Good Saturday to all organ building wood people. I've got a few more questions for you.
Take-up Spool
I used Jay's post from a while back to install the bearing blocks. I think it lined up perfectly and it looks good. He said that he now uses roller bearings instead of the bronze hat bearings, so I decided to do the same.
-- Have any of you used the roller bearings that Jay now recommends? Maybe Jay has the answer: the bearings fit very snugly over the steel rod. I could devise a way to tap them down the rod, given space to do so. But I can't for the life of me see how I could do that on the front bearing, once there is a spool mounted on the rod. Jay -- could I trouble you for a few words on procedure to install the spool using the roller bearings. Hmmm...I was just thinking ab out it -- maybe you have to drill a bearing-size hole through support block and side of the case, and somehow tap the bearing to where it belongs from the front? Help please
Main Crank
I also bought Jay's throws for the main crank, and love them. Today I pieced together the crank, and it all seemed to go well. My question is with respect to using the bronze bushings properly.
-- the rear bushing, where the crank handle will attach -- is it preferable to install the bushing with the wide part facing in to the crank box (like I have it in my photo "cranks 3") or the other way round? It seems as though with it turned the other way, maybe it would provide a natural flat seat for the crank handle to turn against.
-- the center crank bushing -- as in the photo, the way I have it now is with the flat of the bushing facing the center throw, where it acts as a face to turn against, and keeps the crank from moving toward the rear of the organ. I am also using a simple 1/4 ply fixed mounting for the center bushing. It didn't seem like it would need to be much stronger than that, and I think I can still get the crank in and out with the center mount fixed. Is there any reason why this wouldn't work?
-- front crank bushing -- I think I will need to trim the bushing mount a bit, to fit in the idler mechanism, but again, should the bushing face in (as it is in the photo), or out, toward the front of the organ?
Sorry for all the piddley little questions, but there is enough opportunity on this project to do things wrong -- was hoping to get this part of it right before I start gluing it together.
As always, thanks very much for sharing your experience.