Is anyone familiar with the Appa player action?  Having just finished
an Eavestaff with such an action (the first I had seen, and it ap-
peared fairly ordinary) I have now immediately been asked to restored
another in a Dannerman.

There is a significant difference in the Appa action in the Danner-
man, however.  The top of the valve chest, that covers the outer
valve exits, is covered in a fine cloth and three 3-ply wooden boards
with beautifully fitted sunken, cylindrical, steel sleeves above each
valve.  The inner valve seats also appear to be metal sleeves rather
than the more regular metal dish shaped seat. I have not seen this
before and I wondered:

1.  Were these a late development?

2.  Is the purpose of the cloth and ply boards to help prevent dirt
and insects getting into the action?

Whatever the reasons, the valves are in immaculate condition, and
I only need to re-cover the speaking pneumatics to bring this player
back into very good order.

Roger Waring