Once again last night I experimented with making the little brass
collars for valve stems.  I had only one valve stem from a player
action to measure experiment with.  The collars are approximately
7/32" [0.219"] diameter with a 0.089" hole in the center.  They are
of 0.050" thick brass.

It is easy to make the ones you need with a Roper Whitney Jr. metal
punch.  Grind down a 3/32" [0.094"] punch in a lathe to 0.089" for the
center hole, or buy the correct punch.  The actual outside diameter of
the original was slightly less than 7/32" but I did not want to grind
that punch.  I had a piece of 0.040" brass sheet in the junk box for my
test.

First you punch the 0.089" hole in the sheet.  Punch a dozen or so
holes first.  Next you change your punch to a 7/32" and then center the
punch over the 0.089" hole and punch out your collars.  It's simple and
easy; maybe not as fast an automatic press punch but at least you have
the collars you need.

Before you punch the collars you can first plate the brass sheet or
you can coat each side of the brass with lacquer coating to help stop
the brass from reacting with leather.

Your next step is to modify a set of pliers to set the collars.  An
old pliers set that you can grind a small slot into one end of the jaws
works great.  The cheaper the pliers the easier to grind.

While we are on the subject, if you need to make the little ears that
are on some poppet rods such as a Coinola, you can modify a set of end
nippers with a very small hole cut into them.  The hole is smaller than
the diameter of the rod.  As you put the rod into the hole in the
nippers and squeeze you will create the little ears.

Don Teach - Shreveport Music Co.
Shreveport, Louisiana