Player Piano Revival Episode 15: Reconstructing the Striker Pneumatics
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- Опубліковано 19 лют 2023
- #stacked #reversible #tuppercrust
This 105-year-old player piano is in dire need of an overhaul if it's ever going to be anything more than just a shelving unit.
I often feel like I'm operating inside a vacuum in my little piano shop. It's time to change that.
If you'd like to support my work, please consider subscribing.
Music: QRS 8269 Tallahassee, "88 Note" 924 That Devilish Glide, QRS 7482 Elmer's Tune, QRS 5190 They Cut Down The Old Pine Tree, QRS 7716 Strip Polka, "88 Note" 300629 Love Me While the Lovin' is Good, "88 Note" 300505 Junk Man Rag, played on a 1917 Autopiano upright player piano. - Наука та технологія
The cloth used in this video is the "thin synthetic pneumatic cloth" from DC Ramey.
dcramey.com/Supplies2.html
Yes, a bench testing episode is very much needed!!
Noted!
I would love to see a bench testing episode! I feel your pain with the “Devil’s Phlegm,” I found some in my piano on the newer looking valves. Took me an entire day to just get the residue off and I had to trash the main block of the air motor when I saw that had it as well. It’s amazing to see the similarity between what we are doing, everything down to the clothespin on the glue brush is almost the same! I love watching these videos and my dad is now watching them as well, they brighten my day and remind me that some day I’ll have a perfectly functional player piano like you! Thanks as always.
Thank you for following along all this time. Enjoy your project! We're all in this together.
This is one of the greatest channels on UA-cam... Thank You.. Keep up the good work! :D
That's very kind of you! Thanks for your support and encouragement.
I have no idea how you don't have thousands of views. Thank you for sharing your time with these pianos and explaining everything. Here's hoping I get to tell everyone I was a fan of yours before you became a sellout!
It is funny that just a few people get to watch thus channel. All we can do is comment and like, in the hope that youtube will highlight him to other viewers.
Thanks for following along and for your support!
521 subs on the channel, 650 views on this channel as of February 21, 2023. I bet we'll reach 1k by May, then it's probably going to explode. I'm wagering nothing. If I'm right I'll get back two nothings.
If that doesn't get my desk clean, I don't know what will.
@eDoc2020 I appreciate your confidence! Anything is possible and entropy is inevitable!
Yes please! More! More! These are great! Thanks
3 more episodes left!
You could make this series into a television show! I’m lovin’ it!
Thanks Calvin! But I'm afraid I'm already in way over my head!
@@nateoutsidethevacuum I believe in you. You can rise above the challenge. An 8 foot ladder is all you need.
@@eDoc2020 step by step. Thanks again for your encouragement.
That vintage Tupperware aesthetic is gorgeous. Possible future sponsorship deal needs to be considered 😂
Not a bad idea!
I rebuilt my first player in 1979. Have rebuilt a half dozen since. I own a 1927 Steinway OR Duo-Art with a Louis XVI catalog art case. Thanks for promoting the craft!
It's a passion by now!
The time and patience this must take. Absolutely incredible!
Thank you! The end result makes it all worthwhile.
Just stumbled across your channel. You have great work ethics. not repair the bad things, but doing a full restoration. awesome. I restore 2" quad video tape machines and also completely tear down and rebuild leaving no stone unturned. The only way to RESTORE things that have aged. Love your attention to detail and knowledge about woods & glue. Huge amount of work, but at least you know EVERYTHING has been restored. I would love to be your apprentice!
I subscribed! Keep up the great work!
I really appreciate the recognition. Thank you and enjoy your projects!
Fantastic work, and a joy to watch! But mentally, I keep going "88 parts, then times two, or three..."and I am more amazed that you keep it together (and can put it back together!). Really cool to watch, and much respect for your attention to details and having pride in your work, you sir are a craftsman, not just a UA-camr. But I'm glad you are a UA-camr, but, well, shit, you know what I mean 😂
Thank you for the kind words! The tedium of the work certainly pushes my short attention span to its limits.
Have my vote on bench testing. Would love to see how you adjust the valves if needed.
Thanks Jason!
Love your work Nate and I also appreciate your sense of humour, it makes for light hearted viewing and in addition, your really clear explanations of the process. I’m slowly working my way through your set of videos and I’m just blown away by how clever and intricate the design of our player pianos is…I’ve got a few of my own. Thanks for your efforts
Thank you! I'm glad I could spread some joy.
Great material Nate = thank you. I am wrapping up the piano action rebuild and will be starting the player mechanism rebuild shortly. It is clear that all of the bellows need to be replaced. This is a great roadmap!
Enjoy your project!
Been enjoying this restoration series, definitely need a bench test and reconstruction video.👍
Thanks Jason! It's in the works.
Whole lotta work to rebuild a pneumatic deck assembly. Congrats!
Thanks! I'm not sure which I "enjoy" more - deck work or valves. So glad to have it all back together.
Assembly and test please. All your episodes are very informative and educational.Thanks from DownUnder in sunny Melbourne.
Will do! Thanks for watching from across the world!
The way to remove the cloth from old pneumatics (when you want to re-use the boards) is to sane the cloth off with belt/disc sander.
Having done some myself, Nice to watch someone else with the patience to do it! Well presented !🧐
Thank you! I always forget how much work it is.
Yes please, string this series out for as long as possible. I'm loving every moment.
Also, can you take a look at the revival playlist order please, they are all mixed up at the moment
It's on my to-do list to clean that up, thanks!
"Give it my awl" I appreciate you so much
Poke! Thanks Pal.
Your videos are great! I was always intrigued by the mechanics of a player piano. Your knowledge has brought about great insight making me want to tackle one of those old beasts and make it into a beauty.
I'm glad I could share some inspiration. Go for it! There are plenty out there to choose from.
@@nateoutsidethevacuum I hope to retire next year do that.
@@jhonwask congratulations! It makes sense to wait until you've got more free time.
Nate, I agree with awl of the comments. Please show all steps, I am learning so much! And keep those puns rolling!
Point taken. Thanks Doug!
Thanks for another great episode! I hope we can see how you regulate the stack to the piano action.
Thank you! Yes, I'll be sure to touch on that next time.
Looking perfect!!
Thank you! Soon to be hidden away in the piano.
Nate I will watch any video you make buddy!
Very kind of you!
Need you ask? Of course we want to see the bench testing❤
😂
I'm lucky to have some real diehard fans here!
Its very handy at about the 10 min mark that you can buy a box of perfectly sized strips of cloth for the bellows. who of thunk 🤷♂ 🤣🤣🤣🤣
You know we all want to see a bench test. Great video 2x👍
I wish more parts would come that way. Wink wink!
@@nateoutsidethevacuum 🤣 👍
I greatly enjoy all your videos, and as a player rebuilder myself, I'm always interested to see what other folks use in their techniques and materials, especially with silicone sheeting being used more and more for tight valve and gasket work. That being said, I'm curious as to your workshop. Did you inherit/take over a pre-existing piano restorer's setup? You've got an impressive work space and expansive supplies/parts/tooling selection. While I believe you to be a bit younger than I, what I'm seeing seems to be something akin to a workshop belonging a long-experienced veteran. If you indeed started from scratch and built this wonderland from the ground up, then BRAVO I say! There are less and less rebuilders of these wonderful machines these days with their collections being scattered to the 7 winds, at best, but usually being hauled away. I applaud what you've done, and anticipate what you've yet to do.
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment. I've built my "toolbox" from the ground up. I have been working on player pianos for 10 years now and have been full-time for 5 years.
Nate is the protege' of the late Don Barton of Barton Player Piano Co. of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis / St Paul). Although- I don't know how many of his tools have been inherited or bought from there and how many he got on his own, but certainly this is his own home workshop. But anyway Nate isn't totally self taught here. I think he ably keeps the tradition going now that Mr Barton's company is gone with his retirement and passing.
I ran across the devils phlegm on my player the other day the nipple block for the tracking mechanism. I don’t understand why someone would just assume that part should be permanent.
Ouch! Usually it's from ignorance, carelessness, or desperation.
If you're making an episode on assembly and testing I think that will be awesome! Everything so far has been so thorough, seeing every step of the process is fun to watch and also super informative. I wonder how many pianos out there will wind up getting restored in the future because of your work making these videos? I can tell you for sure there's at least one underway already that is benefiting from this!
Make that two!
and a third here....
Wow! I'm glad I can share some inspiration, just as others have done for me.
@@nateoutsidethevacuum I’ve gotten the book about player pianos and am working my way through now…. I am interested in the sources for your silicone sheets and fabrics. Your videos have the best balance of entertainment and information! Well done
www.ebay.com/itm/131856892353
I hope this link works. This is the gasket material I use.
The cloth is the thin variety from the DC Ramey website.
dcramey.com/Supplies2.html
Hi Nate, do you have a suggestion for treating the leather nuts to prevent corrosion of the metal push rods? In examining my 34 year old rebuild of my Standard action, the nuts have moderately to severely corroded the push rods. I would rather not go with plastic nuts if I can treat the new leather nuts somehow to prevent this corrosion over the years. Also, PBS should start a series called "This Old Player Piano" starring YOU! You have the personality, wit and knowledge to pull it off! Your projects are very interesting and show all the excellent craftsmanship like Norm Abrams did on "This Old House" and "New Yankee Workshop". A show like that (or even a one time documentary) would help promote and save old player pianos! Cheers! Chip in PA.
Hi Chip! Thanks for the very kind words! It could be fun to do a "bigger and better" show like that.
As far as the crusty nuts go, my recommendation would be to replace them. I've seen cases where the threads have almost completely corroded away because of modern leather.
Great video content. I have use the nylon cloth and plastic glue on a Duo-art stack and it plays very strong. I didn't care for the speed it took to set up. Still prefer using the hide glue and rubber cloth for speed. I use a bench belt sander to clean up the edges of the pneumatics. Makes short work of 88. Keep up the good work. Hate to see this trade vanish..
Thanks Chris! Yes, the synthetic glue is definitely slow to grab.
Hi Nate - Another enjoyable episode! I especially like that you put the pneumatic cloth strips in the "Strip Polka" QRS box. Would you consider telling us where you're getting your plastic (nylon?) nuts? Thanks
Hi Greg! Thanks for watching so closely. I get the plastic nuts from OSI, but have also gotten "thread forming" nylon nuts from McMaster-Carr in the past.
For any readers not “in the know”: OSI = Organ Supply Industries in Pennsylvania.
First off, you're too young to tell dad jokes, but keep them coming...because I'm a dad.
I see you used Poplar for the pneumatic's, is this what was used originally?
Now that you have all pneumatic's , what will you do with the oldmatics? Ba da boom.
Great video thanks for making these.
Ha! Thanks for the laugh today!
From what I can tell they used poplar originally. It's a nice species to work with.
Pneumatics look great! I vote bench test!
Thanks! It's in the works.
Hello Nate, can you say something about using plastic nuts in place of leather nuts? Is it to prevent corrosion on the rod? Do the plastic nuts have adequate friction to stay in place? Are they 3-d printed, or off-the-shelf threaded nuts? By the way, I really enjoyed your sunny side up joke a few episodes back.
Hi Bill. Thanks for watching! The plastic nuts are to avoid corrosion caused by leather nuts.
They are a very tight fit. I got them from OSI, but have also used "thread-forming nylon nuts" from OSI in the past.
What the difference?
Taste.
LOL
Get rid of their old graffiti lol. Those hooligans.
The best restoration is one that doesn't look like it's been done.