Dear Group,  I would like to add a couple suggestions of my own
in addition to those already mentioned (which I fully agree with)
regarding proper tracking and preservation of music rolls.  Yes,
I have had the sad experience of vacuuming out the remains of
a favorite roll from the spoolbox, like just about everyone reading
this, but a few simple precautions can minimize the risk, as many
have already suggested in other postings, such as flange replacement,
shimming, and especially re-roll brake tension adjustments.

But first of all is this: proper tracking starts with proper _alignment._
That is, alignment of every component in the spoolbox beginning with
the spoolbox itself.  Many years ago, Dean Randall demonstrated this to
me by applying excessive tension on the take-up spool during rewind of
a brittle Ampico roll; the roll survived because everything else was
properly aligned even though he was pinching the flanges almost to the
point of stalling the motor.

Check your spoolbox first.  Are you absolutely sure it's completely
squared up and true?  Usually it's not after these many years, and
a steel ruler or some other straight edge will prove whether or not
it is perfectly square and straight.  Double check the mounting of the
roll chuck on the idler -- and is the disc on the idler turning freely
with the roll?  Does it have enough spring tension to hold the roll in
place but without shooting it across the room?

How about the take-up spool?  Did you ever notice how many (take-up)
spools are spinning on hardware that is (almost always) adjustable
upward or downward a fraction of an inch, as well as side to side?
Here is a minor adjustment that can be the cause of major trouble.

Sometimes tightening up the screw on the mounting bracket can
accidentally slide the bracket back to where it was previously.  Be
especially aware of this since most spools/spoolboxes are generally
black and it's tough to see in directly from either side.  The best
way to do this is to remove the spool completely and put a straight
thin rod in its place to make your adjustments for alignment.  Any
adjustment if needed will be miiii-nute!

The trackerbar can be a big alignment problem!  I have never yet
removed a factory installed trackerbar that didn't have some kind
of paper punchings or cardboard shims behind the mounting screws.
Of course this doesn't apply to transposing or floating tracker bars;
their proper alignment is even _more_ critical, but in either case the
tracker bar must allow the paper to slide equally on both sides or it
will inevitably drag paper into the flanges particularly during rewind.

The bottom line: adjusting the tracking turnbuckles, ears or rods will
only waste time or make things worse if the spoolbox is slightly out of
alignment.  All of this is applicable to any paper roll-playing device
I've ever seen.

One final safety suggestion that is Duo-Art specific -- The tempo
governor has a small pneumatic that engages a plunger during rewind
only for "turbo re-roll speed."  It can be disabled by simply tying
a knot in the supply tube connected, and re-abled by untying the knot.
This way, the rewind speed can be adjusted with the regular tempo
lever, all the way down to stop in case of emergency.

Even still, remember to apply Murphy's Law to your favorite rolls and
keep the friction brake discs clean with their spring tension at minimum.

Eric Shoemaker
i2npianos@comcast.net.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]