Rebuilding Chein PianoLodeon
By Jim Quashnock 

Question has been brought up about the tone rods in the Chein
PianoLodeon.

The one I purchased had a broken rod.  I used a standard 1/8" steel rod
from a hardware store.  A few thousands of a inch had to be filed and
turned off to make it fit.  I made sure that the rod would slip through
the cast iron block only until it reached the end.  This way, you can
insert the finished rod into the block starting with the "loose" end,
and only have to hammer in the last 1/4".  There is no pressure exerted
on the tapered part this way.

After cutting the rod to approximate length, extrapolating from the
rods around it, I clamped the replacement rod into a vise and started
filing at the foot to tune (i.e.: the hour glass taper).  Filing here
will flatten the pitch, filing at the end will sharpen.  It is a lot
easier, and faster, to flatten.  I tuned the rod to it's octave.

Once tuned, insert into the cast iron block as described above.  I may
not be getting the exact same overtones as the original, but with the
quality of tone you get from this piano, who cares!?  I think that,
more importantly, when I play the notes I can't tell which rod I made
and which was original.

I also have a question about this instrument.  Since mine is the only
one I've seen and heard, just how load is it suppose to play.  Seems
to me that even after a complete cleaning and new tubing, I get more
action noise than music.  Is this "normal"?

Jim Quashnock

EDITORS NOTE: The correct size tubing for the trackerbar is 1/4" ID (#8) player piano tubing -click here. You will need 20 feet of tubing.