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
MMD > Archives > April 2005 > 2005.04.20 > 04Prev  Next


Repairing Old Piano Rolls
By Chris Baldwin

Hello fellow MMD'ers,  I had the extreme joy today of inheriting my
great grandmother and grandfather's roll collection.  It arrived in
a giant box from UPS.  The family back East got wind that I owned a
couple of players and all a sudden the rolls from a past generation's
family player piano surfaced.

I was quite dismayed to find that the majority of the rolls are in
quite poor condition.  I played through a few of them fine, and what
fun that was!  But unfortunately, most are water damaged, not spooled
properly, or torn.  Most of them are also missing the roll tab and
leader section, and the roll begins in the middle of hole punchings.

I'd like to try to restore as many of these rolls as I can for the sake
of them being family heirlooms.  It doesn't matter if a few of them
start immediately in the beginning of the song, I'd still like to play
them.  About 70% of them need new roll boxes as well.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to "re-roll" the rolls on their
spools so that they don't weave from side-to-side as they play, and also
how to reattach leaders and roll tabs to them?  This is a new thing for
me to be doing and I'd appreciate any advice you all can share with me.

Thank you all in advance for your help!
Christopher Baldwin
San Diego, California


(Message sent Wed 20 Apr 2005, 04:44:22 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

Key Words in Subject:  Old, Piano, Repairing, Rolls

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