On 9/9/09, Andy Ott asked about old rolls tearing at reroll.  I also
have sought advice on this and believe that some rolls, due to their
condition, are so delicate that it is only a matter of time before
they destroy themselves.

Some advice has been to shim out the left spool so that there is no
friction between the uneven paper and the perhaps an uneven spool.
This certainly helps.

I create my shims by taking an old cardboard tube of a destroyed roll
and cutting a slice of it off of the end to create a ring shaped piece.
I use a fine tooth hand miter saw in a miter box.  Remove the left
spool of the delicate roll and insert the "ring" over the spool and
reinsert the spool into the roll.  The ring should be of a width that
gives you approximately 1/16" space between the spool and the paper
once it is put back together.

This will help avoid the tearing, doesn't cost anything, is certainly
reversible, and does not introduce any new/foreign material such as
rubber washers or spacers.

Joel Cluskey - Cluskey's Piano Works
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania