Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info

End-of-Year Fundraising Drive In Progress. Please visit our home page to see this and other announcements: https://www.mmdigest.com     Thank you. --Jody

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

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page