•[ Philip Jamison wrote in 140701 MMDigest -- > Can the lead-acid battery be replaced or improved > with a more modern battery unit? Phil, Hofbauer 'Tanzbaers' have been around for many years so will need their batteries replaced. I would be surprised if their original batteries were lead acid as Ni...

•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...

•Thanks to everyone who sent me articles and tips on repairing old Ampico rolls. They were just what I needed, and I even found a roll table in the process. Deidre Dixon

•[ Ref. 140716 MMD, Cracked Piano Frame in Seeburg Nickelodeon ] The best way to fix a casting is to weld it. Seek out someone in your area who specializes in fixing auto engine heads that are cracked. I recommend the person doing the work has an oven to heat the casting to about 500 degrees F., and...

•I have had piano plates welded in the past but you have to have someone who is used to welding castings as it is a whole different ball game. Clarence Zeches

•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...

•Respective of plate welding, there are very strong and valid arguments against doing so. In my previous post I outlined a method that is successful. Over the years I've had seven plates, both upright and grand fixed with welding, and no failure. I mentioned heating the plate to around 500 degrees p...

•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 ...

•All the responses were interesting. The big problem seems to be finding a welding shop that can to the work. I suggest you just buy one of the gutted Seeburg pianos that show up on eBay. Send me a picture of your broken plate -- we may have one in the warehouse. Don Teach - Shreveport Music Co. Shr...

•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...

•[ Ref. Dana Semmes in 140822 MMDigest [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/Digests/201408/2014.08.22.06.html I had my Haines Ampico rebuilt recently, and just before delivery the motor (identical to yours) started to smoke. Thinking it had or would soon burn out, the rebuilder temporarily substituted...

•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...

•Removing old potting material from a transformer -- I have a 10-volt transformer, built by Jefferson Electric circa 1926, that goes with a Welte Philhamonic pipe organ roll changer, and several of the leads were broken off where they entered the transformer housing through little porcelain insulato...

•Dave Krall wrote in 141010 MMD: > I have no idea what this material is, but is there something that > will dissolve it without damaging the windings of the transformer? If the transformer potting compound seems to be refined bitumen ("petroleum pitch"), try heating it in an oven to 110-130 F. (43-5...