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 > November 2009 > 2009.11.13 > 07Prev  Next


Perflex and Tuftane Pouch Materials
By John A. Tuttle

Hi All,  As it was related to me by John Omiatek (the head engineer

at Classic Player Pianos and now Storey & Clark Pianos), Classic Player

Pianos stopped using the Perflex pouch material when they went into

production of their player pianos.  After much research and product

testing, Classic settled on a material called Tuftane.  That is the

pouch material found in all of the Classic players.  Also, some time

later, Classic entered into an agreement with Baldwin and Wurlitzer

to make player pianos under those trade names.  All of these player

pianos used the same 'aluminum stack' design that is the 'trade mark'

of the 'modern' Universal and American player pianos.



To my knowledge, the only problem that Classic (and later Story and

Clark) ran into with the Tuftane pouches was getting them to stick

to the plastic ring.  During the time I was selling and servicing units

with Tuftane pouches, I encountered perhaps two dozen pouch failures

(out of many thousands).  I also installed these pouches in numerous

Universal and American players, and have yet to hear about one that

failed.



However, it should be stated here that I did rigorous testing of the

pouches before I installed them into a unit.  I did this by stressing

them far beyond what they would ever experience under normal usage.

This was accomplished by shooting 90 psi of compressed air at the pouch

at a distance of one foot using a standard air compressor and a jet

sprayer (typically used for cleaning).  They were further tested at 60"

of water vacuum once they had been installed, even though the vacuum

pump in the player never operated at over 30".



Musically,

John A Tuttle

Player-Care.com

Brick, New Jersey, USA




(Message sent Fri 13 Nov 2009, 18:52:46 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Materials, Perflex, Pouch, Tuftane

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