Auto Rewind Installation Instructions
Installation Instructions for the Ragland Piano Company Auto Rewind Pneumatic
(Also used as a sustain or hammer rail pneumatic or anywhere a medium pneumatic is used.)
Please read through these instructions and contact me if you have any questions before, during, or after the installation process.
If working anywhere near electrical wiring for a suction motor, lights, etc. please make certain the power is disconnected before starting installation!
Included in the kit:
Auto Rewind Pneumatic
Hardwood pneumatic finger w/screws
2 four way mounting brackets w/screws
8 feet 9/64” tracker bar tubing
5/32” to 3/16” tubing adapter
3 feet of 1/2” tubing
straight 1/2” brass connector
1/2” 90 degree elbow
Tools needed include a drill + bits, screwdrivers or driver bits, and some ingenuity
Determine best location to mount the unit. - The goal is for the closing motion of the pneumatic to shift the transmission from play into rewind. Some players have linkages above and below the keybed (Standard, Autopiano, Simplex, Gulbransen, etc.) that can be connected to the pneumatic, others have all transmission controls above the keybed (Baldwin, etc.). Choose a location that allows room for the pneumatic assembly (fully opened) and the most direct route to the transmission shift linkage. An orientation that allows the pneumatic to collapse and shift the transmission from play to rewind, going from left to right and connected by the included heavy thread will likely be the easiest installation, but for pianos that shift to rewind going right to left a stiff, 1/8” rod can be used to have the pneumatic “push” the shift linkage.
Finger placement is important and one way to control travel distance of the pneumatic. A finger overhanging the open end of the pneumatic will have more travel and less power (though usually enough to shift a transmission). A finger hanging over the hinged end will have a great deal of power, but less travel. An example of where this would be beneficial is as a damper lift pneumatic, where little travel distance is required but substantial power is needed to complete the task (in this case, lifting dampers). As part of determining location, determine how you will want to attach the finger.
Mounting brackets - this is the single greatest advantage of this design! These brackets are designed to allow mounting on the pneumatic in four different positions, further expanding the available choices for mounting locations.
Once you have determined the location and orientation of the pneumatic and finger, mount the finger using the included screws (drilling pilot holes is strongly recommended to prevent cracking the moving leaf), mount the brackets to the pneumatic and mount the pneumatic to the chosen location. Connect using the included waxed string for a pull action setup or a 1/8” rod (not included) if a push action. Be sure the pneumatic is fully open, the transmission is in play and there is a minimum of slack. Pneumatics are strongest when fully open and lose strength as they close. Manually close the pneumatic to verify proper operation and use the brass stop screw on the back of the pneumatic to set the closing limit of the pneumatic, which will be just at the point the shift action is complete. This will prevent the pneumatic “overworking” and straining the linkages.
Tubing - If you have purchased one of our vacuum motors, there is already a 1/2” port on the top of the motor that can be used for suction supply. If you don’t have a motor with a 1/2” port on it, you can also drill a 1/2” hole in the reservoir and insert the included 1/2” brass connector, gluing it in place with PVC-E, Plumbers Goop or E6000. For the signal to be sent to the pneumatic to rewind, I recommend using tracker bar holes #86, #87 or #88 - or even better, a combination of two of them (helps prevent a missed rewind). DON’T just use the last note or two on the stack without counting! If you have a stack that had less than 88 notes you may use the wrong tubing. I recommend verifying you have an 88 note tracker bar (not counting a large sustain hole or tracking holes that are not in line with the main line of holes) and using a couple of the last 3 holes for rewind. If there is existing tubing this will require cutting the stack tubing, making sure the tubing to the tracker bar is clear and making sure the tubing to the stack is pinched shut (lead) or knotted (rubber tubing) to prevent ciphering notes. If there was no tubing on the selected notes, cut two roughly 6” pieces of 9/64” tubing, connect to two notes on the tracker bar, use the included Y connector to connect them and the remaining tubing which is then routed to the location of the rewind pneumatic and connected via the adapter to the small brass connector on the pneumatic.
Installing a rewind pneumatic is often a bit more challenging than installing a suction box or an automatic shutoff switch due to the variety of suitable locations and the different layouts of various player mechanisms. If you have any questions during installation, please call or email me using the contact info below.