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 > June 2011 > 2011.06.16 > 08Prev  Next


Brass Pressure Bar for Barrel Piano
By Craig Smith

Hello, Paul,  I understand that you are looking for a brass pressure
bar for a barrel piano.  I'll bet you will have a tough time trying
to buy one new or even adapting a bar from an old piano.

Many times I am asked where I got the parts to restore some
instrument that was made 150 years ago.  I usually smile and point
down to my shop in the basement.  Other than piano parts and a few
common parts for music boxes, you have to make them.  Barrel organs
and pianos?  Forget it!

But, from your description, I think you could make a pressure bar
yourself without much trouble.  In the USA, we have a great company
called McMaster Carr.  They ship materials the same day at very
reasonable cost and minimal postage.  The URL for their copper/brass
materials section is   http://www.mcmaster.com/#copper/=crsw3k 
I'm sure you can find a similar source in the UK.  In fact, many
scrap metal dealers come across the same material at much lower cost.

Make a "V" groove along the side of a straight piece of hardwood to
support the round shape of the brass bar.  Make a flat on each end
of the bar (and maybe another in the middle) so you can screw the bar
into the groove so it won't turn while you handle it.

I have a tapered sanding disk for my table saw so I would pass the
brass bar/hardwood mount between the fence and the sanding disk
several times to make a flat on one side.  Drill and countersink
a few holes and you have a new pressure bar.  You could also do the
same thing with a drum sander and a fence on your drill press or
spindle sander.

I'll bet it would take less time to make a pressure bar than you've
spent calling around to find one.  Good luck.

Craig Smith
Upstate New York


(Message sent Thu 16 Jun 2011, 13:17:09 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Bar, Barrel, Brass, Piano, Pressure

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