In response to the question of a few days previous, I have used Filmoplast "P" archival tape for roll repair the last nine or ten years. It seems to be far superior to 3M Magic tape as it is very tissue thin, repositionable before burnishing, acid free and long lived. It is made by Hans Neschen Gmbh...

Dear Jody, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! A couple more sources of archival document repair tape are as follows: Gaylord Bros. 1-800-448-6160 carries Filmoplast in the following formats: • P 3/4" x 165' translucent $21.80 per roll P1 3/4" x 165' translucent dyed yellow $21.80 per roll P90 3/4" x 165' not transp...

•G'day all. I have read with much interest, the postings about the many problems and risks associated with very old electrical equipment. Aside from player pianos, I have a modest collection of early light and electrical fittings and, as an engineer, I would like to add some of my thoughts to this t...

A few years ago in an AMICA article someone mentioned that he was using some sort of tape for repairing the chain sections, and which actually had little chain-like holes in it. Does anyone know about this tape and where one could obtain some? Thanks, Dee Kavouras

•I knew insights would emerge on your referred subject if you sat back and waited. Referring to the recent dialogue on cleaning of old pouch leather, as opposed to biting the bullet and replacing them all- does the same advice hold in the case of zephyr skin pouches? The couple I've opened seemed to...

•> Referring to the recent dialogue on cleaning of old pouch leather, > as opposed to biting the bullet and replacing them all- does the same > advice hold in the case of zephyr skin pouches? In years of working on pipe organs (mostly theatre organs), I've found that zephyr pouches are usually in wo...

•Re: 981017 MMDigest Greetings: There are no, I believe, catalogs dealing exclusively with reed organ parts and/or supplies. General parts and leather can be ordered from Organ Supply Industries (Erie, PA); Schaff Piano Supply Co. (Lake Zurich, IL); Player Piano Company (Wichita, KS); or any of the ...

•Help! I'm looking for either (a) a complete roll electric roll motor for my Ampico 'B' or (b) referral of a good motor shop that can rewind one. I burned mine, and the armature has to be rewound and the field probably should be. Bob Taylor has it in his possession at the moment, so a reply either t...

•Be very careful when reading the MMD and D.L. Bullock's advice about Bradford Electric [000718 MMDigest]. I took D.L.'s advice and sent them my Holtzer-Cabot motor. They did a first class total restoration on my motor. It now runs like a Swiss watch, and I am _very_ pleased with both their work and...

•Concerning the Welte Holtzer-Cabot motor [001029 MMDigest], there are several motor restorers available in the Antique Fan Collectors Association, if Mr. Helfman wants it restored. I would guess a complete rebuild, rewind, bearings, etc., might cost a couple hundred dollars though. Suggest you cont...

•When I first read D. L. Bullock's account of electric motor rebuilding, I remained silent, even though I thought his rebuilder's prices were out of sight. Now that Sam Harris has used that service and reported it here on MMD, I feel it is time to speak up. Nearly seven hundred dollars without rewin...

•[ Ana Maria Latorre wrote in 011030 MMDigest (translated): > I have seen on the net that you have an Ariston organette of > approximately 1910. I have an apparatus exactly alike and 36 discs > of perforated cardboard and I am looking for somebody who can > restore it, since it is a little deteriora...

•[ Ana Maria Latorre wrote in 011030 MMDigest (translated): > I have seen on the net that you have an Ariston organette of > approximately 1910. I have an apparatus exactly alike and 36 discs > of perforated cardboard and I am looking for somebody who can > restore it, since it is a little deteriora...

•The trademark mentioned is that of Karl Griesbaum. The company is still in business and is now owned by Siegfried Wendel. They have been in business for over 75 years. They still manufacture "Bird Boxes", "Birds in a cage" and "Whistlers" (a similar product wherein persons are pictured with their l...

•Hello! The cage Ms. Kay's father-in-law has is a old Griesbaum Birdcage. This type of birdcage is still made today by our company in Germany. The problem she describes sounds to me like a broken bellows, a problem every collector of mechanical music is familiar with. If there is someone in the Nort...

•In regard to the mechanical bird music box. I have worked on many of these little bird cages over the years. I have mostly replaced bellows on them and done small mechanical work. I have had good results if the unit is complete and the gear works are okay. Generally the repairs for bellows and oili...

•If you need to repair a roll with green paper (or indeed any other shade of paper) you might like to consider the following. At the end of the roll, beyond the final playing notes and rewind hole, is often quite a bit of blank paper. On some rolls there is only a few inches but others might have as...

•In response to the forwarded letter by Jayne Paris concerning her Faventia barrel piano, I have been restoring these for some years. Normal restoration included the replacement of the pinblock with a "Delignit pinblock", then repining and stringing, including having the wound bass strings duplicate...

•One problem that seems to be common to old barrel pianos, and other similar instruments, is the wooden drive gear that is usually fastened to the end of the barrel. This gear is turned by a metal worm gear as the handle is cranked. Eventually, the metal worm gear wears down the center of the face o...

•Bruce Miller is correct in saying the best way to replace a wooden barrel drive gear is to use a composite piece of wood so that the end grain is more or less uniformly presented to the worm drive. I find beech is an excellent wood. I am sure there are other suitable woods with a compact hard grain...