•Hi All, To those who have encountered every kind of grand piano with a Duo-Art player mechanism, you know that there are almost too many steps to put it all down in writing. This is especially true of the units that require the removal of all of the levers in front of the piano action. Taking the a...

•I am rebuilding a Regina Corona, model 35. It is an early model with the lifting straps. Would appreciate any advice on the following topics: Question 1. The disc selector (sometimes called the "Index") has a rotating arrow with a knob which moves a cam and linkage to adjust the location of the dis...

•-- non-subscriber, please reply to sender and MMD -- Please let me know how to remove the fabric from the bellows. Is there an easy way to release the glue? Arthur Lemley

•Hello Arthur, I have found the easiest way to remove old bellows fabric (from the exhausters and reservoir/s) is to peel the old fabric back by hand. If that proves difficult, you can carefully apply heat with an iron to loosen the old glue. Sometimes it is of benefit to lightly scorch the old fabr...

•First of all, which type of bellows are you talking about -- large, medium, or small? The methods for removing fabric varies for each size. Regardless of which size you are dealing with, be sure to _measure the span_ of the bellows! Second, I would recommend looking at the book, "Player Piano Servi...

•The easiest way to remove old bellows fabric is to use heat. Hopefully this project can be done outside, as it creates an awful smell. By placing the surface of the bellows on the hot flat surface, old bellows cloth comes off easily. An old electric iron for ironing clothes works very well. For rem...

•Arthur Lemley asks: > Please let me know how to remove the fabric from the bellows. > Is there an easy way to release the glue? Bellows fabric was originally glued in place with animal hide glue, which softens with higher temperatures. I've had good success over the years heating the glue joints. S...

•We use a hot air gun that is sold for heating and removing paint. It is much safer than a torch, less odor is produced as you don't need to scorch the old cloth, and it's quicker and cleaner than using an iron. The hot air gun has two settings for the amount of heat, as well as a nozzle adapter to ...

•In addition to the several recent cautious recommendations I would hint at a more brutal one, namely to dunk the bellows for a minute or two in 40-50 degrees centigrade water to soften the glue. This presumes hot hide glue was used, otherwise you will have to spend much more time using only heat an...

•Hello list, I am in need of some technical advice. I have a 1923 Weber Duo-Art grand and I need to remove the pump in order to address a knock. I am about 98 percent sure the knock is a connecting rod mount that has worked loose where it bolts to the bellows board. What is the best way to remove an...

•I have a couple of methods for removing a grand pump. None of them are easy but I will go through them all: 1. The safest method -- put the piano on the side, slide the pump out. This is very cumbersome and needs enough strong men to lift the piano. First remove the pedals, unscrew the front bass l...

•I have Duo-Art XR grand piano, which I rebuilt and found that the easiest way to remove the pump is as follows: First I removed the electric motor. I then used a medium size automotive hydraulic pump jack with a wood platform about the size of the face of the pump plate attached to the lifting arm ...

•Hi Robert, This is what I do to remove the rather heavy pump from a Duo-Art grand. I first place a blanket on the floor to catch any dirt that might fall on the carpeting. The first thing to do is remove the motor. Remove the belt and the two screws that hold the metal support rods to the wood moto...

•Hi everyone, thanks for the great discussion and information I've received these past few months. I now look forward more than ever to checking my e-mail each day. Just a quick question. Are there any tools made (or helpful hints) for removing the metal compression collars on metal valve stems from...

•How do you remove the fallboard from a 1926 Steinway Duo-Art grand? It pivots on an inaccessible screw at each end that is fastened to the case. Thank you Richard Gurevich

•Remove the front strip then, from beneath the key bed, remove the cheek block screws. The fall board and cheek blocks are removed as one unit. Greg Seagraves

•Move the fallboard to halfway between open and shut position. Look at the sides of the fallboard. You should find a brass bar let into the fallboard side, held with two screws. Unscrew the screws and slide the fallboard away. Howard Goldberg

•Hold the fallboard in the half open position and look end on and you will see the hidden screws to remove at each end. Brian Chesters

•I am very new to grand pianolas in spite of having been a piano tuner for some years. I have recently come across a concert grand size Weber Aeolian pianola whose piano action has seized through lack of use. Could someone advise me how to remove the player action in order for me to gain access to t...

•In order to answer Mike Saunders' question [090820 MMDigest] we would need to know where the player action is on his Weber grand. Some players are located above the keys in front of the piano action and others are below the keys. Brian Chesters