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New crank organ build

Tom Baugues

Tom Baugues

Member
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2,870
Location
Lafayette, Indiana
Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing well. I've not spent a lot of time with this group in the past few years but I thought I would try to document a new project I just started. Some of you might remember the "street organ" or (crank organ) project in the past. I built one of those and have loved it. I take it to several gatherings each year and play for the public. Today, I started to build another organ. This one will be a 26 note organ based on the John Smith plans. Although this organ is just 26 notes it can have up to 5 ranks of pipes. I have not decided exactly how many pipes I will add but I want this to be as "full" sounding as I can get.

EDIT......I am editing this first post as I did not like the material I was using. Sometimes things just don't go the way you think they should. I hope to get back on track soon. Thank you to those who offered advice.
 
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Tom I hate to tell ya but that is NOT MDF it is particleboard and will NOT work for what you are trying to do. Particleboard is to open grained and will leak real bad. MDF will also but can be sealed with shellac or lacquer. I used MDF as a spoil board on my CNC vacuum table. It would create a vacuum through the MDF until you sealed it. The edges will that a lot of sealing to make it work. Best bet is good ole Baltic birch (cry once)
 
Welcome back Tom. Wouldn't it be better to Baltic plywood instead of the MDF. I don't like to work with that stuff for you reasons you cited. It seems to always splinter on the sides and chips rather easily.
David
 
When you get ready for your flap valves glue two strips of leather together with tack glue (Brown bottle at walmarts in craft dept) cut the strips and lay them on. I attach them with some cardboard strips from a table back and staple them on the ends
 
Y
David Johnson said:
Welcome back Tom. Wouldn't it be better to Baltic plywood instead of the MDF. I don't like to work with that stuff for you reasons you cited. It seems to always splinter on the sides and chips rather easily.
David
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YES, you are absolutely right and I'm going to trash what I have started and start over with plywood.
 
I cant wait to get my shop going again and play with organs again. I have to recover the bellows on the Universal at it was early in my organ building and I used to thin of bellows cloth. It did not hold up. I made and sold a lot of puffer leathers just have to find the right leather and I am lucky that their is a Great leather supply co. in Springfield. The Universal I have is still unfinished but was playing I just need to finish the case. But after this long I think it could use some new air lines and leather for the bellows.
This build thread is going to be fun
 
Kenny Heermann said:
Well now, maybe I will get back to the 26 note I started serval years ago. Things were going great until I got to the puffer(?) boxes. Looking forward to your build. I did build the 20 note with a lot of help from this site.
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Hi Kenny, do you play your 20 note organ very often? I've built two organs already, but the Universal organ has always been on my "wanna do" list. Now, being retired and find myself without any other projects....it seems bout time to get cutting and glueing.
 
Tom Baugues said:
Hi Kenny, do you play your 20 note organ very often? I've built two organs already, but the Universal organ has always been on my "wanna do" list. Now, being retired and find myself without any other projects....it seems bout time to get cutting and glueing.
Click to expand...
Hi Tom, I do not play it much but I did play it a short time today still sounds good for a home build The last time was Christmas a couple of years ago, the grandkids did enjoy.
 
I've been working with a bottle of Tightbond glue that is about 2/3 gone. So, every time I picked it up to use it, I had to wait for it to drain to the tip. Then I tried to leave the bottle tipped over in a holder, but the glue would just leak out the wide tip and make a mess. Plus spreading glue down a 1/8" edge strip of plywood I was getting too much glue. I was in Menards today and saw one of these little glue bottles and thought I would give it a try. I like it. The glue dispenses upright with a squeeze and the flow is a more controlled amount. I'm sure you all have seen or use them already but it something new for me.
 

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