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
MMD > Archives > January 2013 > 2013.01.17 > 08Prev  Next


Bilon and Polylon
By Pat DeWitt

My first Ampico piano rebuild (Marshall and Wendell Upright "A") was
done in the 70's with Polylon which I bought from Nelson Barden, of
Barden and Clark, who were doing mechanical music restorations in the
Boston area at that time.  I glued it with a latex(?)-based material
from them called "Thunder Over Paradise" or TOP, very similar to the
PVCE we use today.  (How the name Thunder Over Paradise was picked is a
story in itself.)

I believe that the Polylon material is actually polyurethane-covered
nylon cloth (thus the name poly-lon), derived from the raincoat
industry.   I have an old army officer's raincoat that seems like a
similar fabric.  I agree that my Polylon material has developed
pinholes in the corners, and I even had to replace the play/reroll
fabric because it flexed with a lot more wrinkles than the striker
pneumatics, causing the polyurethane to flake off.  However the striker
pneumatics are still playing as well as they did when new, in spite of
corner pinholes.

I believe that PPCo got on the bandwagon, so to speak, and developed
Bilon.  Polylon has a urethane coating on just one side, while I
believe that Bilon, as the name implies, has the urethane coating on
both sides of the nylon fabric.

Later in my hobby, about the early 90's, I did another Ampico piano
with the PPCo material, and it was not as good as the original Polylon.
So, being educated by good AMICA friends and by MMD, my Mason Ampico
"A" and my Steinway Duo-Art are both done with the (hopefully) best
traditional materials from Australia, which I bought from Mike Madeira.
I believe that Schaff now sells the Australian material also.  Bring a
well-equipped wallet when you go to buy it!

Pat DeWitt
Fort Wayne, IN


(Message sent Thu 17 Jan 2013, 20:56:10 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Bilon, Polylon

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