I've got a 1922 Stroud Duo-Art upright with an Electric Specialty
Co. motor that is having difficulty starting about one out of
every ten starts.  This motor has a centrifugal start switch that
has retractable arms that initially contact a brass ring until the
motor gets up to speed.  The brass part has very deep grooves and
occasionally the starting arms don't make contact.

When I acquired the piano last year I had a local electric motor
repair shop service the motor and they filled the groove with solder
which worked for a year (it was really just a temporary solution).
When the problem appeared again, I had a good discussion with the
shop's owner and he told me it was honestly was beyond his expertise
to properly repair -- or anyone else that he knew of locally, for
that matter.

He mentioned the difficulty of brazing new brass onto it, and the
need for machining, etc.  I think I would have more peace of mind
getting it fully restored by someone that can make it run for the next
half century or so.  I am looking for suggestions or recommendations.

I live in Grass Valley, a small town in Northern California.  I can
easily drive to Reno, Sacramento, or the San Francisco area to avoid
shipping it, but I am willing to do that if I need to.

Samuel Stroud
samandmichelle@hotmail.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]