I've followed the thread "Preserving the Music of Music Rolls" with
interest -- one of life's certainties is that the most badly damaged
old piano rolls are always the best ones!

I'm really surprised that no one has mentioned replacing the damaged
edge(s) and if necessary re-cutting the sustain track if the damage is
that deep (which fortunately is rare).  Some old rolls are worse than
others and particularly bad are old QRS and Pianostyle rolls.  It just
could be again, though, that these really have been played the most
and hence their poor condition.

It seems to me that the culprit was at some time in the roll's life,
almost certainly finger tracking, although never having had an
instrument with this device I can't be certain.  The other thing is
the present indifferent and deteriorating quality of the roll material,
after perhaps 90 years of existence.

Without going into great depth, my tried and trusted method is to cut
repair pieces about 18 inches long, about 1 inch deep, from a large
old Meloto or Aeolian roll, which itself has been damaged and also
a duplicate in the collection.  Use an A3 cutting board and a good
quality long steel rule to obtain a dead straight cut edge.

Cut the damaged roll edge back approximately 17 inches along the
length of the piano roll, to remove a damaged strip back to a clean and
straight edge.  Usually this removed piece should leave about a minimum
of 1/8-inch before you reach the sustain track.  If not see below.

Using Filmoplast "P", unroll a length of about 18 inches and cut this
into four longitudinal lengths about 3/16-inch wide using your straight
edge.  Butt the repair piece _exactly_ up to the cut back roll edge
and "stitch" the repair piece using a short tail of cut Filmoplast
every 3 inches or so.  The "stitches" will be about 3/16 inch by
approximately 1/8 inch.  Gently and carefully roll on a piece of split
Filmoplast 18 inches long, without using pressure and if everything is
in place burnish it with a thumb nail to finish this part of the job.
It's fiddly but you can get used to it!

Finally, cut through a tiny length of the repair piece where it overlaps
the end of the damaged part which you removed earlier as well as the
roll underneath and secure with a short piece of Filmoplast.  Note that
all Filmoplast is on the front side of the roll only!  If the damage is
inboard of the sustain track then mark where it should be with a pencil
and cut back inboard of the this track.  Once repaired, re-cut the
sustain slot using your straight edge and pencil marks to locate it
exactly.

Finally, with your straight edge carefully trim the new edge using a
bit of surviving roll edge on the damaged part of the roll or new edge
as a datum.  If this is done painstakingly then the repair is long
lasting and, more importantly, tracks much better.

I couldn't agree more that using a tracker bar pump every week is
essential, along with a tracking motor, which, does exactly what it
should do.  To me pumping out is a weekly job on a Sunday morning,
before I play the hymns.

So far I guess that I've repaired about 200 to 300 rolls which have
shown varying degrees of edge damage; some have been replaced entirely
along one side, others much less.  A couple of afternoons will replace
a normal length roll along most of both edges.  If in doubt just tape
a slightly weak edge -- you can always completely replace it at a later
date, if it misbehaves.

New leaders are accurately cut from a roll of kraft paper, glued to
a perfectly squared off roll and are longer than normal to give the
tracking motor chance to settle down before hitting the music.  New
labels are generated onto blank sticky-backed material, on the
computer.

Tabs are made from "Lion" triangle picture hangers, which are in effect
a brass-plated precision made wire triangle 14 mm along each side.
These work perfectly on my Brinsmead Higel and are Lion part number
1284A.  Just peel back and discard the thin brass plated square, which
holds them to the picture frame.

Hope you find this useful!

Peter Clarke