[ Alex Patterson wrote in 110809 MMDigest:

> I recently came into possession of a Mermod Freres musical box.
> It was purchased for my grandmother...

Congratulations on your new treasure!  It's wonderful when a box is
passed down through the family.

> The three cylinders that were in the case are fine.  The other three
> were stored poorly and have some corrosion on them: two have a little
> green in patches and the other has a larger area of black corrosion.
> There is some rust starting on the comb.  It does, however, play
> spectacularly.

Short of a full cleaning/polishing, there is not much more you can do
except scrub the affected areas with a soft wire brush (like a suede
brush).  Although it may play now, you have seen a condition that has
started and is escalating.  Rust won't stop until you get rid of it
entirely.  It can cause structural damage in the comb teeth and can
eat through cylinder pins quickly.

Another thing to consider is that the poorly stored cylinders, and
the ones that are now playing, might not be riding freely on the axles.
Check to see if the cylinders move their full range on the axles, from
the first tune to past the last tune on the tune-change cam.  If they
don't they could have corrosion at the point where the end caps touch
the axles and/or the pitch inside the cylinders could have sagged over
the years.  The sagging pitch is a very common occurrence in
interchangeable cylinder boxes.

After over 100 years of neglect the springs are certainly dry and not
working to their full ability.  They need to be pulled out, cleaned,
re-greased and checked for tears at the ends.  It's a thing that needs
to be done to give the box its full power.

> It seems like it ought to be oiled or something as I am sure it has
> received no care or maintenance in at least 40 years.  I don't think
> it needs a rebuild or anything, but I would like any advice on what
> a modestly mechanically inclined owner might be able to do to help it
> make it to the next generation.

Everything mechanical needs to be oiled periodically.  Definitely oil
it, if you want to, but oiling it doesn't 'cure' anything and will make
abrasive sludge out of any dirt/grit that is already there and cause
more wear.

The reality is that you have a box that has not been treated very well
over the years and, as you've described, does have problems.  If you
want the box to last into the next generation, I strongly suggest
having the mechanism professionally restored.

Think of it like an antique car: it looks good, the motor runs, but
it's been in storage for fifty years.  The motor has dry gaskets, oil
sludge and internal wear that you can't see.  If you get it rebuilt you
don't have to worry about it anymore.  If you don't, sooner or later
the excess wear and corrosion will cause some possibly major damage.

Nancy Fratti - Nancy Fratti Music Boxes
Canastota, New York, USA
http://www.nancyfrattimusicboxes.com/