This series is increidble. I've been following along for quite a while now and after every episode I'm left craving the next. You're genuinally one of the most crimminally underrated TH-camrs I've ever seen. As a hobby, I restore old 90's tech in my free time. It's an entirely different process yet somehow I've managed to learn loads just from listening to your musings. and I've already applied quite a few of your lessons. As always, can't wait for the next part.
That means a lot to me, thank you for the kind words! Also, I didn't realize my work had any relevance to modern technology, that's encouraging! Thank you.
Nate, you’ve got me “hooked” on your videos and I so look forward to each update. You’re inspiring me to start my restoration project which I’ve been afraid of. And keep those jokes rolling!
Hi Kristofor! Thanks for checking in. I've come quite a ways, with a long ways to go yet! I have a whole new appreciation for what you and your team do.
Thanks, Nate. Your "sympathetic restoration" approach is making me re-think some approaches I'm taking with my player restoration project. Best wishes from (also chilly) Wichita, KS!
Hi Greg! When I restored my Autopiano player in 2020 I bulldozed everything, trying to get every single part to look like new. In the end I don't feel all the extra cosmetic work was worth it. Stay warm!
So lucky to have some of his music on piano roll! Yes, the transmissions usually clean up nicely. The accumulated grime seems to preserve the nickel plating nicely.
"Hakuna fermata", hah. Your jokes are the absolute worst, I love it. This series is amazing, by the way - the amount of know-how and skills required for this restoration blows my mind. Amazing work and fantastic videography, can always see exactly what's going on. Incredible work.
Thank you for the kind words! There are a couple Shoulder Eclipses in the series I'm not too proud of, but I'm learning a little bit with each new video.
I really like watching this! I've always been interested in old mechanical stuff, I mainly do tube radios and cars and steam engines but seeing this really makes me want one of these. Here in Germany player pianos are a Lil harder to come by but someday I'll definitely get to one of these. Keep up the good work!
Here's a tip to go with your cool tool: if possible, turn the screw backwards until it drops down into the original thread. If you don't you could cut new threads and reduce the strength of the wood. Other than that, you win the award for being the first person I've found "in the wild" for saying crooks and nannies. I thought it was just my father.
Good point about setting wood screw threads. I do the same with my peanut butter jar, I need to get into that habit at the workbench. Thanks for the award! Here I thought I had something "original " to say. I'll keep trying.
Yes, that trick of lightly pushing and turning the screw backwards to find the thread and keep from stripping the screw was the first thing Doug Bullock taught me when I visited his piano shop the first time many years ago.
Good progress and fun to watch. Can you provide more info on the tumbler you made? I’m often cleaning parts and it looks like a practical design. (Could even made a good video)
Thanks for following along! In a nutshell, the tumbler is a section of 6" diameter PVC pipe, with 3 agitators made from (I think) 2" PVC ripped into strips. It's topped off with a rubber "test cap". Feel free to email me if you have other questions!
Yes, I can appreciate that these videos take a good of editing and finessing, so thanks for all your efforts, they're mightily appreciated. But I have to ask; did you really throw those take-up spools in the rubbish? My storeroom is full of 'precious' items a lot less rare and valuable than those!
Hi Mark - thank you for the kind words! Yes - I deemed 3 take up spools not worth keeping. Once I got the 5 I found out into the light I saw, 3 were damaged. I used those 3 to practice my notching layout (and still got it wrong on the 4th try!) After all that I still have 2 more spares, but they are still in their spoolboxes.
If I damaged an antique part from a bone pile in trying to modify it, rather than raid the bone pile more and try again, I would instead try to make an entire new part. This isn’t always economically practical with a customer piano depending upon their budget and preferences, but if it is your own instrument/project/time/money then that’s a different story.
I use Simple Green cleaner and water. It does a really good job. Though there always seems to be a bit of grime left in the bearing surfaces. Of course, for the most thorough cleaning job you would want to take everything to bits.
Thank you again for this series! I'd love to see what you are using as a suction motor for testing. What are you using in the wet tumbler? Is it just detergent or do you use degreaser?
For the vacuum source it's just an old suction box salvaged from a player piano. I have it wir plugged into a lamp dimmer cord to dial in vacuum levels.
Nate it kills me to see you throw part's like take-up spools in the trash, like you said haven't produced these since 1936, some of them looked like it had nice gears on them. But to be fair I guess you can't store dozens of these in your work place just to have some parts for others like us your viewing public. Could you give us a real nice bright and focused look at your player pianos and any extra player piano movements you have pics of these are in short supply and could help everyone out if they spot their player pianos and their movements. I really enjoy your entertaining videos and am continually picking up tips and clues. Thanks
Hi Bryan. I saved all the metal hardware off the spools before I tossed them. I even pulled them back out later to experiment my notching jig so they did not go to waste in a way. I need to do a bigger culling soon as my storage is getting in the way of workspace. I'm happy to share parts if someone has a specific need.
Nate I will take any and all Ludwig player actions you have! They built at least 4 generations of unit valve system from about 1905 through the 1920s. The first two designs are double valve and the last two single valve. I can send pics of the systems if you are curious.
Also seeking complete Ludwig player pianos with their own action. I own two Ludwigs (one with one of their single valve actions and the other is a rare Ludwig-Angelus), and have a lead on another for sale (possibly double valve) here in So Cal. Also a lead on a late single unit valve one in Connecticut, if it still exists (totally disassembled). Have never seen a single extant example of their earliest known patented system which has the primaries in deck boards and the secondaries as unit valves and is a 65-note inner player. Would really love to get one of those players.
Hi Andrew! Ludwig is a brand I've never had my hands on. My boneyard consists primarily of Autopiano and Simplex stacks, with some other common makes mixed in.
Thanks for the reply. On the bright side that will help you with many customer pianos as I’m sure you’re aware those are very popular actions. Do you have a list of what pianos they came from and the piano serial numbers, as well as the stack serial numbers? John Tuttle has been compiling a list of Standard Player Action numbers to correlate with pianos to help people dating instruments etc. and he would really appreciate all your data.
This is great although I don’t appreciate you pitching out the other takeup spools you didn’t use in your project. There are player pianos out there missing the takeup spool which might need one of the extras you have, not to mention completely gutted player pianos that might be able to use one of these spare player actions, if the correct one for that piano make and scale is in there. I have long had an idea for a project not only to enumerate and list (with photos) every home player piano model, but also enumerate the actions they used and the dimensions/note counts/action breaks, so that orphan player actions can be found and matched up with their proper type/era pianos.
Hi Andrew! Thanks for watching. I admire your perspective, but I can't save it all. Lately I'm feeling quite overwhelmed by how much "junk" I've accumulated in the past 8 years.
Well for Pete’s sakes get pictures of all of it. Each item. You’ll never know if someone needs something until you list it or at least mention that you have it.
I didn't do too well on the screw organization for this round. What I've found works best is a "screw map" - puncturing groups of screws into a piece of cardboard, and labeling as you go.
The screw map works. Also labeling the screws and holes with little wrap around “flags” of masking tape with a code with tape next to the hole with matching code.
Hello Nate I have a question. Crash valves were not fitted to Duo Art pianos in the UK. Can they be fitted to without too much difficulty as an extra to my Weber Duo Art upright electric 5 exhauster model?
Hi Mark, I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that exact system. As with any modification, the best thing to do is experiment and proceed with optimistic caution.
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This series is increidble. I've been following along for quite a while now and after every episode I'm left craving the next. You're genuinally one of the most crimminally underrated TH-camrs I've ever seen.
As a hobby, I restore old 90's tech in my free time. It's an entirely different process yet somehow I've managed to learn loads just from listening to your musings. and I've already applied quite a few of your lessons.
As always, can't wait for the next part.
That means a lot to me, thank you for the kind words! Also, I didn't realize my work had any relevance to modern technology, that's encouraging! Thank you.
Nate, you’ve got me “hooked” on your videos and I so look forward to each update. You’re inspiring me to start my restoration project which I’ve been afraid of. And keep those jokes rolling!
Good one! Thanks Doug. There's no turning back now. Hope your project goes well.
This episode had a real hook 😎
Haha! Hook, line, and stinker.
"Cleaning up all the crooks and nannies", making the world a better place, one player piano at a time!
Fighting grime!
It's great to see your channel taking off Nate! Great work with these videos.
Hi Kristofor! Thanks for checking in. I've come quite a ways, with a long ways to go yet! I have a whole new appreciation for what you and your team do.
Thanks for these! I just got a free player piano off Facebook marketplace to restore and this is just the content I need to get started!
Nice! Enjoy your project.
Thanks, Nate. Your "sympathetic restoration" approach is making me re-think some approaches I'm taking with my player restoration project. Best wishes from (also chilly) Wichita, KS!
Hi Greg! When I restored my Autopiano player in 2020 I bulldozed everything, trying to get every single part to look like new. In the end I don't feel all the extra cosmetic work was worth it. Stay warm!
These wonderful videos should spark some interest now and in the future. Keep them coming!
Thanks Dave! I do hope the videos create an interest in player pianos for someone, somewhere.
The Ampico Model B take up spool has 6 places to hook the D ring to. They had the right idea!
They sure did! It's little details like that which make all the difference.
I love the Alan Menken, good jorb! THat transmission looks beautiful!
So lucky to have some of his music on piano roll!
Yes, the transmissions usually clean up nicely. The accumulated grime seems to preserve the nickel plating nicely.
Hi Nate! Was really exited for this video!
Thanks so much for following along!
Can’t wait for the next one, as always!
As usual, another great video.
Thanks so much!
The background music in this one is giving University Avenue Menards vibes and if you've been there you know that's the highest of praise 😍
I'll have to take your word for it, thank you!
"Hakuna fermata", hah. Your jokes are the absolute worst, I love it. This series is amazing, by the way - the amount of know-how and skills required for this restoration blows my mind. Amazing work and fantastic videography, can always see exactly what's going on. Incredible work.
Thank you for the kind words! There are a couple Shoulder Eclipses in the series I'm not too proud of, but I'm learning a little bit with each new video.
Excellent work
Thank you!
I think the speed indicator and reel mods are a fair swap. Both could have been done in the olden days. Great video 2x👍
Thanks for your support. I do think they will make it more user-friendly.
I really like watching this! I've always been interested in old mechanical stuff, I mainly do tube radios and cars and steam engines but seeing this really makes me want one of these. Here in Germany player pianos are a Lil harder to come by but someday I'll definitely get to one of these. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for watching! You never know when a player piano will find its way to you.
Here's a tip to go with your cool tool: if possible, turn the screw backwards until it drops down into the original thread. If you don't you could cut new threads and reduce the strength of the wood. Other than that, you win the award for being the first person I've found "in the wild" for saying crooks and nannies. I thought it was just my father.
Good point about setting wood screw threads. I do the same with my peanut butter jar, I need to get into that habit at the workbench.
Thanks for the award! Here I thought I had something "original " to say. I'll keep trying.
@@nateoutsidethevacuum Independent discovery is just as good as true originality.
@@eDoc2020 so validating.
Yes, that trick of lightly pushing and turning the screw backwards to find the thread and keep from stripping the screw was the first thing Doug Bullock taught me when I visited his piano shop the first time many years ago.
This is so cool.
Good progress and fun to watch. Can you provide more info on the tumbler you made? I’m often cleaning parts and it looks like a practical design. (Could even made a good video)
Thanks for following along! In a nutshell, the tumbler is a section of 6" diameter PVC pipe, with 3 agitators made from (I think) 2" PVC ripped into strips. It's topped off with a rubber "test cap". Feel free to email me if you have other questions!
Have vintage Cable Player Piano needing restoration and new home.....
Yes, I can appreciate that these videos take a good of editing and finessing, so thanks for all your efforts, they're mightily appreciated. But I have to ask; did you really throw those take-up spools in the rubbish? My storeroom is full of 'precious' items a lot less rare and valuable than those!
Hi Mark - thank you for the kind words! Yes - I deemed 3 take up spools not worth keeping. Once I got the 5 I found out into the light I saw, 3 were damaged. I used those 3 to practice my notching layout (and still got it wrong on the 4th try!) After all that I still have 2 more spares, but they are still in their spoolboxes.
If I damaged an antique part from a bone pile in trying to modify it, rather than raid the bone pile more and try again, I would instead try to make an entire new part. This isn’t always economically practical with a customer piano depending upon their budget and preferences, but if it is your own instrument/project/time/money then that’s a different story.
Hello Nate,
What cleaning material do you usse in your wet tumbler? Does it clean the grime from the bushings well?
I use Simple Green cleaner and water. It does a really good job. Though there always seems to be a bit of grime left in the bearing surfaces. Of course, for the most thorough cleaning job you would want to take everything to bits.
Thank you again for this series! I'd love to see what you are using as a suction motor for testing. What are you using in the wet tumbler? Is it just detergent or do you use degreaser?
Thanks for watching! I use stainless steel pins, tap water and a small dose of Simple Green brand cleaner. I'm really liking it.
For the vacuum source it's just an old suction box salvaged from a player piano. I have it wir plugged into a lamp dimmer cord to dial in vacuum levels.
Thanks Nate! I'm looking forward to the future episodes.
Super travail de qualité. J'ai un G. Gaveau demi-queue. ça me couterai combien ?
The little mermaid song on piano in the background
I was so glad to have found that roll!
Very cool!!
Thanks so much for watching!
Nate it kills me to see you throw part's like take-up spools in the trash, like you said haven't produced these since 1936, some of them looked like it had nice gears on them. But to be fair I guess you can't store dozens of these in your work place just to have some parts for others like us your viewing public. Could you give us a real nice bright and focused look at your player pianos and any extra player piano movements you have pics of these are in short supply and could help everyone out if they spot their player pianos and their movements. I really enjoy your entertaining videos and am continually picking up tips and clues. Thanks
Hi Bryan. I saved all the metal hardware off the spools before I tossed them. I even pulled them back out later to experiment my notching jig so they did not go to waste in a way. I need to do a bigger culling soon as my storage is getting in the way of workspace. I'm happy to share parts if someone has a specific need.
Nate I will take any and all Ludwig player actions you have! They built at least 4 generations of unit valve system from about 1905 through the 1920s. The first two designs are double valve and the last two single valve. I can send pics of the systems if you are curious.
Also seeking complete Ludwig player pianos with their own action. I own two Ludwigs (one with one of their single valve actions and the other is a rare Ludwig-Angelus), and have a lead on another for sale (possibly double valve) here in So Cal. Also a lead on a late single unit valve one in Connecticut, if it still exists (totally disassembled). Have never seen a single extant example of their earliest known patented system which has the primaries in deck boards and the secondaries as unit valves and is a 65-note inner player. Would really love to get one of those players.
Hi Andrew! Ludwig is a brand I've never had my hands on. My boneyard consists primarily of Autopiano and Simplex stacks, with some other common makes mixed in.
Thanks for the reply. On the bright side that will help you with many customer pianos as I’m sure you’re aware those are very popular actions. Do you have a list of what pianos they came from and the piano serial numbers, as well as the stack serial numbers? John Tuttle has been compiling a list of Standard Player Action numbers to correlate with pianos to help people dating instruments etc. and he would really appreciate all your data.
This is great although I don’t appreciate you pitching out the other takeup spools you didn’t use in your project. There are player pianos out there missing the takeup spool which might need one of the extras you have, not to mention completely gutted player pianos that might be able to use one of these spare player actions, if the correct one for that piano make and scale is in there. I have long had an idea for a project not only to enumerate and list (with photos) every home player piano model, but also enumerate the actions they used and the dimensions/note counts/action breaks, so that orphan player actions can be found and matched up with their proper type/era pianos.
Hi Andrew! Thanks for watching. I admire your perspective, but I can't save it all. Lately I'm feeling quite overwhelmed by how much "junk" I've accumulated in the past 8 years.
Well for Pete’s sakes get pictures of all of it. Each item. You’ll never know if someone needs something until you list it or at least mention that you have it.
How do you keep track of all the screws and where they go? I've tried different methods but always end up confusing at least a few.
I didn't do too well on the screw organization for this round. What I've found works best is a "screw map" - puncturing groups of screws into a piece of cardboard, and labeling as you go.
The screw map works. Also labeling the screws and holes with little wrap around “flags” of masking tape with a code with tape next to the hole with matching code.
Hello Nate I have a question. Crash valves were not fitted to Duo Art pianos in the UK. Can they be fitted to without too much difficulty as an extra to my Weber Duo Art upright electric 5 exhauster model?
Hi Mark, I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that exact system. As with any modification, the best thing to do is experiment and proceed with optimistic caution.
10:50 What is the name of this screwdriver?