I have a little time on my hands -- "have run out of hide glue" -- and
thought I would tell you what is going on in my shop.

Most of my restoration work in the last few years has been on antique
jukeboxes, 1928 - 48 models.  I am also working on two Mills Violanos
in for repairs -- one being totally unrestored and the other so called
restored.  It takes so much effort to undo other peoples so-called
restorations than it is to start on a nice untouched machine.  Nothing
new, of course!.

This Mills was restored about a year ago by a so-called professional
piano tech in New Orleans, LA.  What's really sad is that some of the
work he did was really good, like a nice re-string and wiring job, but he
did not repair the loose pin block or replace the missing feeder brush
holders.  The refinish job was one of the worst I have ever seen.  He
told the buyer that the piano would never need tuning -- that all
Violanos sound this way.

My job now is to correct all of the poor restoration.  Quick list:
replace pinblock and restring piano, replace his new piano hammers (not a
single one is in-line), install new staccato board and staccato resistor
and relay, new bow wheels, and trace out some wiring mistakes.  My
favorite part of this job is that every metal part is painted with silver
paint.  Enough said !

I am glad to see all the new interest in mechanical music but please do
your home work and don't do anything that can't be corrected, e.g., using
hide glue and not white Elmer's glue, nickel plating parts vs. silver
paint unless silver paint was used.  Your job is to make sure these
machines live on for ever so some day they can be restored again, and
not parted out.  So, so sad.

Chris Kalstone¶
45 Years old