In 1988 I purchased a player piano made by Winter & Co. to eventually
make into a nickelodeon.  On rebuilding the player action (double)
I opened up the valves and all were in excellent condition.  The
pouches were in good flexible shape.

Some advice I heard was to put neatsfoot oil on the pouches, not
with the intent of sealing them (as they are not 'tight' anyway) but
to keep the leather from drying and wasting.  I added the oil.

I noticed there was a pencil written scribe on the wood near the valves
which said " Assembled December 1918".  Twenty-nine years now have passed
since I overhauled and the player action still works 100 percent.

By other observations I noticed that the sustaining pedal was very worn
-- all the three in solid brass -- and the black keys around the middle
of the keyboard were very worn as well and I had to repaint.

The piano, on finding some old utility bills, must have spent its life
in St. Louis. and was probably played a lot more 'by hand' than with
rolls.

Stephen Bentley - SB-"O" rolls
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada