Steve's Pipe Organ Project

Hi Folks
I've been on vacation this week and got several things accomplished. What to do with the last day? Miter pipes, work on windchests or make room for the additional components.

These are the offset Open Diapason and Violin Diapason pipes on on their sides as there is not enough ceiling height. I set in the pipes and wired them to the Opus-Two controls and programmed them in. It is amazing how simple the Opus-Two makes this.

Rack and toe boards that will be used for the Salicional(Austin), Gedeckt(Wicks) and Flute de Amour(Moller) and Vox Humana(Wicks). These toeboards are from the Gotttfried rebuilt Skinner. I hate to do it but I'm cutting the 5 rank windchest into one rank sections for ease of placement and putting direct electric valves in. This was the echo chest At least the Wicks ranks should work well.

This is my homemade miter box for cutting the 16' Gedeckt and 16' Pedal Lieblich Gedeckt miters to fit under the ceiling. It has slots for 22.5 and 30 degrees.

These are the Kilgen Concert and Hohl Flutes stacked up by the main blower. I'm told these are a delightful salmon color by Allan, Music Director at Sacred Heart and a newfound friend. They are very clean and sound nice

Here is the Crescendo and Swell pedals and Toe Pistons installed and programed into the control system.

Till next time

Steve

Steve's Pipe Organ Project

This is the display which shows many aspects that the system controls

This is the console with the pistons, couplers and the Opus-Two display installed

This is the chamber output cards. At the time of this photo only the primarys and pitman stop control is wired on the bottom two cards. The other cards are for the Kimball melodia and other ranks planned that need the windchests built yet.

This is the console inputs and and outputs for the combination action and the 3 Organcraft ranks integrated into the top of the console

Well, alot has happened since last post. I received and installed the pistons purchased from Arndt Organ Supply Company, another fine company with good people. I received the Opus-Two Instrument Control System from Essential Technology. A really nice system and super guy Dave Milton. I can't say enough about this system and the support I've received while installing. The Organcraft alone with only 3 ranks is so much more enhanced with the couplers. I purchased 4 more ranks to install, an 8' hohl flute, an 8' concert flute both Kilgen, a Moller 4' Flute d' Amore and an unknown 8' Chimney flute. So I have lots of work yet to do. Hope you enjoyed the picture update.

Picked up the 16' thru2' gedackt pipes today. They look nice and should fit in nice with the organ eliminating some of the unification. I also ordered the opus two cards so all I have to do is make a chest for the 8' thru 2' pipes. Got to listen the large Skinner organ at Sacred Heart where I picked up the pipes thanks to Allan. They are at the first stages of rebuilding but these pipes are not from the Skinner. Now I'm going to remove the swell shades from the framework so I can get to the back of the Organcraft to make it easier to install the Opus-Two controls.

Steve's Pipe Organ Project

I ordered the pistons today from Arndt Organ Supply Company today. The folks there are really nice people and it was a pleasure to do business with them. I had purchased a 10" flexible duct line that was supposed to handle 20" wind pressure. So far it has burst twice about 5' from the blower where it makes a 90 deg bend going into the main feeder line. I put a 90 deg elbow in that spot and I am planning to get the proper flex from OSI. It's so @#%& expensive though. I also purchased today a 16' thru 2' gedackt so I can eliminate some duplication from all the unification. One nice thing about this is it is only about 25 miles from home. I expect the OPUS-TWO controls tomorrow if they shipped in the same amount of time as the first time they shipped. I promise more pictures soon.

Steve"s Pipe Organ Project

Well since last post the Opus-Two controls are finally on their way after the address disaster. I have all the bass pipes tubed off the main windchest. I still need to build 4 offset chests for the great gamba, swell salicional, swell vox humana, and pedal octave. Syndyne is currently not producing pistons so I'll have to scrap the 5 Syndyne pistons and order 22 Klann from Arndt if the dimensions fit.

Pipe Organ Update

Thanks to the good folks who supplied assistance regarding spacing on the diyapasion chat I've got the holed drilled in the piston rails. The swell rail has swell to pedal and 1 thru 5 swell divisional pistons The great rail will have set, 1 thru 5 generals, great to pedal, 1 thru 5 great divisional, transpose up and transpose down, sforzando, and cancel. I missed the shipment of the Opus-2 controls due to my stupidity in forgetting my address. These are being sent again and I hope Dave Milton has forgiven me. When these arrive I will be busy rewiring everything in a more permanent fashion. I found some nice light, flexible hose at Lowe's where I work to use in tubing off the many bass notes. I was using tygon tubing but this is expensive, heavy and stiff requiring me to use barbed 90 deg elbows and supporting with wires from the ceiling. The new hose I'm using is made for piping water from sump pumps and costs about $8.00 for 25 feet at the store where I work. That saves a dollar a foot over the clear stuff. I will be adding more pictures when the rails are wired in.

Steve Pipe Organ Project

Well I've added the drawknob jams. There are 7 pedal stops, 14 swell and 12 great stops. The rockers in the middle were the stops for the organcraft which is the console and the 3 ranks of pipes that the console is integrated. I will be replacing it with couplers. I will be adding the divisional names above the drawknobs and perhaps a trim around the divisions. The Opus-Two controls have shipped. I might add pistons on the great drawknob jam for options Opus-Two has. And of course it needs pistons under the manuals yet. The Organcraft is the 3 rank organ with exposed pipes. The Kimball is behind the swell shades. You can catch a glimps of the melodia through the left side of the swell shades. The box to the left contains the Wicks vox humana which needs a windchest and swell shades. I think I will make it a vox in a box. Lots of work to do yet.