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 > September 1997 > 1997.09.06 > 08Prev  Next


Restoring Brittle Piano Rolls
By Bob Billings

Years ago I "restored" some sub-master rolls for Harold Powell at
Klavier.  The masters were made of a quite robust material, but the
sub-masters were of the cheapest acidic paper with virtually no grain.
They were so brittle, in some cases, that they could not even be unrolled
without breaking.

The restoration was necessary because the some of the masters had been
lost, and all that was left was the sub-masters.  According to Hal,
originally production was done with the sub-masters, and when they wore
out they were discarded.  The masters were used only to make sub-masters.

Hal had somehow come up with a solution(!) that made the unusable brittle
sub-masters at least copy-able, so new masters could be made.  This was a
blue liquid used by beauty salons to add body to hair.  (I still have
some of it.  It would be interesting to experiment with it again.)

The method was to spray a fine mist on the roll, then as the liquid
penetrated the paper, slowly unroll the paper onto a smooth, large
diameter cylinder.  I used a 5 gallon water bottle.  In a few minutes
the fluid would dry and the process was repeated.

The fluid softened the paper so that it would not break, then as it dried
it would provide a sort of flexible matrix that held the paper together.
It was never intended that the "restored" rolls be used for anything than
to create new masters, but they did hold up well for at least a few
years.  If the fluid is organic, which I suspect, it would not be a
prudent treatment for anything one wanted to keep.  I envision hordes of
microscopic critters feasting on it.

Bob Billings

 [ I wonder if one component was a wetting agent (a surfactant or
 [ detergent?) like Kodak Photo-Flo.  This liquid has no odor, other
 [ than it smells "wet"!  -- Robbie


(Message sent Sat 6 Sep 1997, 03:04:11 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

Key Words in Subject:  Brittle, Piano, Restoring, Rolls

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