Now we turn our attentions back to the main event – the player action!
I had already spent considerable time familiarizing myself with the general principles of pianola operation, and then further time with the particulars of my own action. As noted in my “Planning” post, I have got a general plan mapped out with my block diagram, tubing diagram, and master checklist. Now to do what I did with the piano and its action, and check all the player components over. This will accomplish several goals: to better understand the functionality of each component, to verify I have all the materials I need to rebuild, and to check all the components for breakage or damage. In the event of damage (which can be something as simple as stripped screw holes), then I need to repair before I rebuild. These are separate yet interrelated tasks! Any component which is damaged cannot be successfully restored, obviously.
As mentioned previously this action has a high degree of similarity to the pervasive Standard action, with elements of Autopiano and Aeolian action seemingly thrown in. It is interesting to note as well that this action is what we might call (in the vernacular) an “expression” piano; it is capable of more nuances than a standard 88-note player, but still not as advanced as a reproducing piano. So on a scale of 1-3, this piano is roughly a 2 (this scale is probably not linear; it is a rather shorter distance from 1 to 2 than it is from 2 to 3!).
In practical terms, this means extra components to take apart, figure out, rebuild and troubleshoot. In the long run, this additional effort will be worth it!
At least I think I finally have a handle on how this action is all supposed to work, including the mysterious boxes mounted on the trunk. They have to do with the extra expression elements, like “Theme” accents and user-activated button controls, for softer or sustained notes. As this is my first player restoration, there is a lot of reading and thinking involved, to get these ideas clearly solidified in the brain!
With regard to the materials, I am still in the rough at present. I had ordered all obvious parts last year, pertaining to the easily accessible and visible components on the piano. This means things like tubing, hosing, pneumatic cloth, leather nuts, and a few other odds and ends. However, I had some limitations. One limitation is that I had not yet taken the necessary (and considerable) time to break down each component. So I could not see inside the stack, for example. The secondary valve chamber has components which are specific to this particular model, as it turns out. This leads to the other limitation: sourcing parts. There was a time when you could order most everything you could conceivably need for a player piano from a single supplier to the trade. That time is no more.
In an earlier post, I mentioned sources of information. One was John Tuttle, purveyor of Player Care website. As it happens John also supplies materials and select parts to the hobbyist and layperson, he is probably the best, first place to look. The professional piano technician (e.g. me, hehe) has access to trade suppliers, such as Schaff, Pianotek, Pianoforte Supply and Pianophile (essentially Canadian reseller for Schaff). Of these it is really only Schaff (Pianophile) who carries any significant amount of player supplies and parts. And their current catologue of offerings (at time of writing) is diminished from earlier times. They are no longer a “one stop shop” for player rebuilding.
A pertinent point here is cost: even though parts and materials cost is vastly inferior relative to labour cost on a player rebuild, it is still not negligible: you can expect to spend easily between $500 -$1000 on parts (professional supply rate) on all necessary supplies to replace all perishable components of the player action. Tubes, hoses, felt, leather, etc; all these parts are specially made, and the supply sources are decreasing, meaning costs will continue to climb over time.
Anyhow, I had already ordered most of the tubing/hosing/cloth from Schaff, so I had that on hand. I had held off on getting leathers, as I had to calculate everything for my gaskets and valves. Now that having been done, I will put an order in at Columbia Leathers. They are the recommended supplier by John Tuttle for player pianos. And mercifully John has connections to make certain custom parts, like blotter gaskets for secondary valve seats, for example.
I know the spirit of DIY is so very important, and some might say: “why not just make your own? It’s cheaper!” While it may be true that technically, yes I could just order the paper and then attempt to stamp or cut out 100 identical gaskets from blotter paper — how much time would that take me, to get a comparable result? How much is your time worth? Is it really cheaper after all? That’s for you to decide, friend!
After taking everything on the player apart for examination, I don’t see any obvious repairs that are going to need to be made. Nearly all the screws seemed solid (counterintuitively: tighten all screws neatly before unscrewing for dismantle; you want to discover repairs long before the moment you try to put your rebuilt parts back together!), so addressing stripped screw holes should be a minimal exercise. And with no other breaks or cracks in the wooden parts, I think I will just move along.
I will follow up with a post highlighting key teardown moments.