The Wurlitzer Tonophone was similar to the Barrel Organs of the amusement parks, The Wurlitzer Tonophone brought public music

indoors- into the hotels, cafes and restaurants. It played for nickels and the ten tunes offered ranged from classical to ragtime numbers.The Tonophone was Wurlitzer's first mechanical playing piano.Pneumatically operated by a pinned cylinder. instead of being operated by direct mechanical linkages. The cylinder pins lifts levers which opened valves to a pneumatic mechanism which operated the piano. First shown at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, the Tonophone won a gold medal at the exhibition, and went on to be a commercial success. Today, there are thought to be fewer than four complete and working Tonophone's left in the world.

*****Before******

• Before Before
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*****The Restoration*****

Pictures are in random order.

Vacuum Pump

• Old Pump Old Pump
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• Pump was falling apart. Lined up and glued back together Pump was falling apart. Lined up and glued back together
• Replaced Hemp cord in movable board socket and normally cover with a thin piece of leather like you see here. Replaced Hemp cord in movable board socket and normally cover with a thin piece of leather like you see here.
• All screws are glass beaded and nickel plated to prvent rust in the future. All blue screws are re-blued and sealed. NOTHING gets overlooked All screws are glass beaded and nickel plated to prvent rust in the future. All blue screws are re-blued and sealed. NOTHING gets overlooked
• Sand blasted Sand blasted
• Plated Plated
• Valve flap cover box Valve flap cover box
• Valve flap. I glue a small strip of hardwood over the leather flap to prevent possible curling in the future. And keeps the flap flat. Valve flap. I glue a small strip of hardwood over the leather flap to prevent possible curling in the future. And keeps the flap flat.
• Bottom view, completed Bottom view, completed
• Completed pump Completed pump
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• Pump with connecting rods Pump with connecting rods
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Player Action

• New Pneumatic boards New Pneumatic boards
• New hinge New hinge
• Showing the differant steps in covering the pneumatics Showing the differant steps in covering the pneumatics
• All done with the fingers installed All done with the fingers installed
• Pallet valves being covered Pallet valves being covered
• Glued the valves to the leather and then separated with a razer blade. Glued the valves to the leather and then separated with a razer blade.
• Player chest had to be pryed open. Player chest had to be pryed open.
• Over time the hide glue dried up and the partitions where no longer sealed. The top was removed and all partitions where removed and re-glued. Then top was reinstalled. Over time the hide glue dried up and the partitions where no longer sealed. The top was removed and all partitions where removed and re-glued. Then top was reinstalled.
• Partitions glued in place. Partitions glued in place.
• Before Before
• After After
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• Complete!! Complete!!
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Plate and Soundboard

Soundboard was cracked and warped in such a way that deemed it unrepairable. A new one was made.

Counter

A new counter had to be fabricated. It allows the barrel to turn 2 revolutions before it shuts off. The original was taken off another Tonophone on premises.

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