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Please tell Art I send my best. Also - WE WANT PHOTOS AND VIDEOS! (...please.)

Definitely want to see video when it's done!

Art has finished rebuilding the pump bellows, but noted some uneven wear on the bearings. They might last for years yet, but eventually they start knocking. As much as is going into this project, this is no time to cut corners, so I agreed he should send it out to his machine shop for re-work with modern bearings. Just for fun, in the meantime, here is a photo of the piano in my home. The mid-century modern great room is a very live environment, yet the piano sounds good to me, and to my technician.

Nice!

With the refinishing delayed a bit, I decided to get the lid out of storage and reattach it. It was missing the screws for one side of the piano hinge between the front and back parts, but I was able to size them off of the other side and get correct screws. This is the 1st time the lid has been on in 30+ years. It does make a noticeable difference to the sound (for the better).

Cool. And fun. It reminds me of the recent trend of auto restorations that are called “derelict”, in which all the workings, engine etc are fully restored and more at great expense while the exterior is left untouched apart from I guess stabilizing the deterioration.

Cool! Looks good.

Hi folks. After Art Reblitz rebuilt the pneumatic stack, and the vacuum pump, everything came together last week. After many hours on adjustments, the Duo Art player system has come to life. Sorry, I don't have a YouTube channel yet, so can't link a video. I did post short cell phone one in the player piano group on Facebook. It is nice to hear the system work 105 years after it was built. I still need to get the refinishing done - waiting to hear back from that shop again on schedules (keeps slipping - but I am patient).

Ha, wonderful. Where is the vacuum pump hidden away? Is that inside the case?

This is a good description of the Duo Art mechanism.

http://www.pianola.org/reproducing/reproducing_duo-art.cfm

I have a modern player piano, a Yamaha Disklavier, DYUS5. It is too much fun.

Thanks for the update.

Hopefully the refinisher will be ready for the piano soon (finally). Some gorgeous wood to be seen. Here is a shot of the inside of the original bench.

Love the updates Dave! I'm so excited for when the project is at a finished state!

Fascinating!
I'm leaving this here to subscribe myself to this thread.
After having read Mr Reblitz's book from cover to cover several times, and still referring to it on occasions, it's wonderful to read that he is still working on player systems. Somehow I wasn't expecting that.

I have tried opening up one of the Facebook videos I posted to the public. See if this works. Just a cell phone recording. Debusy Duo Art roll on 1916 Weber FR

Cool! We often note that the piano has advanced relatively little in the last century, but I'm also sometimes amazed at what they accomplished then too.

Here is a link that talks about the Duo Art pianos and how the rolls were made. Amazing this performance in my post was made 100 years ago. Duo Art Pianos

Larry K: I realize i never answered your question about where the pump is located. Originally it was in a separate case, connected by hoses. When this piano was sent back to Aeolian in 1925 to have the player system updated, that was removed, the original radial bracing in the piano was changed to the newer grid bracing, and a small 4 bellows pump was added under the piano, hidden from view. Art tells me the width and length of this pump are shorter than standard, but the depth is greater, so it still manages the same volume of air moved. At the same time the expression system got the latest updates, and a Normal-Soft-Dance lever was added.

Here is a new video. Dame Myra Hess performing Bach, Scarlatti, and Paradies: Facebook video of performance

Seeing your progress with this Weber has given me a lot of hope with my ‘21 Steck, although I’m DIYing practically everything on mine. It’s funny that you mention your piano being sent back for an update. I noticed a lot of old empty screw-holes under the keybed when I went to drop the levers and pull out the action (which I wound up not doing because the dang roll motor hose is stuck). That puzzled me for a bit until I learned that they occasionally got upgraded. Does yours have those same empty screw holes under the keybed?

Hi JNevin. There are a few various open screw holes in places, but the biggest change from my update was when they took out the original radial bracing in the piano body and installed horizontal bracing, so they could install a pump in the piano (originally it had the pump in a separate enclosure). The pump is interesting - it is slightly smaller in length and width than the standard, but deeper in depth, so the volume of air displaced is about the same. Best wishes on the restoration of your Steck. My friend who got me into reproducing pianos had a small Steck in his living room (maybe 4'10 or so). It had a lovely sound.