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MMD > Archives > March 2016 > 2016.03.23 > 04Prev  Next


Average Time to Rebuild a Player Piano
By Bill Mackin

I've only done one complete restoration.  It took about 5 months,
working 1 to 6 hours a night, about 4 nights a week, so I guess
somewhere around 300 hours total.  As I said, it was my first one, but
it was (according to sources) on a simpler piano, the Cable Euphona.

The longest time spent was probably on the pneumatics because I had
only enough clamps and fixtures to do ten at a time, so I let them
set and then worked on the next ten the next night.

Making the original fixtures and guides took a couple nights.  Waiting
for materials caused delays.  Waiting for the hide glue to warm took
a little time each night.  If I had to do a second piano, and I had all
my fixtures ready to go and all materials on hand, I could probably do
it in about 4-5 weeks.

I did everything, mind you.  I cut brand new boards for at least half
the pneumatics, replaced all the old tubing, replaced every pouch,
double-sealed the bellows wood, and recovered and timed the wind motor.
I didn't want to have to go back and take everything apart in five
years to fix something I skipped the first time around!

Bill Mackin


(Message sent Thu 24 Mar 2016, 01:26:34 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

Key Words in Subject:  Average, Piano, Player, Rebuild, Time

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