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The real story on bellows cloth
Why you must determine what kind of heavy bellows cloth is on your player or in your shop. Learn from the expensive lessons I am telling you about here
Has anyone in the last several years restored a pneumatic player system and been peeved by how much pedaling you must do to play it. Has anyone been disappointed in how your restored reproducer played after restoration? I have. I have been wondering what in the world could possibly make my restorations miss that last 5% of what makes them my restorations… that extra something that our restorations have been known for. I was even wondering if I had perhaps lost some part of my brain that makes my instruments perform to my own standards.
Mind you, no one else noticed any of this in my instruments. They were all delighted, but I was not. But I am honest enough to come clean and tell you that I was close to deciding that I was no longer any good at what I do and perhaps I should quit this business I have been in for over 30 years.
As you may know, I spend a goodly amount of time and effort in making sure my supplies are up to Piano World’s high standards. I will tell other technicians and hobbyists if I find something that should be avoided and also if I find something that should be promoted for its good quality.
I have for some time now used only the rubber cloths from Felix trading (Australian) and I support them and their supplies. Their cloth is sold by The Leather Supply House, Organ Supply, and Schaff Piano Supply. For the last few years, I have purchased all those cloth varieties from the Leather Supply House. I do quite a number of player systems between the player pianos I restore and the systems that people send in to me for restoration. I used Felix’s heavy black bellows cloth with white fleece on one side. I will never use it again and if you use it you will be sorry.
Here is the sad story. Read it and avoid wasting your time and money. AND stop pedaling so fast.
For some time I have been disappointed in the air-tightness of my bellows systems covered in this black heavy bellows cloth from Leather supply house and Felix Trading in Australia, but unaware why. I have, on several occasions, pulled the newly restored bellows apart and replaced the flap valve leather expecting that to be the source of leakage. However, I do extensive testing on all my leather and on all my valves so I could not understand why these valves would leak and I could not catch them leaking.
Then I restored three Baldwin Manualo player stacks last year. As you may know, each of these stacks includes 2 or 3 pneumatic decks of valve and pouch boards that are enclosed on two sides with heavy bellows cloth making up the walls of the wind chamber. The striker pneumatics are glued to the bellows cloth and are fed suction from the valve through elongated holes in the cloth cut in one side of the deck.
I have restored many of these in the last few decades and I have methods that work. In this case, however, I was shocked to find that the completed stack with all the valves in place leaked like a sieve. I put high pressure (60 inches water lift) in and could only get internal stack pressure up to 8 inches. I could not find any noisy leaks like I expected. I pulled these three stacks apart and replaced leather that I was sure was good, but I “knew” they HAD to be leaking, because all the suction was going somewhere. Hours of stethoscope time yielded nothing. I then decided that I had not glued the heavy bellows cloth down well enough at the ends and I pulled it up and glued it again with no improvement. I had three stacks that were redone three times to try and find this problem.
I finally noticed that some of the pneumatics would wiggle up and down. I had noticed when I removed this heavy bellows cloth in the previous re-rebuilds that the fleece would always pull off and stay well-glued to the wood with no rubber even staining the white fleece. When the pneumatics began wiggling up and down it dawned on me that the pneumatics were well glued to the black cloth and the white fleece was well glued to the wooden deck, however, the cloth was separating into two sheets of cloth. One with the rubber on it and the other a lovely snow-white fleece cloth. I discovered that every bit of cloth would separate easily white from black and rubber. I realized where all my pressure was going. I could not hear it because the air was leaking horizontally through the cloth itself and was open to the air in a fine line all the way around the bellows or any other item this cloth was glued to. To improve this problem, I took a newly covered standard reservoir from a bellows system I had apart and taped the holes closed. I found that it took only about 30 seconds for this internal spring reservoir to go from fully closed to open all the way.
I then put a bead of PVC glue all the way around on both sides. Everywhere the cloth had been trimmed to show the cloth edge was covered with glue. It looked like hell, but once dry the reservoir suddenly took more than 4-1/2 minutes to open up—ten times as long as before---not as good as I’d like but finally getting somewhere. I then took these stack decks all apart again and replaced the heavy fleece back bellows cloth with motor cloth. To double test this, I removed all the valves in one deck with the new motor cloth on it and taped each of their holes up. When I winded this with 30 inches the internal pressure was 29-1/2 inches—exactly what I expected the first time I put them together months earlier. I found a tiny leak, repaired it and had a total of 30 inches inside the chest. I put all the valves back in and when the whole stack was reassembled it played like crazy.
I realized that on that same batch of cloth I had restored several Ampico and Duo Art pumps and reservoirs, several 88-note player bellows systems, and I had been having trouble getting all my pressures up to what I knew they should be. I had re-rebuilt several of these items with little improvement.
When I discovered conclusively that this cloth was the cause of countless months of work being trash, I called Michael Madiera at Leather Supply House who was surprised to learn of my problems. He and I talked many times; I sent him samples of my cloth. He glued some of his down and then tried using more glue and he was still getting the same problems I was. He would peel it off and have the same separation I was having. He was most amazed to see that there was no rubber whatsoever that adhered to the fleece. This is surprising because the liquid rubber is first painted onto the fleece before bonding and heat treatment to make the cloth.
He promised he would look into the problem. I called him back every month to hear an update. He was having Felix make a whole new batch without the fleece. I am still waiting. I have finally given up on getting this new cloth because I have about 15 instruments waiting for cloth. This happened in early spring and I am writing this in August. I have heard nothing from Michael for more than a month now. I can wait no longer. This cloth failure has cost me tens of thousands of dollars (about $40,000.00) and quite frankly I don’t have that much extra to spend on experience. I also had customers hot under the collars about their pianos not being ready and this problem has caused even the non-player work to take sometimes a year too long to finish.
I asked several of the top rebuilders of players what they use and found a different cloth that several have used for years. I have called several of the pipe organ manufacturers that I have dealt with for decades. They use the same exact cloth and sell it normally for $85 per square foot. I have found this cloth for $75 per yard at another supplier. This is the same cloth that Schantz, Wicks, Reblitz, and several other companies of importance use.
I looked for the manufacturer of the cloth and I was surprised to learn that it is all made by the same company who supplies this and many other cloths to several industries. Their fabrics are used for Mercedes convertible tops and many other things. They have hundreds of fabrics they make for all sorts of industries. Their minimum order is quite large. I ordered the smallest amount I could.
I got the cloth in and was pleasantly surprised by it. I am now installing it on 4 Ampico pumps, three 88-note bellows systems and I have more items waiting to be re-restored with this wonderful AIRTIGHT cloth.
That reservoir that I mentioned above---the one that went from 30 seconds to 4.5 minutes in time to open, I recovered it and tested again. I don’t know how long it takes to open fully, I gave up. With the new cloth, I closed it, taped it up, and let it go. This test made it look like the pneumatics I was recovering back in the 60’s and 70’s. I don’t know how long it takes to open because after 30 minutes, yes that’s right 30 MINUTES, I pulled the tape off and it opened all the way on its own.
I had to order an amount of this cloth that is way more than I need and I will make it available to rebuilders or hobbyists for a very competitive and reasonable cost. I have ordered a limited amount however, and once it is gone I will decide whether to order more. There is a limit on how much you may purchase from me. If you ever want any of this bellows cloth, order now as it may be a while before I order again IF I order again. I am offering this cloth for $59.00 per yard plus shipping. It is definitely a better value than the one Felix cloth it replaces in my shop. I also have flap valve leather that seals as tight as tape over the valve seat. It is available as well.
This cloth is a khaki color both sides and is likely the same color as all those early Ampico pumps had on them originally. I have one I am doing now that uses the same color of cloth from the factory.
I only use supplies that I am convinced will last 30-50 years and I spend a great amount of time researching and testing every supply I use. I have spent the last couple of years in a learning experience with that bad cloth. If I have an item for sale, it is my full belief that it will stand the test of time. I have attended the University of hard knocks so you do not have to. Believe me, there is nothing you can do with that Felix fleece besides make window curtains for a movie theater perhaps.
If you own any of the black Felix cloth with fleece on the inside, DO NOT USE IT. It will be a waste of your time installing it. It cannot be used responsibly to hold air in a player system. Don’t even use it to seal a chest crack.
Below you will find a page you may copy and paste into your email to me to order your cloth. There will be a limit of 5 yards per customer per year
For the non rebuilders we can re-restore your bellows system with this new cloth usually for around $590 and up depending upon what else must be done, flap valves, governor, etc. Send us pics or call us about it.
D.L. Bullock, owner Piano World
You may test your player piano's bellows out by doing the following:
Disconnect all the tubes coming out of your bellows system. Use wide masking tape or duct tape to close all ports. Watch the reservoir collapse while you pedal your player. It should pull itself closed. Find out how long it takes for that reservoir to open up. If it takes 10 seconds or less you definitely have bad cloth or other problems. If it takes less time than you think it should, you probably need to have the bellows recovered. I have them take several minutes depending on the system.
For electric reproducers, disconnect all hoses and tape them up. Turn on the motor but be prepared to only leave it on for a few seconds. When the motor starts, it should make about one revolution of the large pulley and stop--- completely stalling the motor. Leave the stalled motor on only long enough to determine that the large pulley has stopped completely, you do not want to burn up the motor. If your pump needs to be rebuilt with the new cloth, the big pulley will slow down but continue to turn. In the ones that are in a little better condition, it will turn and stop and turn and stop. This may also indicate a bad or leaky bellows of the four of them inside. On Ampico pumps you will need to take the wooden cover off the spill and use a spoon handle or screwdriver to pull the spill valve completely closed while you do this procedure. Make sure your belt is tight enough to not slip as the motor will not stall if it is loose.
Copy and paste this into your email
to us at dlbullock@att.net Or
copy to your word processor and print it out to mail in:
Bellows
cloth order form
Name :
Company (optional) :
Address :
Address 2 :
City, State, Zip :
Home phone :
Business phone :
Email:
_____I want to get your monthly email newsletter. (coming soon)
(check one)
____I am a professional rebuilder ____I am a hobbyist rebuilder ____neither of these.
Cloth is khaki in color both sides. .045” (45 thousandths of an inch) Roll is about 60"(5 ft.) wide. $59.00 per yard.
You may order a minimum of 1 yard; fractions above that are okay, and maximum of 5 yards at this time.
(An Ampico pump bellows uses a strip 36” long.)
(place a check mark below and fill in amounts at right)
_____I want 5 yards of cloth --$295.00
_____I want less than 5 yards of cloth. I want_________yard(s) fractions okay.
_____I want more cloth when you have it
How many yards more?__________________
Cloth will be shipped by UPS. You may not use a PO box for delivery. Price will depend upon amount sent.
I will email you or call you with a total amount
Payment can be made by VISA Mastercard, PayPal, check, or money order Customers in Missouri must also pay applicable sales tax. Paypal payments go to d.l.bullock@sbcglobal.net
If ordering by mail, here is our mailing address: Items for restoration may also be sent to this address:
Piano World
2732 Cherokee
St. Louis MO 63118
314-772-6676
office 314-776-7551
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