Restoring the Family Organ - the Carcass
After a few years of thinking about how to go about this project, I finally decided that a good first step would be to repair the carcass. This mostly involves replacing panels, as the old panels were too eaten or rotten to be preserved, but any original portions that were solid would be retained. Essentially this meant that the carcass base, including the pedals, would be replaced, while the upper portion would be preserved. Also, rather than try to replicate the original blue cloth covering, I decided to use red oak plywood and finish it with a clear polyurethane. Provides some (IMO) attractive contrast, while also highlighting just how much had to be replaced.
The carcass is relatively easy to reconstruct, but does not mean a lot as to whether the organ will eventually be playable. However, I was able to get the reeds to sound by blowing into them, so I'm pretty optimistic on that count. Still lots to do with repairing the bellows and the reed assembly. The carcass is relatively fun, what with cutting and assembling big panels, getting lots of sawdust and glue all over the place, and seeing what *appears* to be a lot of progress in a short amount of time. Repairing the reed assembly and bellows, on the other hand, will be tedious, tricky, detailed work. But more on that to come.
Original and replacement parts
The bottom (I had to cut out the pedals, which is the reason for the slots in the original bottom).
Unfinished assembly - back and sides:
Pedals - the original treads and straps were reused! We'll see how long the straps last, but they're pretty easy to replace if they break.
Assembling with finished lower carcass, but keeping the original upper portion. The blue supports on the front of the lower portion are also original.
Replaced the buckles. It will be interesting to see how long the original hinges last. With a little oil, it may be a while before they go.
Last addition to this point: Making a new handle. I don't recall the organ ever having a handle, but pictures of other similar organs show a handle, and the holes for the handle were there, so it pretty clearly had one at one time, but no idea when it disappeared. The shape is correct based on pictures, but I had to guess on the size. It's close, I think. Maybe. (On the right side you can see the reed assembly. Its time is coming...)
Oh, FYI - the original lower carcass sides and back - not pretty:
Is this organ a "free reed" like concertinas and accordions? i.e., having metal reeds that vibrate in a metal collar? Or is the recorder type, where air passes though a notch in a tube? Where does this organ come from anyway??
ReplyDeleteI didn't know they were called "free reed", but that's apparently what they are. The reeds are made of brass, though I doubt that is unusual. The organ was made by the Estey Organ Company of Brattleboro, VT, which made mostly reed organs, but also some pipe and electronic organs, for over 100 years until 1960 (or so). The particular organ I'm working on was purchased new for my grandmother by my uncles in Oklahoma City in around 1940. The serial number confirms the date of manufacture at between 1935-1940. I remember playing on the organ at my uncle's house in the late 1960's. Apparently in 1980, give or take, it was moved out to a shed where the mice, termites, and other vermin had their way with it. Fortunately the reeds and the reed housing appear to be sound, and the bellows aren't too bad, or there would have been no saving it. And I'm still not sure that it IS salvageable, but I'm doing my best!
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