•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 ...

•That is the zither attachment you are referring to. A few Mira owners that I know (including me) remove that attachment in order to hear the full capacity of the box with no altering of the sound from the combs. The "zither attachments" I have removed from my Mira boxes appear to have originally ha...

•The sliding levers mechanism is for a "Zither" or "Mandolin" attachment. A roll, a little less than the size of a smaller lead pencil of silk glued onto paper, then is glued onto the underside of each of the mechanisms which slide over the combs. As far as the popping of the disc, you might check t...

•Hello, I am restoring a dick cabinet for Regina 15-1/2 inch discs. The inside vertical disc holder box has bowed considerably at the bottom; it seems to have sagged over the years and the partitions have moved out of place. It now has been carefully removed and a center brace placed into the openin...

•Hi Charles, If you try to wet anything, it should be the concave side of the board, then put some weight on the convex side. Or you could try to steam it and then drive your car on it. In either case, you need to remove the finish first. But I doubt if you'll have much success. [The photographs sho...

•Charles, regarding your problem of straightening the bottom board in the Regina disk cabinet, I have a couple more suggestions. If you decide to replace the crooked board, this might help. After you remove the board, place it bottom (convex) side up on the table saw and cut off a 1/2-inch strip alo...

•A friend of mine has an old "Angelus" player and he is bent on getting the thing working. I recovered all the leather bellows for him, sealed boards, etc., and even did the primary valves. The tubing was disconnected at some time and I only guessed at where it would go. The player does not play any...

•I just got my first music box, a Thorens AD30, with a good number of discs. Like any old piece, it has a few things wrong with it that I'll try to tackle one at a time. First off, when playing, the movement has a tendency to get stuck. If the disc is removed, the movement will continue unwinding. H...

•Simon Richens is having trouble with his singing bird bellows. I have viewed the video and it is clear that the reservoir is not opening far enough. This results in a low supply pressure and/or insufficient supply volume. It is not easy to see all details as the video is a bit blurred so I cannot s...

•Hello Simon, There are many shortcomings that yield the same results you have. Obviously, from looking at your YouTube video, the primary problem is a shortage of air in the reservoir section. Finding the air leak or leaks is a very challenging task. Almost every glue joint and valve are suspect an...

•The DeBence Museum just received a Nelson Wiggen Style 6 for the collection. The pumps and roll drive are in good shape, the case is excellent, with two stained glass panels in the upper cover, but many features have been disconnected. The wood block is gone. We would greatly appreciate some intern...

•I have recently acquired the Regina model 35 music box that sat in my grandmother's parlor for decades and in my mom's basement for the last 20 years. I recall it playing when I was young, but it hasn't worked for a long time. I've started learning about it and I'm _very_ carefully dismantling it t...

•Michael, Yes, I'm inclined to give you the advice you mentioned. However, it won't necessarily cost you several thousand dollars. Second, where are you located? Can you take some pictures of the problem? Third, don't try to wind it up. If it has a problem with the governor, you are likely to do fur...

•I am a Long Island player piano technician and I have had to look at _way too many_ storm damaged instruments to see if they are salvageable. An AMICA "Lady Liberty chapter project" Knabe Ampico A for the owner of Sweet and Low got destroyed not far from Coney island. This storm was a major setback...

•I am gathering supplies and information to regulate the reproducing action on our Ampico B. A few of the keys depress but don't quite play the string using a roll and I am hoping the problem is either a piano action or reproducing action regulation issue. In any case, I'd like to diagnose the probl...

•Hi Folks, David Greene asked [130101 MMDigest] about obtaining a gauge to use while regulating a reproducing piano. While it is easy to make and use a water gauge using plastic tubing from a 'big box' [hardware] store, it can be messy and it's easy to make a mistake in reading it (although it is qu...

•Hi, Does anyone know how to recover the plastic Ragtime pneumatics? What is the material used and what glue works? Thanks, Damon O'Donoghue Daylesford, Australia

•[ Damon O'Donoghue wrote in 130131 MMDigest: > Hi, Does anyone know how to recover the plastic Ragtime pneumatics? > What is the material used and what glue works? I rebuilt a plastic unit by using "Crazy Glue". It was the only glue that held the material to the plastics. Nick Yengle ...

•The DeBence Museum has been given a Cremona C which we have repaired to playing condition, with one step left to go: the hammer butt hinge felt bushings are badly worn so that sometimes a hammer strikes an adjacent string. The hammers are not great but will do for now. We need to find someone who w...

•Troy Duncan writes: > I just finished repairing the internal mechanics on a Charles > Bruguier singing bird box; ... I made a video ... Holy Cow! I didn't realize just how tiny this bird was until you picked it up half way through the video -- this is in the realm of watchmaker work! Nice video, th...