As a rebuilder of 25+ years I can completely concur with Mr. Bullock's
comments on Tyvec and other materials developed in the post WW2 age of
'planned obsolescence'.  With Halloween coming up, it seems timely to
relate some of my personal horror stories I accrued over time.  I wish
I had documented some of these with photos -- I could create a
heckuva little web page!

The Halloween Monsters In My Shop

FrankenSteinway: The two bellows of the Duo-art expression unit in this
piano were cut into, then sewn up with fishing line, and then painted
over with latex paint.

The Mummy: The air motor pneumatics and the foot pump bellows of this
Autopiano were all covered over with white "First Aid" adhesive tape.

Doctor Jekyll & Nauga Hyde: The foot pump of this Pratt-Read action was
covered with <guess what!>.  It was also held on with over 200 decorative
upholstery nails.

The Blob: A virgin Seeburg stack gets caught in the clutches of an evil
menace armed only with a <gut-wrenching scream> hot melt glue gun!

The Ampicoville Horror: The valve blocks in this Ampico A stack were
glued together with rubber type contact cement.  Later on another
person injected neatsfoot oil in the units which broke down the glue.
When I found it the pouch boards were all hanging loose and the pouches
had all fallen out.

The Green Slime: All the hoses in this Wurlitzer band organ were hoses
replaced in the 1960s with clear vinyl tubing.  As the vinyl
plasticizer broke down the hoses exuded a sticky slimy substance that,
when it came in contact with the brass connections, turned dark green.
This Green Slime flooded into the valve blocks and ruined them.

Count Stackula: I had to come to the aid of another rebuilder who
had lost "Count" of how many times he had to go out and service a Bush
& Lane player action he had done a year earlier; it was turning him
into a veritable Zombie.  He had used neatsfoot oil on the valves, not
knowing that this elixir would react with the pot metal valve seats.
Every time he would clean the valve seats he would come back three
months later to find the same white corrosion and build-up.  The valves
and leather had to be completely replaced.

Plan 320 From Outer Space: I need not mention the horror that we
rebuilders experience when trying to remove PPCo's 320 plastic glue,
Elmer's glue, and other types of new-age glues from bellows and
pneumatic boards.  Holy Moly!  I'd rather be on a date with Elvira!

Happy Halloween!

Brian Thornton - Short Mountain Music Works
Woodbury, Tennessee
http://www.shortmountainmusic.com/