•I came up with a new way of repairing rolls that I think is worth mentioning. I finally got a roll that I wanted to hear for several years, and as I played it, I realized the roll had been slashed while it was playing, and now it was unplayable. If a razor or knife had been used my job would have b...

•Hello MMDers, A happy and a very musical New Year to all. I am going to attempt to repair some older piano rolls that I have. These are a mix of QRS, Duo-Art and perhaps other brands. I was told by some folks when I asked about their value or importance some time ago that they were not really valua...

•Repairing rolls takes a delicate touch and a bit practice. I know that a number of MMDers have created "repair tables" with spools on either end and a work surface (sometimes flip-able) in the middle. For the occasional repair however, it is possible and effective to make repairs without this. Repa...

•> Hello, I am looking for a replacement original Reuge 28-note > movement for a John Peel Musical Jug. ... The new 18-note movements > playing "John Peel" are not suitable for this jug. Dear George, Reuge stopped making 28-note movements many years ago. The only place you are likely to find a repla...

•I just finished repairing the internal mechanics on a Charles Bruguier singing bird box; it was a 10-hour effort. There are only a handful of pictures in fairly expensive books detailing how these work, and no videos. I made a video demonstrating how the head turning bird works with a cutaway view ...

•Once again, I plan to attend the upcoming MBSI annual convention, this year in the Chicago area. If you have questions, wish to discuss these delightful whistling devices, or have one that needs attention, contact me during the convention or see me at my tables during the mart. If you have somethin...

•I need to repair a band organ snare drum. The "show side" of the drum is animal skin with a painting on it. The skin has developed a tear and I would like to repair it without replacing it. Is there anyone with any experience or suggestions? Kirk Russell

•I've followed the thread "Preserving the Music of Music Rolls" with interest -- one of life's certainties is that the most badly damaged old piano rolls are always the best ones! I'm really surprised that no one has mentioned replacing the damaged edge(s) and if necessary re-cutting the sustain tra...

•[ James Warner wrote in 140609 MMDigest: > Is there any way to replace broken tabs on music box discs? Discs are made of either zinc or steel. While the steel disc projections _can_ be repaired, I'd caution against it. I've seen many discs where people tried to repair the projections, only to cause...

•I am in the process of collecting rolls for my 1926 Chickering Ampico. Most of them have come from eBay. For the most part they are really in good repair, but one has a torn leader and a few others have some frayed edges. They were titles I really wanted, but were not available in recuts. I would l...

•[ Deidre Dixon wrote in 140708 MMDigest: > I would love some pointers on how to repair Ampico rolls, and > what materials are currently available. Oh, wow -- this thread just jogged a lost memory synapse! Some time ago I tried soaking an old, frail roll with Scotchgard fabric spray. Someone told me...

•I've had a cracked engine block repaired this way [welding]. The repair was strong and reliable. However, the slow cooling part in the oven mentioned by Thomas is very critical. Finding an oven large enough to hold an engine block is no big deal; finding one large enough to hold an entire piano pla...

•Please forget welding. The heating of the metal around the weld is prone to make it break once under stress. The top piano rebuilders, when a plate needs mending, use Lock-N-Stitch ( http://www.locknstitch.com ). Sometimes they even ship the plate to the company, if it seems the wisest option. Repo...

•There is only one type of welding that will work on cast iron. It is very expensive, and involves heating the whole piece in a furnace. It is then torch-welded, while still hot, using iron rod. It then must be cooled over a period of hours at a controlled rate. This allows the internal stresses to ...

•Crow Custom Cast Welding in Hudson, Wisconsin, repairs cast iron. I had him do work on a stove for me and he usually does a lot of pre-WW2 car manifolds and engine block repairs. He and his wife are very nice folks. His web site is http://www.castmetalwelding.com/ It's not an inexpensive process, b...

•I would agree that stitching is the only feasible method for this repair. I have had this done to numerous Bechstein grands from the 1895-1920 period without any bad aftereffects. Regards, Bryan Seals

•Hello MMD readers, I have answered a couple times on questions people have and thought I would write some about the repairing of cast iron. I am a tooling engineer with 48 years of experience in the automotive, lawn & garden and agricultural world. I am actually working in China at this time. Most ...

•Dave Fowler gives good advice about cast iron rod or brazing. I've had piano plates done both ways, but the real trick is in stress relieving the casting before and after the fix is completed. One thing that's not been addressed through all this is if the plate was installed improperly at the get-g...

•This is just a thanks to Mr. Fowler for his fascinating description of cast iron repair in industry. I don't have a player piano and couldn't repair one if my life depended on it, but I've been lurking here for ten years or so, mainly because of posts like this one. I did have fun, though, at the E...

•Once again, I plan to attend the upcoming MBSI annual convention; this year in the Fort Lauderdale area. If you have any questions, wish to discuss these delightful whistling devices, or have one that needs attention, contact me during the convention or see me at the exhibition, after my workshop p...