•I don't know how to say this tactfully but if you are restoring a player piano and not just "making it work," then _please_ use the same type screw as was originally used, particularly if is a rare coin-operated piano or reproducing piano. Dry wall screws are just not correct. First, they were neve...

•I regularly repair stripped screw holes. The preferred method is to cut a plug in the correct grail orientation and insert it into the re-bored screw hole. Alternatively, a small strip or two of leather glued in will compress and form new threads. A toothpick, veneer strip or matchstick will be cho...

•I have read with interest the comments on repairing stripped wood threads. A few notes: - Drywall screws are not only inappropriate, they are brittle and break easily; good luck getting them out! - Leather in wood holes sometimes contains chemicals that will rust screws. - You can avoid stripping t...

•Still another thought on stripped screw holes. A friend who builds and restores pipe organs suggested filling the screw hole with steel wool or brass equivalent. The thought is that the steel wool would be expanded by the screw and press against the wood. It sounded logical and I tried it a couple ...

•I use cross dowels in most cases. None of the other recommendations has the same holding power, in my opinion. An alternative no one has mentioned is to take a little bit of cotton ball (real cotton) and a drop of carpenter's glue. Kneed them together and stuff into the hole. Wax the screw well and...

•Another method for repairing badly damaged threads in wood is by using epoxy with a filler. Used in the marine world and indeed is used as the initial thread where a strong and well anchored thread is needed. Can be used in place of a cross grain plug. Drill out the screw hole to a diameter less th...

•Okay, one more comment on this screw hole repairing thread. Several years ago I purchased from England an air chest for a 31-86 crank organ. When it came, to my great disappointment it was made of particle board, not veneer plywood like what is usually used. To make a long story short, it leaked ev...

•Hi, While reading Bob Yorburg's recent comments, two items come to mind. I second Bob's comment about heating the screw. If you encounter a screw that is stuck in the hole (usually rusted), the soldering gun is the tool of choice. I read about doing this many years ago in one of Arthur Ord-Hume's g...

•One more comment about repairing stripped wood threads and I'll move on. If you can find them, wooden "shoe pegs" make a more palatable substitute for tooth picks. Typically made of lemon wood, these square, pointed pegs were once a staple of the hand-made shoe industry. Dab a little Elmer's Glue o...

•I had a brilliant idea but maybe it won't work and maybe someone else has tried it but I seen a advertisement for clear Flex Seal Liquid Rubber Coating and it fixes all leaks and is clear and very flexible it said. What if one would spray the inside of a set of leaky bellows with this stuff? Gary S...

•[ Gary Siebring wrote in 170116 MMDigest: ] > I seen a advertisement for clear Flex Seal Liquid Rubber Coating > and it fixes all leaks and is clear and very flexible it said. I presume that "Flex-Seal" is being discussed here. It comes in a paint-on version, along with the spray. (I recently saw b...

•Hoping the wide knowledge base of this group can help me out. Our church organ has a set of 21 Maas chimes, electric action. They are brushed brass finish, with black plastic caps (what the striker hits, actually). Two notes do not ring clear (numbers 18 & 19, D and D#) and I thought the problem wa...

•I faced a similar problem (as described in the 17.04.09 MMD posting), with several cracked chime tubes in my 1915 Aeolian residential player pipe organ. Some of the cracks extended nearly half the length of the tube. Fortunately, a good friend of mine is an expert welder and metalworker. He repaire...

•I read Randy Bergum's article (linked in Robbie's notes) on repairing cracked Deagan chime tubes with great interest. It sounds like a comprehensive solution to this common problem with older chime tubes. http://www.octos.org/ooth/repairs/chimetube/chime_tube_repair.htm I have a 1914 set of Deagan ...

•Greetings all. I have recently purchased a Marantz Pianocorder and am working on getting it back into an operating condition. We've had some progress but there is a combination of issues. I was wondering if any readers in New Zealand are aware of any other Pianocorder unit owners, technicians or an...

•[ Ref. Ellen E. Thompsen in 170612 MMDigest ] Ellen, I had a to repair a number of 125 style rolls. Many were missing leaders and had been poorly spliced. You are fortunate that the old tape is falling off. It can be removed carefully with a sharp razor blade, patience, and a little acetone. For ta...

•Hello, I have a German bird cage and I need to change the bellows paper. Do you sell this paper? Best regards, Valdemir Berner Brazil [ At http://www.lederfachhandel.de/portfolio-item/darmleder/ [ "Das Leder kann für 'Singing Bird Cages' verwendet werden! [ The leather can be used for 'Singing Bird...

•Hello all, I have recently picked up a 27" Regina music box and am looking for a 27" Regina discography and disc repair article: 1. Does anybody know of a discography of 27" Regina discs I could get -- book or on-line? 2. I have an opportunity to pick up some discs for it that need projection strai...

•With regard to the question of repairing 27" Regina (or any) discs, I don't advise trying to replace any of the projections that may have been broken off. I've seen it done and when I get such a disc in stock, I usually bend it in half and discard it. One of the biggest problems is that 'most of th...

•In response to Clay Witt's request for information -- If anyone has any discography for 27" Regina, I would be interested in learning of such a source. Should anyone be compiling one, I can make a list of titles and numbers available of my 70 or so discs. Regarding straightening of projections, thi...