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 > May 2012 > 2012.05.19 > 04Prev  Next


Replicating "Standard" Fancy "S" Pedal Mats
By David Dewey

Gordon & all (in case there are more ideas out there),

Considering today's player piano market, where pianos are being given
away, I don't know how large a market there is for such a neat item
(in my opinion) to finish off a restoration.  There are low production
methods, for say, ten or twenty mats (which would mean five or ten
pianos would get them @ two pedals per piano!), not requiring the
expensive die method.  Of course, these methods usually involve a lot
more labor.

One idea would be to use a flexible mold-making material that you would
brush on, or pour on your mat (after applying mold release).  This then
gives you a negative of the pedal, which you can then fill with a
self-hardening rubber material (one brand is Devcon, who makes various
hardness of rubber-like products).  Depending on your luck, you might
get five or more before you'd have to make a new mold.

The resulting mat would be slightly smaller due to cure shrinkage,
but probably not enough to be noticeable.  I used this method to make
a one-off steering column seal on a Rolls-Royce many years ago, and it
was much more complex than a flat mat.

Another way to get a mold, or maybe even a finished mat, is a three-D
prototyping method that uses a complex machine that is almost science
fiction like.  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_prototyping  for
a description.

Another idea would be to contact a company that does a lot of short-run
rubber parts.  In the old car hobby, Duane Steele is a major supplier
of rubber parts, including running board covers.  Hope this gives you
some options!

David Dewey


(Message sent Sat 19 May 2012, 16:44:53 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

Key Words in Subject:  Fancy, Mats, Pedal, Replicating, S, Standard

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