
coated the exteriors of the pneumatics with Elmer's too.  They must
all go into the shit-can, tops and bottoms!

Seeburg used circular wooden external valve seats.  Those are all glued
on with Elmer's too.  Think of the fun I'm going to have getting them
off!

While I'm on my soapbox:  A while ago I offered copies of a great little
pamphlet from the Peter Cooper Glue Co. on the proper use of hide glue.
Of course I wanted to spread the gospel, but I also wanted to see how
many readers were really interested (sneaky little me!).

Got five responses.  Pretty good, I guess.  We can make excuses for
shortcuts and incorrect techniques in former days when mechanical
musical instruments were barely worth the trouble to restore and
restorers didn't know any better anyway but, folks, them days is gone!

The original builders knew what they were doing (they couldn't have sold
the instruments if they didn't).  Follow their examples and you can't go
wrong.  By the way, I can make more copies of that pamphlet, just send
me a self-addressed stamped envelope and $.20 for copying.

Best,

Mike Kitner
735 Factory St., Carlisle, Pa. 17013
(717) 249-3851