I have nine original books with my Wilhelm Bruder Soehne [WBS]
"Starkton" fair organ.  When I took delivery of the organ from
Germany the box of music was in two or three pieces -- it was not
in a normal box system as found with many German organs but used
with a semi-circular box or hopper that allows continual playing
of the same books.  The box/hopper is pictured in the WBS catalogue
of 1926 so obviously it was supplied as standard.

The music needed to be repaired and I decided to cut the books up
into nine separate books and have them professionally repaired.
Unfortunately the books don't play well, in fact they stick and jam.
The roller leaves black rubber marks as the rubber roller still
rotates.  The folds are a bit worn and lumpy in places but, in fact,
even in the good places it sticks sometimes and then next time it
does not.  Is the book catching on the edge of the tracker bar?

Is there a way to make the book less shiny?  I think perhaps that
the showman or some organ builder has coated the surfaces of the book
with so much shellac it's like a French polished surface!  The rubber
roller is not hard and the grooved roller is screwed down just enough
to make sure it works properly, but not too tight.

Any ideas at all would be welcome as it would cost me a lot to have
the whole nine music books recut.

Best,
Jonathan Holmes
Penzance, Cornwall, UK