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MMD > Archives > September 2007 > 2007.09.03 > 05Prev  Next


Rebuilding Ragtime Automated Music Nickelodeon
By Vic Searle

Beware!  I purchased a set of pneumatics from the company you mention.
They lasted one year and then all the pouches disintegrated into dust
as they were made of that <$%&`#"&> _Perflex_, the use of which almost
bankrupted a number of organ builders who had to completely redo large
organs which they had re-leathered with the "Miracle Replacement for
Organ Pouch Leather."

I tried to repair all the pouches myself, but it was almost impossible.
I asked the company what they would charge me to repair the complete set.
I got back a large sheet of Perflex and a snippy note: "Do it yourself!"

In correspondence with several noted restorers and repairers, all told
me they would never touch an instrument with those extruded aluminum
pneumatics which screwed onto a steel bar.

Perhaps the company has seen the light, but get an absolute guarantee
that they now use regular zephyr skin.

Your friend is correct -- you'll lose all your hair trying to repair
those little monsters.  But I know the bullet you'll have to chomp is
now horrendously expensive.

I finally broke down and made a complete new pneumatic stack from the
plans Doyle Lane furnishes with his wonderful plastic valves.  The
nickelodeon has now played for 20+ years without a failure.  I sincerely
recommend that you check out this idea.  It's a job to do, but you'll
never regret it.  I don't have Doyle's address handy, but kind Robbie
will surely add it to my post.

Vic Searle in Tokyo

 [ Doyle Lane contact information is given in the article at
 [ http://mmd.foxtail.com/Archives/Digests/200703/2007.03.06.02.html
 [ -- Robbie


(Message sent Mon 3 Sep 2007, 08:00:31 GMT, from time zone GMT+0900.)

Key Words in Subject:  Automated, Music, Nickelodeon, Ragtime, Rebuilding

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