Pianotech

Any advice on the advisability of attempting to replace broken bass strings on a player piano whose mechanisms completely occlude the bottom half of the harp?  This is a 1978 Aeolian-made console with a fully functional pneumatic player system. There is no one in the area to whom I can refer the work.  I have a job coming up in a few weeks for which I want to be prepared.  I've already alerted the customer to the difficulty of the task and prepared them for a decision that omits replacing them if the task seems too daunting.

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Ron Bergeron, RPT
Austin, Texas
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Original Message------

Any advice on the advisability of attempting to replace broken bass strings on a player piano whose mechanisms completely occlude the bottom half of the harp?  This is a 1978 Aeolian-made console with a fully functional pneumatic player system. There is no one in the area to whom I can refer the work.  I have a job coming up in a few weeks for which I want to be prepared.  I've already alerted the customer to the difficulty of the task and prepared them for a decision that omits replacing them if the task seems too daunting.

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Ron Bergeron, RPT
Austin, Texas
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Hi Ron,  first off, I'm sorry. 

As these things age, the plastic of the day becomes somewhat brittle.  Move gently and try not to make the job any bigger than it is.

Next thing to do is contemplate a strategy.  If the string is still attached somewhere you can use adhesive tape to connect the new one to the old one and thread it through as you remove the old one.  If that option isn't a good one, try removing the bellows from below and fishing it gently through the mess of mechs that way. 

Before starting, vacuum the work area out really well.  You'll be getting your head within inches of what ever is down there.  EEEssshhhh.

The bellows pivots towards you from above once everything is disconnected.  You'll have a screw or two plus some linkages to disconnect along with the usual hoses  .....  a rather large supply hose, a one inch type and then some smaller control tubing usually.  These hoses have a tendency to bond to the nipples they're fit upon.  Twisting them back and forth numerous times sometimes breaks that bond.  In the worst cases I've had to pry them off using a screwdriver or on really bad ones I've had to cut them off.  Be prepared to replace them and bid the job for that event.  Sometimes the previously mentioned pivots are more than just a Vee shaped slot and a pin will have to be removed.  A small hammer and an appropriately sized punch will do this.

A console isn't that spread out so the fishing part should be fairly easy to do.  Bring a moving pad to help cushion the effects of things (pedals, connecting links, push rods, etc) jabbing and stabbing you in the back as you try to see what you're doing down there laying on your back.  A respirator helps to muffle the cuss words that seem to erupt without warning.  I've threaded it through from the bottom with success every time.  Threading it through from the top sometimes means a lot more getting up and down as you try to avoid threading it past the overstrung parts and the soundboard.  I sometimes wish I could float in air and have longer arms doing this job so I could reach from the top and the bottom at the same time. 

Did someone say bifocals?  My head doesn't tip that far back.  Ack!!  Getting a hitch pin in my scalp comes to mind.

Light?  There isn't any to be had.  BYO.

It's a special day when you get to work on a player piano, and not all of us get the chance.  You've finally achieved your goal.  If the bass string is a good one once you get it in there without getting it wrapped around a neighboring string and up to tension, you're done.  If not, you get to take a break and do this all over again in a few weeks.  BTW, use your favorite bass string duplication service for these jobs.  Universal replacements are too much of a gamble for a job like this.

Bring a mirror for looking up the string plane to see if you got it through OK.

I've never had to remove the upper player action to accomplish this task on a console  ......  full sized upright maybe.

Bidding the job should include the usual times of a typical bass string replacement plus a few more hours.  Additionally you should include the cost possibility of some hose replacements and incidental repairs due to aged materials. 

Rotsa ruck and may an abundance of patience be with you.

Lar


------------------------------
Larry Fisher
Owner, Chief Grunt, Head Hosehead
Vancouver WA
360-256-2999
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2017 03:26
From: Michael Gamble
Subject: Bass String Replacement in Player Piano

Hello Ron - there's no way other than to remove the entire player mechanism. The top part in order to remove the action and the bellows in order to get at the hitch. It can be done - just takes time. There's usually a flexible hose linking the two player mechanisms through the key-bed. Use masking tape to identify the half-a-dozen-or-so rubber tubes on the top Left of the player action before easing them off. Then it's an ordinary upright so you can proceed accordingly. If that Bass string broke at the wrest-pin and there's enough room, you could try splicing a new length of same-gauge core in there. I've done that too. Good luck! It's a job which will not be beyond your ability!     Michael   UK

Ron

Larry has given you some very good pointers.  On the Aeolian players of the era you are working the only things that needs to be removed are the windmotor at the top which you would already remove for tuning and the bottom bellows assembly.  The player stack can remain in the piano for a bass string replacement.  The bottom bellows are held in place with only two screws that go through brackets made of flat metal stock.  They are round heads and I believe they are 3/4 #6 or #8 screws.  The bottom bellows is a unit to which the pedals are attached.  above them is a long hinged reservoir that runs the entire length of the assembly the brackets with the screws will be above this.  Once the screws are removed the unit is tilted forward.  The large hoses Larry is describing attach on the back side of the bellows unit.  One on each end.  In the lower right corner is the vacuum motor.  One of the large hoses you will remove goes directly down to this unit.  You will want to watch the volume compensator which is attached to the upper reservoir and interfaces with a push rod coming out of the vacuum motor.  It is a very simple mechanical interface.  The reservoir has a flat steel bar with a fork at the bottom end.  Within this fork is the rod with a set collar behind it.  Removing the unit will be no problem but you will have to make sure the rod goes back into the fork when it goes back into the piano.  The hoses can be stubborn if they have not been removed in a while.  Usually a twisting motion can loosen the hoses enough to remove them.  They are short enough that removing them from either end will let you remove the bellows assembly.  The pumper pedals tend to free fall out when you are removing the unit so watch your pinkies.  The unit sits in a cradle attached to the bottom board so it is fairly easy to get it back into the right place when putting it all back together.

The bass string can be replaced fairly easily with the use of a medium sized safety pin.  Open the pin and stick the needle through the loop of the tail of the replacement string.  Next enclose the safety pin around one of the adjacent strings and close up the pin.  The replacement string is now attached to its neighbor and will easily slide down to the bass bridge without getting lost along the way.  You should lift the damper as it passes by just for clearance but once the string is safely down to the bottom of the bridge you can remove the safety pin and install as normal.  The safety pin trick works on all pianos by the way so it is worth having in your bag of tricks for other occasions as well.  If you get stuck give me a call.

------------------------------
Norman Cantrell
Piano Clinic
Lawton OK
580-355-5003
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2017 12:03
From: Larry Fisher
Subject: Bass String Replacement in Player Piano

Hi Ron,  first off, I'm sorry. 

As these things age, the plastic of the day becomes somewhat brittle.  Move gently and try not to make the job any bigger than it is.

Next thing to do is contemplate a strategy.  If the string is still attached somewhere you can use adhesive tape to connect the new one to the old one and thread it through as you remove the old one.  If that option isn't a good one, try removing the bellows from below and fishing it gently through the mess of mechs that way. 

Before starting, vacuum the work area out really well.  You'll be getting your head within inches of what ever is down there.  EEEssshhhh.

The bellows pivots towards you from above once everything is disconnected.  You'll have a screw or two plus some linkages to disconnect along with the usual hoses  .....  a rather large supply hose, a one inch type and then some smaller control tubing usually.  These hoses have a tendency to bond to the nipples they're fit upon.  Twisting them back and forth numerous times sometimes breaks that bond.  In the worst cases I've had to pry them off using a screwdriver or on really bad ones I've had to cut them off.  Be prepared to replace them and bid the job for that event.  Sometimes the previously mentioned pivots are more than just a Vee shaped slot and a pin will have to be removed.  A small hammer and an appropriately sized punch will do this.

A console isn't that spread out so the fishing part should be fairly easy to do.  Bring a moving pad to help cushion the effects of things (pedals, connecting links, push rods, etc) jabbing and stabbing you in the back as you try to see what you're doing down there laying on your back.  A respirator helps to muffle the cuss words that seem to erupt without warning.  I've threaded it through from the bottom with success every time.  Threading it through from the top sometimes means a lot more getting up and down as you try to avoid threading it past the overstrung parts and the soundboard.  I sometimes wish I could float in air and have longer arms doing this job so I could reach from the top and the bottom at the same time. 

Did someone say bifocals?  My head doesn't tip that far back.  Ack!!  Getting a hitch pin in my scalp comes to mind.

Light?  There isn't any to be had.  BYO.

It's a special day when you get to work on a player piano, and not all of us get the chance.  You've finally achieved your goal.  If the bass string is a good one once you get it in there without getting it wrapped around a neighboring string and up to tension, you're done.  If not, you get to take a break and do this all over again in a few weeks.  BTW, use your favorite bass string duplication service for these jobs.  Universal replacements are too much of a gamble for a job like this.

Bring a mirror for looking up the string plane to see if you got it through OK.

I've never had to remove the upper player action to accomplish this task on a console  ......  full sized upright maybe.

Bidding the job should include the usual times of a typical bass string replacement plus a few more hours.  Additionally you should include the cost possibility of some hose replacements and incidental repairs due to aged materials. 

Rotsa ruck and may an abundance of patience be with you.

Lar


------------------------------
Larry Fisher
Owner, Chief Grunt, Head Hosehead
Vancouver WA
360-256-2999
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2017 03:26
From: Michael Gamble
Subject: Bass String Replacement in Player Piano

Hello Ron - there's no way other than to remove the entire player mechanism. The top part in order to remove the action and the bellows in order to get at the hitch. It can be done - just takes time. There's usually a flexible hose linking the two player mechanisms through the key-bed. Use masking tape to identify the half-a-dozen-or-so rubber tubes on the top Left of the player action before easing them off. Then it's an ordinary upright so you can proceed accordingly. If that Bass string broke at the wrest-pin and there's enough room, you could try splicing a new length of same-gauge core in there. I've done that too. Good luck! It's a job which will not be beyond your ability!     Michael   UK

That is a great tip, Norman. I have never heard of that one before, and
I could have used it a bunch of times. Thanks! Clark


On 6/5/2017 8:09 AM, Norman Cantrell via Piano Technicians Guild wrote:
>
> The bass string can be replaced fairly easily with the use of a medium
> sized safety pin. Open the pin and stick the needle through the loop
> of the tail of the replacement string. Next enclose the safety pin
> around one of the adjacent strings and close up the pin. The
> replacement string is now attached to its neighbor and will easily
> slide down to the bass bridge without getting lost along the way. You
> should lift the damper as it passes by just for clearance but once the
> string is safely down to the bottom of the bridge you can remove the
> safety pin and install as normal. The safety pin trick works on all
> pianos by the way so it is worth having in your bag of tricks for
> other occasions as well. If you get stuck give me a call.
>
> ------------------------------
> Norman Cantrell
> Piano Clinic
> Lawton OK
> 580-355-5003

--
Clark A. Sprague, RPT www.clarkspianoservice.com


Original Message------

Ron

Larry has given you some very good pointers.  On the Aeolian players of the era you are working the only things that needs to be removed are the windmotor at the top which you would already remove for tuning and the bottom bellows assembly.  The player stack can remain in the piano for a bass string replacement.  The bottom bellows are held in place with only two screws that go through brackets made of flat metal stock.  They are round heads and I believe they are 3/4 #6 or #8 screws.  The bottom bellows is a unit to which the pedals are attached.  above them is a long hinged reservoir that runs the entire length of the assembly the brackets with the screws will be above this.  Once the screws are removed the unit is tilted forward.  The large hoses Larry is describing attach on the back side of the bellows unit.  One on each end.  In the lower right corner is the vacuum motor.  One of the large hoses you will remove goes directly down to this unit.  You will want to watch the volume compensator which is attached to the upper reservoir and interfaces with a push rod coming out of the vacuum motor.  It is a very simple mechanical interface.  The reservoir has a flat steel bar with a fork at the bottom end.  Within this fork is the rod with a set collar behind it.  Removing the unit will be no problem but you will have to make sure the rod goes back into the fork when it goes back into the piano.  The hoses can be stubborn if they have not been removed in a while.  Usually a twisting motion can loosen the hoses enough to remove them.  They are short enough that removing them from either end will let you remove the bellows assembly.  The pumper pedals tend to free fall out when you are removing the unit so watch your pinkies.  The unit sits in a cradle attached to the bottom board so it is fairly easy to get it back into the right place when putting it all back together.

The bass string can be replaced fairly easily with the use of a medium sized safety pin.  Open the pin and stick the needle through the loop of the tail of the replacement string.  Next enclose the safety pin around one of the adjacent strings and close up the pin.  The replacement string is now attached to its neighbor and will easily slide down to the bass bridge without getting lost along the way.  You should lift the damper as it passes by just for clearance but once the string is safely down to the bottom of the bridge you can remove the safety pin and install as normal.  The safety pin trick works on all pianos by the way so it is worth having in your bag of tricks for other occasions as well.  If you get stuck give me a call.

------------------------------
Norman Cantrell
Piano Clinic
Lawton OK
580-355-5003
------------------------------

Make sure the owner demonstrates to you that the system is actually working before you even open it up. Anything that doesn't work when you are done will probably be blamed on you otherwise.

------------------------------
Geoff Sykes, RPT
Los Angeles CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-02-2017 15:40
From: Ron Bergeron
Subject: Bass String Replacement in Player Piano

Any advice on the advisability of attempting to replace broken bass strings on a player piano whose mechanisms completely occlude the bottom half of the harp?  This is a 1978 Aeolian-made console with a fully functional pneumatic player system. There is no one in the area to whom I can refer the work.  I have a job coming up in a few weeks for which I want to be prepared.  I've already alerted the customer to the difficulty of the task and prepared them for a decision that omits replacing them if the task seems too daunting.

------------------------------
Ron Bergeron, RPT
Austin, Texas
------------------------------