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Organ build

My Topsy 3 is really coming along great , I am working on the glockenspiel now it is the last major part. The PC is mounted ( I am using a small PC to connect to the control board). I want to get the glockenspiel mounted before I start on the finish.

I will post some pictures in a week or so after I get the glockenspiel mounted.
 
The glockenspiel is part of the Topsy 3, you get to build it. John left a lot up to the builder so it can be changeling. It should be done in a few days if I can stop making dumb mistakes.
 
Organ Session

We had our little organ session yesterday. What a day! It was raining lightly when we started, so we held it inside of Dan Danko's beautiful shop. After about two hours the sun came out and it turned to be a typical beautiful day in Kennewick, WA. There were five organ grinders. Two of them came from the other side of the state (brought the rain with them).

Dan Danko organized the whole jam session and provided the place, refreshments, lunch and everything else we needed or wanted. What a great group of people. We arrived at 11am and jammed, talked and did show and tell until 4pm. I thought that was going to be a long time, but it could have gone on longer and I don't think anyone would have minded. We took a break and all that could met up for dinner at a restaurant at 6pm.


We started off with each one taking a turn introducing our organs and playing them. Them we went into a kind of "round robin" taking turns playing the organs and trying out each others. One of the grinders, Gary Harding, was a retired WSU professor in music and he was so interesting to listen to because he knew the history of the songs and organs.

The really neat thing about it was all the different organs. Some were owner built some were professionally built and bought. There were the roll organs and the midi file organs. There were the completed organs and the under construction organs.

It was just an awesome time. AND, my wife got right in the middle of it! She stated, in front of witnesses that I needed to build a Universal!!!

I took some pictures, hopefully you can view them at:

http://s27.photobucket.com/user/grinchman/library/Organ Jam Session 6-21-2013?sort=9&page=1


WHAT A DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Paul.....don't be telling me that........I'm trying to talk myself out of building one.....but I really want one. I was hooked on it when I heard Jays Universal play. Much fuller sound......
 
One of the interesting things discussed at the organ session was, I asked John Iles what the white PVC "T" fitting was for on the back of his beautiful, Tom what an organ, Universal, the one in the picture with the yellow plug screwed in it. He uses that to tune his organ. He uses one of those breathing apparatus at night when he is sleeping. He can set it to the inches of air pressure to match what his bellows produce, plug it into that "T" and have constant air. Then he can tune the pipes without having to crank the bellows. He demo'd it, pretty slick.
 

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Hi Guys. Thanks, Paul, for your concern. Life is changing for us, in good ways. We are back in North Carolina visiting the other half of our family here. Last week I build a set of stairs for my son, who is moving to a bigger house. Lots of patching and painting on my own house, getting it ready to sell. We are preparing to spend the next two years giving service somewhere in the world, so we need to get our affairs in order.

The Senior 20 is so close -- I've cut the front piece, and have it stuck on. Hope to get it finished up when we return to Colorado in a couple of weeks. It won't be as exciting as Pauls RED Senior, but it should look OK.

Best to everyone.
 
Good to hear from you John. Yep, sometimes life gets in the way of projects. Lately I have had projects getting in the way of projects. I have four going on that I have to finish by late July. Hope you get caught up and back on the project. Do you get to take your organ with you on your two year service?
 
This weekend a town near me is celebrating their "Canal Days". It celebrates the "Wabash & Erie Canal" that came to this small town back in 1840. In the last 10 years or so this town has really been trying to bring out the history of the canal and has built an Interpretive Center, a Pioneer Village and even started giving canal boat rides up and down a section of the canal.
I've been looking for opportunities to take my organ to play for the public in settings that would fit in with the time period of the organ. So several months ago I contacted the director of this event and he was thrilled to see what I had and eagerly asked if I would be interested in participating in an event that takes place this weekend. So I'm scheduled to take the organ and play for the public just outside the area where they load in and out of the canal boats in this park. Weather is expected to be nice and I'm looking forward to the opportunity. I'm scheduled to play for a couple hours. I'm looking forward to it and will maybe try to get a few photos or possible a short video if all goes well.
If it all goes well, I would like to do this as an annual event as it is not too far from me and the time period and setting is just right for this.
 
I also found out about a rally in Illinois that I would like to go to. I contacted them but was told it is a COAA member only event. I have not joined COAA yet. I have contacted them in the past and was sent a newsletter which is very nice but I was not sure if I wanted to join or not.
 
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