Andy Ott posted in the 090909 MMDigest asking help with a problem of
the roll tearing itself up against the edge of the take-up spool. This
means to me that it tears up while it playing rather than rerolling.
I think, Andy, you need to tell us the type of tracking your Steinway
Duo-Art has. Does the tracking system shift the tracker bar from side
to side, or does the tracking system move the roll from side to side?
I have a Weber that tracks by shifting the tracker bar. When it's
set up right and the reroll brake is disabled, it is wonderfully gentle
on rolls and any kind of roll shredding on reroll is extremely rare,
almost non-existent -- better than any other player piano I've had
experience with.
For this to work right, the spool box must be perfectly aligned and the
left flange of the take-up spool must be very close to (as in touching)
the left edge of the paper as it comes onto the take-up spool so the
roll paper won't work its way to the left as it comes on to the take-up
spool and builds up on it. Otherwise the roll may shred against the
left roll flange as it rerolls. However, if the roll makeup is such
that its left edge is further than normal to the left, it will shred
itself on the left edge of the take-up spool.
I find this is very rare, but I have two or three rolls in my
collection that have done this. This could be caused if the right
chuck is thicker than normal or the roll itself is a little wider than
normal. I watch for this when a roll I haven't played before starts
winding on to the take-up spool. If I see this start, I immediately
rewind the roll and put it back into its box. I believe the best way
to fix this is to find a "thinner" chuck for the right end of the roll.
I do not recommend converting to roll shifting tracking as I believe
the shifting tracker bar works better.
Dick Merchant
Carlsbad, New Mexico
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