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 > May 2001 > 2001.05.07 > 07Prev  Next


Leather for Ampico Pump Is Not Preferred
By John A. Tuttle

Hi All,  I've been stimulated by some private correspondence to explain
my strong attitude concerning the use of leather for the bellows in an
Ampico rotary vacuum pump. (I'm not saying that I was asked to explain.
Their letters merely stimulated me.)

In a nutshell, (a) leather is available in an infinite number of
thicknesses and grades, (b) there are (to my knowledge) no published
reports or technical articles which extol the virtues of leather over
the original quality bellows cloth used when the pump was made, and,
(c) no one (to my knowledge) has established guidelines for selecting
the "best" leather for the job.  Is kangaroo leather the only leather
that works better than good-quality, heavy-weight bellows cloth?  How
thick is "just right"?

Given these unknowns, it seems to me unreasonable to advocate leather
as the "preferred" material for recovering the bellows.  And that's
why I expressed a strong attitude.

Granted, there have been and will be times when good-quality 'standard'
(other subjective words) rebuilding materials are not readily available.
I, for one, will always do what I have to to complete a job in the
'best' way possible.  And I'm not ashamed to admit that I've used
non-standard materials when I felt confident that the end result would
exceed the original specifications. I've even gone as far as to use
non-standard materials on a customer's piano with the proviso that if
it failed prematurely, I would rebuild it again for free.

But if what is "preferred" is not 'standard', don't we owe it to future
generations to change the standard?  Rewrite the books?  And lay down
some new guidelines?... First?!

Musically,

John A. Tuttle


(Message sent Mon 7 May 2001, 16:15:33 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Ampico, Is, Leather, Not, Preferred, Pump

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