Teaser
At this end of this post is a video that has an exciting demonstration (exciting being relative, of course).
Working on the Underneath
The next phase of organ restoration focuses on the reed assembly. This is the part of the organ that has the reeds (obviously), but also lots of moving parts which may or may not move at this moment, felt that has been eaten by bugs to the point where it isn't felting much of anything, fragile pins that will snap if I look at them very hard, and the most incredible musty smell. I'm hoping some of the mustiness fades as parts are cleaned or replaced, else I may have to dip the whole shebang into a barrel of Febreze, or possibly battery acid.
I'm dividing the assembly into the Overneath and the Underneath, and will turn to the Underneath first. Once the Underneath is completed I can attach the reed assembly to the bellows assembly, and in turn attach both parts to the carcass, which will provide a more stable work platform for the Overneath and will protect the aforementioned fragile pins. Plus it will look cool and give the appearance of much progress, and I'll be able to play notes, though not with keys at first. I'm all about getting small rewards along the way.
The Underneath actually requires one type of repair, but it is pretty substantial. There are 49 pallets acting as valves. They cover the reeds and regulate the flow of air through each reed chamber. The pallets are held in place by pallet springs, which also keep them in position. When an organ key is depressed, the pallet is opened and air is sucked through the corresponding reed making noise, or perhaps music. When the key is released the pallet spring pushed the pallet to the closed position, and the air suckage stops.
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| Underneath - with one pallet on the left removed |
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| Underneath - with all pallets removed, but springs still in place |
Getting Instructions - At Last!
To this point I have been using my wits to figure out how to get the organ apart and restored. Though it has been fun to figure things out, it is also often frustrating and time consuming. As several of my family members will no doubt confirm, my wit only goes so far.
You may imagine my great joy when I found a very good organ restoration resource on the Web: http://www.pumporganrestorations.com/reed_organ_materials.htm. I called Johnson & Son hoping to get some replacement parts, especially the appropriate felt, and some advice. I don't know if I talked with Johnson or Son, but whoever it was was very understanding and helpful. I let him know that I didn't know very much, and started talking about pallets. After just a few minutes of conversation, he let me know that I had overstated my knowledge considerably. Though he didn't quite come out and say it, I could tell what he was thinking: "You know nothing, Jon Snow."
While he didn't want to spend his life instructing me over the phone, he did tell me about a BOOK:
I have rarely felt such elation.
Armed with this, a piece of lambskin, and with some felt from Johnson & Son, I am ready to repair the pallets.
Bonus Video!
This video doesn't really add to the information above, but I am pleased to present a short demonstration. It pretty much made my day.
Great job on your blog. Its nice that you are making such progress on the organ. I liked being able to hear a little of what it will sound like.
ReplyDeleteReeds typically do well even when neglected for years (many of the best concertinas, made in the 19th century, still have great reeds even though most of the instrument has fallen apart). That said, you're probably going to have to tune the reeds at some point, a job that is very easy to do wrong I believe. Apparently, it is difficult to get the reeds back to pitch, but it is very difficult to tune while maintaining the same timbre across the reed set.
ReplyDeleteI have some recommendations for people that might provide advice or help with the tuning problem if you're interested.