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MMD > Archives > August 2003 > 2003.08.12 > 11Prev  Next


Motor & Expression Box in 1917 Steinway Duo-Art
By Eric Shoemaker

Dear MMDers;  I am going through a 1917 Steinway Duo-Art top to bottom.
This I have done before but a couple of things came up that I'd like
some feedback on from those more experienced than I.

1. The expression box looks just like every other (full) Duo-Art box
I've seen, but once I got it out of the piano I noticed a pallet valve
in back.  This looks just like one you'd see in a grand box for the
crash valve, but there is no crash valve.  Furthermore, this thing is
on the Accompaniment side.  It appears to be activated when the accomp
accordions are at full power, something like the crash grand boxes.
The tubing disintegrated upon removal and I paid little attention to
it as I didn't know this was there.  So -- what does this thing do?

2. The electric motor that drives the pump is not the one that came
with the piano.  My client bought the one that's in it from someone
claiming that the one he sold him is the correct one for this piano.
It has the big six section pump.  The nameplate on this motor reads
as follows:

  Electric Specialty Company Stanford Connecticut
  AC MOTOR
  Type B113  Serial #31298
  Volts 110   Cycles 60
  RPM 1750
  AMP (no # stamped but looks like it should've been)
  HP 1/4 horse
  Pats. Applied for

All motors I've seen in Aeolians have had Holtzer-Cabot motors in them.
Did they use different manufacturers in the early years?  Does 1750 RPM
seem to be _way_ too much to run this pump?

3. Lastly,  there is a bit of piano wire neatly coiled on both ends
(like single strings on a hitch pin) attached to the mounting block for
the pump and drawn tightly to an anchor screw in the plate.  At first
I thought this might be some type of ground wire but there isn't any
evidence of this;  the wire is on the left pump support farthest away
from the motor.  Anyone know what that's for?

Thanks in advance,
Eric J. Shoemaker
Tacoma, WA


(Message sent Tue 12 Aug 2003, 22:59:56 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  1917, Box, Duo-Art, Expression, Motor, Steinway

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