Darrell Clarke asked about pneumatic covering material. I have tried to
steer everyone away from trying to use "pouch" leather for pneumatics
for that very reason-- they deteriorate, depending on your climate and
the amount of bacterial activity supported by your humidity and
temperature. The old leather was able to last much longer than the new
leather is able to, because it was tanned much differently. It was
stretched and staked, which compressed it's thickness, tightened the
collagens, and rendered more of the fats out of it.

Bilon came in two batches from the Player Piano Co. According to Durrell
Armstrong. One batch had a "soft" inner side, caused by the fact that
the polyurethane had to be "cured" but could not be put on together. So
that meant a double curing of one side when the other was cured, which
would harden the first side. Instead, they cut the  time on the second
side from what it should have been for a full cure, and it became a
little gummy" after a number of years. The next batch had no such
problem. I think that you will be all right.

Any polyurethane coated nylon is able to be Hot Hide Glued with the poly
side down! That is the only glue to use on pneumatics, because it is the
only one hard enough that will not slide, or allow hinges to go
"whopper-jawed " after awhile. One thing about that, though-- always
test first. Your cloth may have some kind of mold release that nothing
will stick to. I've seen it once, and don't trust it anymore. Otherwise,
Hot Hide Glue forms a perfect bond, and when you strip off the cloth,
the polyurethane stays on the wood.

You do not need Bilon, and it is no longer made, anyway. Player Piano
Co. has some of the finest pneumatic covering material available, so
I would trust them.

Craig B.