Hi MMD-ers!  Well, today I am the proud owner of a 1922 upright Story
and Clark 88-note player.  The case needs some work but all of the
internal parts seem to be there.  It hasn't been tuned in years but
basically seems to be in tune from one key to the next, although perhaps
a little flat overall.  It seems to have a very nice tone.  It produces
a much fuller richer sound than my other piano (a 1928 H.C. Bay Solo
Concerto).

So far as I can tell it is untouched and has only had three owners,
me being the fourth.  It has spent most, if not all, of its life in the
dry climate of New Mexico so there isn't even a spec of rust on the
strings.  Also the sounding board, string support and piano action are
in very good shape.

I have looked in Bowers' Encyclopedia and the several books I have and
on the Internet and have found very little information on restoration
for Story and Clark.  The reason I am writing is that I have several
questions that perhaps some of restorers on the list would know the
answers to.  Any information would be greatly appreciated.

The roll motor does not seem to have a governor.  Not that the governor
is missing but rather it looks as if it wasn't designed to have a
governor, or at least anything that senses the motor speed and throttles
it back.  The tempo control goes to a vacuum valve arrangement that has
a large pneumatic with a smaller pneumatic encased inside of the larger
one.  The small pneumatic has a roller that contacts an adjusting screw
connected to the larger pneumatic.  The only lever that goes from the
tempo control to the roll frame is one to move the tempo pointer.  I
hope that was understandable.  I'm sure that anyone who has looked at
one of these before, will have some idea of what I mean.  I need to
better understand how this system governs the roll motor speed without
any mechanical feedback.

Obviously I want to get the mechanical details taken care of before
I dive into the cosmetics, but I have no clue where to start when it
comes to refinishing the case.  Can anyone recommend a good book on the
subject or perhaps an on-line resource?  I want to do things right and
restore the piano to its original beauty preferably using period
methods and materials.

Later on I would like to electrify the piano (and also retain the
pedal pumps) but there is very little room inside for an electric
vacuum pump.  Basically I have the depth and height of the lower part
of the piano and about 5 inches of width before I bump into the pedal
pumps and regulators.  I would not be opposed to building something
custom.  I'm sure this is not a new problem.  Perhaps someone has a
novel idea of how they solved this problem in the past.

Restoring my H.C. Bay wasn't too hard mostly because things where more
obvious as to how they worked.  Also it has an electric vacuum pump and
no pedals (the pedals were removed long before I got the piano) so I
didn't have to deal with the lower pump action and Mr. Reblitz's
excellent book covered the H.C. Bay very well.  I find the Story and
Clark just a bit more challenging.  Again, any information would be
greatly appraised.

Musically,

Ray Finch
Albuquerque, New Mexico