In my opinion, Aeolian did not "gasket" its pneumatics. To gasket is to
seal. The purpose of the pouch leather on the pneumatics is allow
removal without damaging the pneumatic or the deck board. Hot glue
alone would be an adequate seal.
In the case of the Ampico, the glue joint has a piece of cheesecloth-
like material, which is actually a type of cloth [buckram] used in book
binding. But the Ampico is much different. The deck boards are maple
and the pneumatics are basswood or something similar. If the glue joint
does not break cleanly during pneumatic removal, the damage occurs only
to the softer basswood.
In the Aeolian, both the deck and pneumatic are made of poplar. If
damage occurs during pneumatic removal, it can happen to either or both
parts. The deck is very thin due to the underlying windway. Damage to
the deck board on the Aeolian can be difficult to repair. Original
pneumatics on the Duo-Art will typically come off easily, as the pouch
leather will split. Half will stay on the deck and the other half stays
on the pneumatic.
When rebuilding, all old pouch leather should be removed from both
surfaces and fresh pouch-leather break-away wafers reinstalled. Any
wafer material that will not split is unsuitable. Thicker material is
unsatisfactory as the pneumatics will not be held firmly in place. Do
it like the factory did; nothing else is better.
Bob Taylor
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