I certainly hope this rash of messages about silicone sealer in player
action stack "restoration" is not a omen of the future.

If you haven't noticed, the silicone caulk industry changes formulae
every few years.  The original silicone seal smelled like vinegar or
film developing chemical and that is the stuff that could be pulled
off.  Nowadays most of the clear silicone caulk is smelling like
lacquer thinner and it sticks like a son of a gun.  You will not be
able to easily get anything off with that stuff.

I hope the use of any sort of silicone caulk in player pianos is only
an idea to discuss.  Because I know that I will be the one that your
customers call when their siliconed player stacks need to be rebuilt
right.  I have had cat fits getting glue to stick to wood that has
sucked in that silicone stuff and I can expect to need to manufacture
from new wood the parts that have done so, before we can get the stacks
to work again.

I spend extensive amounts of time making sure that I can get original
materials.  I test the airtightness of every leather skin or cloth
product I use.  I use natural gum rubber cloth to make sure it will not
fail as the cloth incorporating neoprene cloths did in the 1980s and 90s.

D.L. Bullock
http://www.pianoworld.us/