Organ build

John, your not missing anything! You can mount the pipes any way and anywhere you want.

Tom, I really like your street grinder, really nice looking.


Actually by putting 11 on the front, which I think most do, your are deviating from the plan. If you don't have a conductor, you need to fill the front with something. I personally love to see the pipes. I think I like it better than a conductor, although making a conductor and figuring ways to make it move would be a fun challenge.

I may have cut my bass A# pipe a little short. I have it adjusted all the way to the end and it just isn't quite right according to the meter. It also makes a second note sound after I blow it a split second. Maybe I didn't get it voiced correctly. If it is length, ,maybe I can glue an inch on the end, or maybe I can make a new pipe.....

Paul Douglass said:

My brother stopped by today for a little visit. I said, you want to hear my organ. He says ah, okay not real excited but guess he felt obligated to go along with it. I put in a roll and started cranking. When the music fired up he jumped straight in the air, came down and jumped back. You should have seen the look on his face. All he could say was HOLLY COW! HOLLY COW! What a smile it put on his face. It was great!

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There ya go Paul thats what its all about.

Paul Douglass said:

I may have cut my bass A# pipe a little short. I have it adjusted all the way to the end and it just isn't quite right according to the meter. It also makes a second note sound after I blow it a split second. Maybe I didn't get it voiced correctly. If it is length, ,maybe I can glue an inch on the end, or maybe I can make a new pipe.....

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Sounds like the voicing is off Paul

john clayton said:

I had an elegant post written up, but it has evidently gone to the great bit bucket in the sky.

In short, I am wondering if there is any reason why more than 11 pipes couldn't be put on the front of the organ, thus making it a bit less cramped inside the box. It looks like there is room left to right, and a few more than the normal 10 or 11 front pipes are 8 or 9 inches long, so it seems like they should fit.

What am I missing?

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John I build most of mine with 17 in front and the 3 Bass in the back. To mount them I just run a straight board across the front and the glue a 1/4" piece of ply on the back of the pipe and hanging down fare enough to screw it to the back edge of the board. By doing that it also give a little thicker place to run the tubing into the pipes.

Paul Douglass said:

I may have cut my bass A# pipe a little short. I have it adjusted all the way to the end and it just isn't quite right according to the meter. It also makes a second note sound after I blow it a split second. Maybe I didn't get it voiced correctly. If it is length, ,maybe I can glue an inch on the end, or maybe I can make a new pipe.....

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Paul, if the stopper is "all the way to the end" it may be leaking. You can add to the length, then put a nice trim piece on the joint.
Then re-check the voicing.

Bob

Thanks, Paul and Jay, for your advice on pipes. I'll start working out a configuration.

I'm putting together the tracker bar assembly, and am having trouble finding the 1/4 and 5/16 thin wall tubing. Best I could come up with is this refrigerator pipe:

What do you think? Would it work, or are there better solutions? I got it at Home Depot. They didn't have anything at all in 5/16. Any ideas on better places to try?

The build is going well. Today I finished the cranks, and they seem to pump smooth and straight:

I set the plexiglass in the lid:

And this is what the whole thing looks like now:

john clayton said:

Thanks, Paul and Jay, for your advice on pipes. I'll start working out a configuration.

I'm putting together the tracker bar assembly, and am having trouble finding the 1/4 and 5/16 thin wall tubing. Best I could come up with is this refrigerator pipe:
View attachment 75448
What do you think? Would it work, or are there better solutions? I got it at Home Depot. They didn't have anything at all in 5/16. Any ideas on better places to try?

The build is going well. Today I finished the cranks, and they seem to pump smooth and straight:
View attachment 75449
I set the plexiglass in the lid:
View attachment 75450
And this is what the whole thing looks like now:
View attachment 75451

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John I get my tubing from Model Airplane shops or at the Hardware store True Value or Ace

Got mine from a local hobby store. Think it was Hobby Town. I never thought of my local ACE.

John you organ is looking great.

Looking good John! Looks like it's suppose to. I got my tubing from a well stocked hardware store that carries lots of specialty items. Very similar to Ace. Hobby Lobby or any hobby shop would be good places as well.

Thanks for the comments about where to find tubing.

I went to Ace, and right there, in the Busker Organ section, was all manner of thin-wall tubing, including 1/4 and 5/16. We're on the road again.

john clayton said:

Thanks for the comments about where to find tubing.

I went to Ace, and right there, in the Busker Organ section, was all manner of thin-wall tubing, including 1/4 and 5/16. We're on the road again.

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I'm beginning to like ACE more all the time. Have to check my local ones and see if they have a Busker Organ section!

john clayton said:

and right there, in the Busker Organ section

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Jay beat me to it but it's still funny.

Well, as I wait for varnish and paint to dry, I been reading the Universal plans and watching the video. I think maybe I'll build the Busker! There is a whole lot I understand from build the Senior, but there is a whole lot I don't. It would be a very challenging build for sure. But I see a lot of things I would really like to try. I'm thinking maybe I will try some of the pieces and see how it goes. May start the busker and then build some of the parts for the Universal when I feel I really want a challenge. Surrrrreee looks like it would be fun.........

Paul Douglass said:

Well, as I wait for varnish and paint to dry, I been reading the Universal plans and watching the video. I think maybe I'll build the Busker! There is a whole lot I understand from build the Senior, but there is a whole lot I don't. It would be a very challenging build for sure. But I see a lot of things I would really like to try. I'm thinking maybe I will try some of the pieces and see how it goes. May start the busker and then build some of the parts for the Universal when I feel I really want a challenge. Surrrrreee looks like it would be fun.........

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Paul I found the Universal not that much harder to build and it is a lot sweeter organ. I think Tom is going to start a build and I would start one too MayBE.

Jay Caughron said:

I think Tom is going to start a build and I would start one too MayBE.

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Ive gotten off to a good start and have mine about half done so far.................



ok.....I have not started yet but it sounded good.

I'm looking at gathering some parts.......anyone?

I seen they mentioned this thread on the COAA forum today. Hope it brings in more builders

More progress to report...

I got a tracker bar top from Jay, but on a whim I decided to try to do my own, using the alternate method on Melvyns busker organ site.

I prepared a block of poplar, about an inch thick. I spent 30 years at IBM doing PowerPoint presentations, so I used that software to create an exact 100% scale template of both the tracker holes and the offset holes that go to the pipes underneath.

I used a sharp awl and magnifying glass to poke some pilot holes as close to center as I could.

I carefully drilled the main holes, about a half inch down, using a brad point bit, setting the point of the bit in the pilot hole each time. I then removed the template, and sliced off the top quarter inch. This will be the tracker bar top.

I then glued the base plate onto the block and drilled the offset holes, using the same method. Using a new Dremel bit, I hogged out the material between the main and offset holes, so there was a clear channel from top to bottom.

I then glued the top piece (the tracker bar) back onto the block and sanded a bit.

I cut the nipples from aluminum tubing purchased at the Busker Organ Section of Ace Hardware, and press-fit them into the block. They seem very tight, so I decided not to use any kind of adhesive.

I cut four oval mounting holes in the base, which will allow about an eight inch of movement either direction for adjustment to the paper spools.

The install went well, and seems flat and secure. I had to grind off a corner of each nut to clear the slopey side of the pressure box underneath.

(sorry about the thumbnails below -- can't figure out how to delete them)

Sure looks nice to me. I think this would be much easier and full proof for leaks than the card honey comb method. I don't know PowerPoint so I don't know how difficult that part is. Nice work.