Player Piano Restoration - 1977 Aeolian with Plastic Unit Valves

[@janiegiordano9295]

You are truly the player piano whisperer!

[@williammaguire3452]

I service and rebuild player pianos for a living. You do GREAT work ! I love your ingenuity. Cant argue with the results. I get "budget conscious customers.' The pneumatics can be removed with steam .Because modern adhesives were used it can be a bit messy. Usually have make about dozen bottom pnuematic boards. The valves can be removed and installed without splitting the valve block. The original pouches are almost always good. I know that your approach is far superior to what I often do ,but, vast majority of customers will not pay for that level of work.

[@321Rodgers]

I love watching craftsmen who are also artists at work. Superb restoration. My grandfather had various player pianos and I loved playing them. My favourite - "The sun has got his hat on". Watching your video has brought back many happy memories. Many thanks for posting.

[@christinabooker1895]

I just bought a player piano same model I was told it played perfectly well it’s not even close to perfect at all. I am scared to know how much it would cost me to get it working after watching this video. It’s very involved. What neat work you do though! Very impressive!

[@iangillis1271]

1:50 pre-rebuilding demonstration 2:53 sawing pneumatics off decks and motor plus new pneumatics 5:29 plastic valve block restoration 21:30 gluing pneumatics on to deck 25:39 reassembly of stack 30:40 retubing 35:06 installation complete 37:50 post-rebuilding demonstration

[@kalight2018]

What a great video. It brought back a lot of memories. About 15 years ago I salvaged an old Marsall Wendel playerpiano that was being trashed. I'm pretty handy, so I bought a book written by some guy named Reiblitz or something like that. After a lotof research and internet help with a lot of mistakes, I finally got the instrument to play. It was still leaky, but with the help of a vacuum cleaner motor, it played ok. I had the bug so I sold it for 300 bucks and bought aprofessionally restored Ampico reproducing piano. I'm almost 80 years old now and fell on hard times, so I had. to sell id and about 800 rolls fo cash. I really miss it. Keep up the good work. Karl

[@mikewmount]

I am very impressed with your attention to detail. I have been a pipe organ builder for 46 years and once worked at the factory in Memphis, Tn. that built these pianos. Sorry to say, but they were just thrown together. You made a so-so piano into a very functional one.

[@ILkaterlyn]

I remember my Mom buying us this piano when I was in grade school, circa mid 1960s...it was a big purchase at that time!

[@bryancunningham1095]

I really enjoyed your video, working on 1923 werner piano with a schulz mechanism, its pretty challenging because of their small and intricate values and their very thin pouches, I am newly retired and love working on these, i am old enough to worry about not having enough time to learn the professional ins and out to perform a competent job on the restorations. I have even going to my local piano shop and working part time for awhile to pick up more of the piano and their restringing, regulation and wood repairing since the player mechanism will only sound as good as the piano when completely gone over with valves and bellows. Thanks again for a fine video.😀😀😀

[@furryhenderson]

This was a joy to watch! Your attention to detail is equal to your ability to teach, both top notch! I was nodding in agreement all the way through, remembering the players I had rebuilt, smiling at things like applying a bit of spit to slide the tubing onto the tracker bar. I'll be watching all your videos, undoubtedly smiling all the way through. Hope this will motivate me to start in on my Weber Duo-Art, patiently awaiting restoration for years and years. Thanks so much!

[@DuoArtOrgan]

Bill Blodgett thanks for your very kind comment.

[@jamesstulga9799]

I'm getting close to completing my first player piano restoration on a 1922 Cable Euphona and your segment on gluing the pneumatics to the deck was a huge help to me. I love the way you set that all up with the hot glue pot, upside down iron and a heat lamp. Hope my results come close to yours. Thank you for posting your restoration!! Jim

[@andrewbarrett1537]

Glad you're bringing another one back to life! Cable made a great piano and player. For tips with that one you might want to confer with Mr. James Jelinek of the Player Piano Clinic and Emporium, Orland Park, Illinois, who is a Cable Euphona specialist.

[@PonyExpressTHIS]

All the satisfaction of a job well done by watching you do all the work--and what excellent work it is! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. You're my hero!

[@Pianotech520]

I am beyond impressed! Your work is so neat and clean! I've always used the replacement valve blocks available from Schaff piano supply because those old blocks do have a tendency to shatter, but I'm definitely going to use your method on my next rebuild for one of these modern aeolians! This may take a little more time, but the cost savings just for repairing the old parts are enormous and you have better quality control. I'd had trouble with gluing the new blocks to the decks because the new blocks aren't sanded flat from the supplier, and I'd never thought to do that. I'd followed John Tuttle's advice and used a hot melt glue gun to attach the new blocks to the decks, but it has a tendency to choke the channels if you use too much (which is easy), and sometimes its hard to see if the glue has sealed properly. Your explanation of how you measure valve gapping is enormously helpful, because that is the scariest part for me, and is what makes the biggest difference in how easily the piano plays. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@DuoArtOrgan]

You're welcome Clinton and thanks for the kind note. I'm glad the video was helpful to you.

[@RoyceRippere]

Beautifully done!

[@santiagoXIX66]

BTW, nice and interesting workshop. I love the iron holder ... I have similar thing for holding and using the cordless drill gun with the foot.

[@santiagoXIX66]

Amazing to see how much (and interesting) work you have¡ I work as an Organ Builder in London (UK) and I am always interested in any mechanical artefacts that make music ... Well done¡ nice job. I saw the video of making the pipe. In my company we make them different style and they´re manufactured much different. In your video it looks like a long time to make the pipes .... I guess that when you make full stops you make them in batch work ...

[@burnleyize]

Now THAT was an awesome video! Great job,buddy!

[@dbarr15]

Thanks for doing these videos......I have learn so much from you.

[@dkhuong]

Thank you Sir! Great job and great video. This definitely helped.

[@daleleerichards670]

Excellent work. I have the same piano.

[@DrpanProductions]

love this! can't wait to hear that baby play!

[@therenegadepianotechnician5170]

Ive never had to saw off the pneumatics. I was able to use an iron and steam. off the pneumatics. Some were damaged beyond repair so I made new ones. But most were not.Great video though

[@LEDRavecom]

Really nice video. Thanks!

[@kevinthomas1462]

I don't know where you are located, but I wish I could spend some time with you doing an apprenticeship. I would love to learn more about player restoration. Beautiful work.

[@mspysu79]

Very nice work, great attention to detail. And I thought brining a Digital Equipment Corp VAX/11-780 back into running condition(also from 1977) was a job. What neoprene tubing do you use for vacuum, as I think it would work well in DEC and IBM 9 track vacuum column tape drives, that is also where your large vacuum gage that is branded IBM would have been used, in manufacture and repair of those drives. .

[@jcmusix1]

Could I ask you to be more specific about the materials used? Where should I get the pouch leather and the valve leather and the fiber disks you glued to the valve leather? Thanks very much in advance. I'm trying to make sure I have all my ducks in a row and a good idea of what I'm doing before I consider tearing this piano apart. I'm a retired skilled machinist and woodworker with lots of time, so I think I can do it.

[@MoocheShwag]

Good job man.

[@jcmusix1]

Great video. Thank You! I recently bought one of these pianos and I've learned a lot from this! I have a question though. There is a wedge shaped block between the e3 and f3 keys that has a stamp on it that says "do not remove." It has no screws to attach it and I don't know the purpose of it. Should I put it back with a spot of wood glue to keep it in place?

[@DuoArtOrgan]

It could possibly be a support block that helps keep the spool frame and other components above the keyboard from sagging.

[@jcmusix1]

Yes, it finally dawned on me that it should be standing vertically to support the frame. Thanks very much for the reply! This piano is in pretty good shape except a few of the keys are not playing so I suspect I will be doing a full overhaul on the valves as a retirement project.

[@jcmusix1]

Another question if you don't mind. When I suck into a valve airline it seems to shut but I can still fairly fairly easily suck more air. Is this a big sign that the valve needs to be rebuilt? On a newly rebuilt valve should the valve close positively and I shouldn't be able to draw more air? Thanks much for any help!

[@DuoArtOrgan]

Hold the block with the pouch facing down. Turn the side with the two rectangular holes so they face you. Put a piece of blue painter's tape over the upper rectangular hole. Put your mouth over the lower rectangular and suck gently. Use a finger to open and close the nipple that goes to the underside of the pouch. With your finger covering the nipple, the valve should be practically airtight. When you remove your finger from the nipple the valve will go up and seal on the top valve seat. You will notice it's not quite as air tight in the on position due to the bleed but it should feel like it's sealing and the valve should be snappy in the way it works and sounds. You should not be able to hear any hissing sound like air is escaping. If you do, the valve is not sealing. Eventually you will need to replace all the valves because the neoprene will harden and turn to dust.

[@jcmusix1]

Thanks for the info! I don't have any valves out yet so I cannot test them that way, but I have been comparing valves that are in place and I seem to find that a few of the notes that don't play hard do seem to have valves that I can pretty easily blow and suck through, so I guess I better plan on the "big" job of doing them all.

[@dangerousnoodle3730]

Hello, I'm working on a 64 Standard actions player right now similar to the one in the video, so my question is, how do you saw off the pneumatics without a power tool?

[@timothydelaval1089]

im working on one of these guys, for some reason all the keys do work and trigger properly but the hammers dont seem to hit the strings, the keys wont fully press down either. its been fully retubed and all the bellows re done. i think its leaking somewhere but im not sure. any tips?

[@OpinionsAndArseholes]

We have a pianola spinet player piano. Everything is there and it seems to be holding air but the spool won't seem to turn properly. If we kinda help it along it does try to work, it just seems like something is gummed up in the works somewhere. Any advice on something maybe simple we might be missing?

[@DuoArtOrgan]

Someone at some time may have improperly lubricated the air motor with oil. If that's the case then use denatured alcohol to remove any oil from the sliders. Next make a thin paste of denatured alcohol mixed with powdered graphite and coat the sliders - let dry and gently rub off the excess graphite. It could also be that the rubberized cloth on your air motor has failed and needs to be replaced. Good luck! Bruce

[@krystianmckeown8951]

I have a sting by aeolian that got passed down by my grandmother. It plays well when pumped with the foot pumps and doesn’t sound like it has any leaks. I can hear the electric pump kick on but it doesn’t work with the electric pump only when foot pumped....any ideas?

[@andrewbarrett1537]

Sounds like maybe a problem with the check valve in the manifold between the foot pump and electric pump.

[@jennfierkrueger8302]

i would love to see that vocalion

[@DuoArtOrgan]

Come and get it - you can have it for free! I’m serious.

[@jennfierkrueger8302]

@@DuoArtOrgan if only i had the room...

[@christophtinnefeld2075]

Nice work. I have a question. I want to rebuild the pouches on my Player Piano. Where did you get this suction thing and where can i buy it?

[@DuoArtOrgan]

Hi, are you referring to the suction box which provides the vacuum or are you referring to the pouch dishing jig? You can usually find suction boxes on ebay. The pouch dishing jig I built. There is no standard size for pouches so I have made jigs in many different diameters and shapes.

[@christophtinnefeld2075]

DuoArtOrgan i mean the pouch dishing jig. I am not able to find one in Germany. Is it possible that you can make a video how you made that pouch dishing jig? Would be awesome.

[@andrewbarrett1537]

That would be a good video! I think John Tuttle at Player-Care dot com might have a couple sizes of pouch dishing jigs for sale on his website, but it would be good to know how to build other sizes.

[@brianduchowicz8993]

great i just got a 1968 aelonian musette,,looks just like this one,,and it doesnt seem to have enough vacuum ,it barely moves the hammers ,and almoost doesnt even hit the strings,,,who can fix this??and whats the cost,,i think i got ripped off

[@keithlacek5020]

What is the cost ? Thank u

[@christophtinnefeld2075]

I have another question. When you said you have coated the pouch with rubber cement, did you coat the whole pouch or did you only used it to glue the Disc on?

[@DuoArtOrgan]

Coat the whole pouch - use a high quality rubber cement and thin it with Naptha until it's the consistency of heavy cream. Put a dab in the center of the pouch and use the tip of your finger in a circular motion to spread out the rubber cement. The pouch should be almost tacky by the time you've finished spreading the rubber cement. If the pouch is wet and glossy after you've spread out the rubber cement, you've put too much on. Use pvc-e glue to glue the pouch disk on.

[@christophtinnefeld2075]

DuoArtOrgan Thank you very much.

[@createinside4613]

they built duo-art in the seventies? how suprising!

[@DuoArtOrgan]

Well they reused the Duo Art name but applied it to their new player system. It has nothing to do with the fine reproducing pianos bearing the Duo Art name from the teens and twenties.

[@janiegiordano9295]

Just gave my 1982 Aeolian player to my daughter for grand children. Bet it’s going to need pouches replaced. Know anyone near okc/Edmond area that can give this piano a look?

[@DuoArtOrgan]

I responded to your email.

[@cpousima33]

Where are you located? I would love to have our player piano fixed please. I’m in Huntington Beach, CA. Maybe you might have a contact for me to reach out to. Thank you!

[@DuoArtOrgan]

Hi, I'm in Oregon. Go to Player-Care.com where you'll find a listing of player piano restorers by state. Hopefully you'll find one near you in California.

[@lucismith6824]

I have a 1912 Aeolean that I need restored. Can you recommend anyone from Kansas City area?

[@DuoArtOrgan]

Hello, here is a list of player piano technicians that may help you: www.player-care.com/playtech.html

[@brianduchowicz8993]

any idea of the weight of this model??very important,,need one moved asap..thanks,Brian

[@philipanderson4673]

I'm going to throw-up watching that camera whirl around...