•Hello, I am the proud new owner of a 20-note Gem Roller organ, in original found condition. It comes from northern Indiana, thus the reason that the top board has the Sears and Roebuck stencil. Much to my surprise it still plays; however, it needs a full repair or restoration. My question to you: i...

•[ Charlie Creighton wrote in 100627 MMDigest -- > Is there a "How To" publication on this subject? Also > a source for materials to restore this little Gem? I suggest contacting Todd Augsburger in Ohio. His web site is http://www.rollerorgans.com/ and his email address is todd@rollerorgans.com.geen...

•Make sure you take pictures before restoration so you can make the decorations and names the same as the originals. John Vallings New Zealand

•If at all possible, _never_ remove original stenciling. Collectors of organettes can tell the difference. Obviously if it is mostly gone already you are not losing anything. Clean it up first and see how much stenciling is left. Harold Draper has stencils but I do not know what model you have so he...

•I recently acquired a beautiful by non-working Aeolian Grand player from an aged aunt, and transported it 500 miles to my home in Colorado. There are several issues that I'm working with: 1) I have only the serial number, 14505, so I don't know its age or even the model number, if any; 2) I haven't...

•[ Fred Lochner wrote in 100630 MMDigest : > I recently acquired a beautiful but non-working Aeolian Grand player > ... it formerly had player capabilities. Are you sure it is a Grand? "Grand" is a model. They were [offered in] different cases that one could order for it, or even have custom made. U...

•Once again, I plan to attend the upcoming MBSI annual convention in Dearborn, Michigan, next month. If you have questions, wish to discuss these delightful devices or have one that needs attention, contact me during the convention or see me at my tables during the mart. If you have something to rep...

•Hello all, I am currently repairing this Otto self-playing accordion. What is the correct way to reattach the aluminium reed assemblies inside the accordion to their wooden carriers? I see the remnants of some sort of waxy stuff (beeswax?). I have to remove some of the reeds as they are not working...

•[ Bernt Damm wrote: > What is the correct way to reattach the aluminium reed assemblies > inside the accordion to their wooden carriers? I see the remnants > of some sort of waxy stuff (beeswax?). Hello, I've been an accordion player for many years. Accordion reeds are held in place with a concocti...

•Hello Bernt Damm and others, While I don't have experience with the Otto Accordion itself, I have restored a few piano accordions from the 1950s and 1960s, so this may be of some help. The wax that holds the reed block in place is a mixture of beeswax and rosin, and possibly other materials. I know...

•Dear Bernt, In regard to your inquiry about the substance securing the reeds. You are partially correct. The fixative is basically beeswax mixed with rosin (and perhaps some other secret ingredient). You may be able to procure some commercially on-line from any company that supplies to accordion ma...

•Hello, I have here some of those gong spirals made from steel wire. These are for a large clock and they are struck with a leather-faced hammer. Basically, these would operate on the same principle as a steel bar xylophone or the tooth of a music box. The ones I have here seem to have gone off kilt...

•Only a suggestion -- you said no visible cracks, but there could be fatigue cracks that you can _not_ see. I know this to be true in metal reeds. The reed looks good but if you try to make it sound -- yeeesssshhhhh! -- what a noise! Again, only a suggestion to why there is a problem. Leslie Hoffman...

•Hello MMD -- On my last posting about roll repair [100519 MMDigest] I said I used Goo Gone Xtreme for removing Scotch tape from rolls. Since then, they changed the formula, and now it dissolves the tape also, leaving a mess of slush to clean up. I have gone back to using marine finish thinner, that...

•Hello All, The subject of removing Scotch tape from rolls was reviewed by John Taber in MMD 101121 where he mentions several proprietary fluids. I have always used with complete success the commonly available fluid used for filling cigarette lighters (obviously not the liquid gas). My stock is now ...

•[ Ref. 110220 MMDigest, Value of Ragtime Nickelodeon > Are there cheaper alternatives to a complete re-stringing and pin job? If the strings are in good condition, i.e., not rusty, and the bass strings are not dead, you may be able to re-pin it without complete restringing. This is assuming that th...

•There is a cheap solution: normally its possible to hammer the pins deeper. This can be done if the pins are not too loose, and it should not be done without prior advice of a piano technician. Repinning and then replacing with the old strings is, except for the bass strings, not a good idea. If yo...

•If neatly done, water-thin CA glue in small doses works wonders on restoring tuning pin torque, with no downside I can think of. Here are the reasons I like it: 1. Low cost. A two-ounce bottle is $10, and will often do a whole piano. Buy fresh from a busy hobby store. Old glue won't do. (You need u...

•Once again I plan to attend the upcoming MBSI annual Convention later this month, this year in Rockville, Maryland. If you have questions, or wish to discuss these delightful devices or have one that needs attention, contact me during the convention or see me at my tables during the mart. If you ha...

•For those familiar with the Mira 18-1/2" double comb console, there are slides that move over each comb connected by a linkage. I am assuming they dampen the combs. But from some photos I have seen, my unit is missing what ever material (felt, rubber, etc.) that is under the metal. As it is, these ...