In a message dated 96-01-20 00:57:03 EST, you write: > To rewind the motor has been estimated at $300 my cost. One would think > they could buy a new motor for less than that, however, I'm a bit concerned > about the RPM's and the other ratings that I know very little about. I've > heard rumors that...

Robbie wrote in Digest 970121: >[ "Incidental" is right! I've concluded that the roll-tracking system >[ on 88-note pianos is the result of the poorly designed chuck and >[ flanges. You don't see roll-tracking systems on nickelodeons and >[ organs, do you ! -- Robbie There may be several good reason...

• [ Editor's note: [ [ What follows are two messages sentfrom Andy Taylor 10 days [ apart about his Ragtime nickelodeon "kit". You may remember that [ rather than paying cash, Andy traded a 1927 Chevy truck for his kit. [ This first message was edited by a second (volunteer) relief [ editor: Joyce B...

•It was requested I post some additional results from the Mahopac, New York sale. All prices include 15% buyer's premium. Berni Organ Facade: $8625. This was a large Gavioli-style facade of the open-front style. It needed plenty of work, but had the Art Nouveau decoration. 15 1/2" Reginiaphone, floo...

•We just returned from a trip to Washington DC. Mechanical music was not overly abundant, but it did show up in a few places. There was a very nice large cylinder music box with bells and drum in a display case in the Science and Industry museum. We found a Regina changer, Welte Philharmonic Organ a...

•[ Andy Taylor wrote: ] > ... The pumping pedal mats were worn all the way through, and I > replaced them with the 'stair tread' matting. It looks okay, but > I couldn't help but ponder the idea of reproduction pedal mats with > the Standard backward "S" . Dear Andy, In the course of developing our ...

•Galen Bird and I both looked at the stuff labeled Seeburg at this auction and have decided there isn't much there. The "G" buildup had original case panels and an original lid, but someone put a different piano in there. I also noticed that its fallboard wasn't original and was too high, anyway -- ...

•In reply to questions about the Reproduco, posed by John McClure, I offer the following: First a disclaimer: I can not guarantee these answers as being beyond doubt correct, I can only state that this is what I have done with my own Reproduco, and feel the results are most satisfactory. My piano is...

•I am pleased to report I did get the Orgoblo unit apart [000709 MMD]. I took a piece of plywood with a 1-1/4" diameter hole in the center, and a 1-1/4" diam. pipe slipped over the motor shaft, and tapped the hub of the fan, and it did move slightly. I soaked it with WD40-type oil spray and was able...

•I have had the same problem with the transmissions in the Kimball players. What happens in that a small plastic sacrificial gear inside the sealed gear box gets brittle and the teeth strip and break off. This motor and transmission operates on 14 Volts DC. Test to see if the little high speed motor...

•[ Russell Doering wrote: ] > The clamp with ends up in the fins was the drive from shaft > to the blades. The fan floated on the shaft with basically > no play, to prevent vibration. Thanks Russell, I gathered that after examining it further. Odd, though, because a simple set screw would be the nor...

•Here are my thoughts regarding Ed Chaban's request for information about moving a Duo-Art grand. First, it is unclear whether this instrument is going to be restored after the move. More importantly, after the move, will the instrument be put on its legs or stored on its side? Certainly if the inst...

•In February I purchased the 'spare parts' from the estate of Mike Kitner. There were quite a few castings for the Wurlitzer pot metal 4-in-1 valves. In addition, I received a Caliola pneumatic stack which used these valves. I intend to re-construct a Caliola from some of the parts. Thanks to Dr. Bi...

•I have a different opinion about hand-cranking projection synchronization to roll played music than what Dick Twichell relayed. I believe operators of roll playing music machines in the orchestra pits had little control over the speed of projection. It was not the talkies that required motor speed ...

•[ reprinted from 000715 MMDigest ] I have had the same problem with the transmissions in the Kimball players. What happens in that a small plastic sacrificial gear inside the sealed gear box gets brittle and the teeth strip and break off. This motor and transmission operates on 14 Volts DC. Test to...

•George Moore speculates on MIDI and band organs made from old pipe organ parts. He has come to the right place. First and foremost he needs to get a copy of the Wurlitzer 104/105 plans published by Bob Stanoszek, 17641 Sagamore Road, Walton Hills, Ohio 44146 USA. I would also recommend the COAA, wh...

•Jurgen, One source of drive noise which is sometimes overlooked is a lumpy or stiff V-belt. I learned this while adapting a jack-shaft to an industrial sewing machine (to slow the stitch rate down to something I could manage). I had purchased a cheap belt at the local auto parts store for the jack-...

•Dear Collectors & Enthusiasts, Please be aware that there is currently a 'wave' of brand new, made-to-deceive old-looking automatons reaching the international marketplace. The few different variants of this monkey 'hookah-like' smoker which we've seen are purposely constructed so as to allow no in...

•It's been almost two years since I last saw an edition of the MMD. Due entirely to my inability to aim my fingers at a keyboard, when I changed e-mail addresses I sent in an address change with a completely undecipherable address! Robbie and Jody recently discovered this error and graciously have c...

•With the current discussion on the topic of playing rolls vs. MIDI, I figured I'd wade into the MMD waters with my first posting. I've been reading MMD for the last year or so and am grateful for the wealth of information available in the archives. I took delivery of a Steinway XR Duo-Art earlier t...