MMD > Archives > April 2008 > 2008.04.17 > 03Prev  Next


Restoring 65/88-note Themodist Player Action
By James Harrap

Hi,  This is my first post so hope it is correct.  I have recently
started on restoring the 65/88-note Themodist from an early Steck
piano.  Every single one of the pneumatic cloth bellows were cracked
and falling to dust.  I have now completed the top deck pneumatics
(all 29 of them) and hope to attach of them back to the rail.

When I dismantled them, there was this purplish colour of gasket left.
I am wondering what gasket material and glue I should use.

I tried an experimental glue-up of (home made) burnt shellac on some
spare wood; it made a right mess and took a couple of days to go off.

When I pulled at the joint, it came apart quite easily, so next I tried
putting a gasket of blotting paper in, and using hot animal glue.  This
seems to really do the trick and I haven't been able to pull it apart.
So I am thinking of using for the pneumatics, blotting paper gaskets
and hot glue.  It looks as if it will be airtight.  Anybody's comments?

Regards
James Harrap
Brisbane, Australia



(Message sent Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:57:16 +0800 , from time zone +0800.)

Key Words in Subject:  65/88-note, Action, Player, Restoring, Themodist

Related by Subject:
2008.04.17.03 (This article) - Restoring 65/88-note Themodist Player Action
2025.08.03.02 - Seek Help Restoring My Player Piano
from Brian Shaw
2025.07.30.02 - Seek Help Restoring My Player Piano
from William Wylie
2025.03.11.01 - Restoring a 20-note Celestina Music Box
from John Hupcey
2024.08.09.01 - Restoring Stoddard Ampico With Selector Mechanism
from Lance Reed
2024.08.07.02 - Restoring Duo-Art Pipe Organ Player Cabinet
from Don Taig
2021.10.18.01 - Restore the Piano When Restoring the Player
from Don Teach
2021.10.05.01 - Restoring a Hardman Peck Welte-Mignon Piano
from Dave Allan
2021.08.01.02 - Restoring a Duo-Art Reproducing Piano
from John Kurtzke
2021.07.23.03 - Restoring a Duo-Art Reproducing Piano
from John Kurtzke
2021.01.09.05 - Restoring a Lowrey F-20 Player Organ
from Philip Jamison
2020.09.21.02 - Restoring the Gilt Name on a Reed Organ
from Brian Shaw