A project to recut some of the most rare player pipe organ rolls is
in progress now, and a suitable medium was needed that was potentially
better than paper.  The scarcity of good player roll paper seems to be
a most serious matter today.  Thus an investigation to see if there was
a better material than paper was launched.

I ran into problems scanning recut player organ rolls, in that the
paper translucency was so close to the holes that the optical reader
sometimes was confused and gave erroneous readings, thanks to very
similar contrast ratios.  This was with a transmission type photo
transistor tracker bar with an overhead LED light source.  The CIS
array system seems to be immune to this problem, and will be used to
scan player pipe organ rolls from now on.  A much denser material was
needed than the very translucent paper, which is no problem with
original pneumatic players, but presents a serious potential one should
an optical reader be used.

There is a material that was recently brought to my attention as a
suitable and long life item for recutting rolls.  It is called "Plastic
Paper" and a sample was obtained in England.  The sample was extremely
tough, practically impossible to tear, smooth as glass, and the
punching was as clean as could be asked for, and it is supposed to have
a very long life.  Since this discovery, sources in the U.S. have been
found, naturally, by prowling the various web sites for "Plastic
Paper."  Various widths and lengths are available from several sources.
What is certainly not needed is a repeat of that disaster when organ
builders used Perflex in place of leather.

People who are recutting rolls would be well advised to investigate
this medium and see if indeed it is superior.  It has already been used
for making rolls for organettes and other smaller player organ rolls,
and seems to be a definitive answer.  Time will tell.

Jim Crank