Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info

End-of-Year Fundraising Drive In Progress. Please visit our home page to see this and other announcements: https://www.mmdigest.com     Thank you. --Jody

MMD > Archives > December 2002 > 2002.12.18 > 21Prev  Next


Rebuilding Gulbransen Player Action
By Pete Knobloch

One source for rebuilding the glued Gulbransen stack is the book by
Arthur Reblitz, "Player Piano Servicing and Rebuilding."  This book
talks about two ways to remove the tiers from the main vacuum board.

One way is to saw the vacuum chamber into three separate pieces.  The
other way is to remove the screws holding down all the tiers and use a
hard wooden block to knock off each of the key pneumatics.  All of this
pounding also loosens the glued tiers from the main vacuum chamber.  I
haven't tried freezing the parts to help make the glue brittle, but it
might work.  I have not used the saw method for separating the three
tiers.

Do not saw the key pneumatics off of the three tier boards.  You need
to reuse these if at all possible.  Even taking off 1/32 of an inch is
way too much.  You will have to break each one off using a wood block
and mallet.  Label each part as you remove them since you will be
gluing them back to their original position.

I don't agree with using leather seals to reattach the key pneumatics.
Just use hide glue to attach the key pneumatics to the tiers.

You will be doing something different for connecting the three tiers
to the main vacuum chamber.  You will make new leather seals and glue
them to the main chamber.  The three tiers are then mounted to the main
vacuum chamber with screws.  Do not glue these as done in the original.
This helps with the next rebuild process

Pete Knobloch (Tempe Arizona, USA)


(Message sent Thu 19 Dec 2002, 02:20:42 GMT, from time zone GMT-0800.)

Key Words in Subject:  Action, Gulbransen, Player, Rebuilding

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page