He’s baaaaaack!! I’m back at it after a long recess due to frustration with my build and some respiratory problems. Where I left off, in December, was that I had an air leak somewhere between the inside seam of the bellows, and when trying to find it, un-screwing and re-screwing the air reservoir to the bellows, I snapped the head off several screws. In frustration, and because I needed to turn a bunch of bowels, pens and bottle stoppers for Christmas, I put it away. In February, I came down with pneumonia (Dr. diagnosed), and again (my diagnosis) right after the Tour DeWood left.
Finally got to where I wouldn’t pass out from extreme fits of coughing, and the weather was nice for a while, so I got back into the shop last week. I gently pried the air reservoir from the bellows without any damage, re-glued the seams and spacer between the bellows, and glued up a nice wide rubber gasket over narrow one that I had at the top of the bellows. I then re-drilled the holes in the air reservoir, oversize, so the screws would pull the bellows up tight. Now, I’m sure my problem was that the screws threaded in the air reservoir and the bellows, maintaining a gap rather than pulling the bellows up tight. I knew the proper way to do things, but I didn’t do it. Most of my building has been garage cabinets where things aren’t real critical.
Well, the air system it air tight, and I am maintaining 7” while putting a LOT of pressure on the bellows and air supply. NOTHING is escaping. Now I have to adjust the spring to get 5” on the manometer. I glued the brass nipples into the bottom of my tracker bar, gave it a few coats of lacquer and it is ready to go after I glue some backing to the underneath of the tracker bar platform. I think Ed made this suggestion, to give extra support to your tracker bar mounting screws.
I went through the posts since I left. Both Carol and Tom asked if I could send a copy of my notes and pictures. Basically this is 88 pages of cut and paste info, pictures and notes that I have made on my build. I would be happy to email it to anyone building an organ. PM me your email adderess and I’ll get them off to you.
A few people are asking about Baltic Burch. If you have a Rockler or Woodcraft anywhere near you, they both carry it, in 1/16 on up.
For the newbe’s, my frustration has been with my lack of building skills, not with the organ. I suggest you follow the plans and don’t try to make any modifications. Make your mods on your second organ.
Good luck everyone.