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GAKBUILDINC

For

MATEURS

ric/\L Guide

FOR
E-WORKEF\S.

BANKS MUSIC

YORK

It'L 58836

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ORGAN BUILDING

FOR

AMATEURS.

f nutiral 6\\i\it for §omt-Wioxhx^,

CONTAINING SPECIFICATIONS, DESIGNS, AND FULL

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING EVERY PORTION

OF THE INSTRUMENT.

MARK WICKS.

ir/TH OVER TWO HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS AXD
EXP LA NA TOR F DIA GRAMS.

LONDON:

WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED.

WARWICK HOUSE, SALISBURY SQUARE, E.G.

NEW YORK AND MELBOURNB.

This book is an unabridged republication of the
original and is available from THE ORGAN LIT-
ERATURE FOUNDATION, Braintree, Mass.
02184. Price $15.00 postpaid.

ISBN 0-913746-01-0

PREFACE.

'n submitting this little work to the public I
must, in the first instance, warn the reader
that it is not written with the intention of
dealing exhaustively with organ building
generally, but, as its title implies, only with that
particular phase which comes within the means and
scope of an intelligent amateur workman. Therefore,
such refinements as electric and pneumatic actions,
not being required in small instruments, find no place
in this work, but everything of interest to a home-
worker is touched upon in a thoroughly practical manner.
There are many works on the subject to which
builders, purchasers, or general readers may resort
for information respecting organs, but the in-
structions contained in most of these works being
limited to general, and often vague, description, are of
little service to an ordinary amateur desirous of
building the instrument himself, as in most cases the
idea of building an organ at home is taken up by
persons having little knowledge of the construction
of the instrument which they so ardently desire to
possess. It is indeed rather surprising that there is
not a larger supply of literature dealing with this
Subject from an amateur's point of view, for it is a
matter which is constantly claiming the attention of
young men of mechanical proclivities, and also one
which exercises an astonishing and peculiar fascination

Vf PREFACE.

over them. But beyond isolated papers in magazines,
and the little manual of the Rev. W. E. Dickson, there
dees not appear to be anything which can rightly be
considered as meeting the requirements of persons of
the class referred to. It is with the object of supplying
this want that I have been induced to compile the
little manual which now seeks the suffrages of home-
workers. As an amateur organ-builder I may fairly
claim to have some knowledge of the necessities of
that class, and of the difficulties which beset them at
every turn. It has been my endeavour to smooth
away those dMficulties by describing every part of the
instrument in the fullest detail, and by supplementing
the instructions, wherever practicable, with carefully-
drawn illustrations.

The method of making pipes of paper, which is an
invention of my own, will, I trust, prove a boon to
amateurs, especially those of limited means, as by
making pipes of this material the most expensive
item in the cost of the instrument is reduced to a
comparati\'ely nominal sum. I do not think I could
adduce better testimony of their efficiency than the
fact that a practical organ-builder, who is quite un-
known to me, has thought it worth his while to take
up the manufacture of these pipes, and to enlarge
his workshops for the purpose.

I would add that the care, patience, and perseverance
devoted to building even a small organ at home must
necessarily afford most valuable training to young
men, and the moral value of the instrument itself in
a home where children are growing up cannot, 1
think, be over-estim.ated.

July, 1887.

CONTENTS.

CHAF. rxCB

I. TOOLS AND A PPLIAN'CES— SPECIFICATIONS — NEW

METHOD OF MAKING PIPES . . . . t,

II WOOD PIPES ;^^

III. PIPES OF METAL — CASTING BENCH AND CASTING

BOX — METAL FOR PIPES — MELTING METAL —
NECESSARY TOOLS— SCALE FOR CUTTING METAL
FOR PIPES — FORMATION OF SHEET METAL INTO
PIPES 45

IV. REED PIPES 64

V. SOUND-BOARD, WIND-CHEST, PALLETS, ETC. . 80

VI. THE BELLOWS 104

VII. THE BUILDING FRAME AND MANUAL ACTION . 120

VIII. THE KEY-BOARD 14O

IX. THE STOP ACTION AND COUPLERS . . .152

X. THE PEDAL ORGAN : SOUND-BOARD, AND PEDAL

KEY- BOARD 1 73

XI. PEDAL ACTION: COUPLER GREAT TO PEDALS . 185

XII. THE SWELL, ETC. — VENETIAN SWELL— GRIDIRON

SWELL — BOX SWELL — TREMULANT . . . 198

XIII. VOICING AND TONING — DEFECTS AND THEIR

REMEDIES 210

XIV. TUNING 236

XV. THE CASE — PIPE DECORATIONS .... 244

XVI, DEFECTS GENERALLY — LIST OF STOPS AND THEIR

COMBINATIONS— ADDITIONAL SPECIFICATIONS . 263

LIST OF SEPARATE FOLDING
PLATES.

PACK

1. Frontispiece. Containing six designs FOR PiPE DECORATIONS,

in colotu's.

2. Containing figures i-i I. Details OF Paper Pipes —

To face page 1 7

3. Containing figures 19-28. Details of Wood Pipes —

To face page 33

4. Containing figures 36-47. Details of Metal Pipes —

To face page 53

5. Containing figures 59-74. Comparative Sizes of Pipes,

ETC To face page 73

6. Containing figures 75-8i. Details OF Sound-boards, etc.

To face page 80

7. Containing figures 82-84. Details OF Sound-board, etc.

To face page 96

8. Containing figures 101-105. DETAILS OF Bellows —

To face page 1 1 7

9. Containing figures 149-154. Details of Pedal Action —

To face page 177

10. Containing figure 170. Longitudinal Section of Organ —

To face page 199

11. Containing figures 1 71-174. Transverse Section OF Organ,

and Details of Gridiron Swell . . To face page lox

12. Containing figures 175-180. Details of Venetian and

P&.K Swells AND Tremulant . . . To face page lo'^
• -J. Conteining figures 198, 199. Design for Organ (No. i) —

To face page 245

14. Containing figures 205, 206. Design for Organ (No. 3) —

To face page 255

15. Containing figure 208. Design for Small Organ with

Wood Pipes To face page 2-^"}

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS

CHAPTER I.

TOOLS AND APPLIANCES — SPECIFlCATiONS — NEl*
METHOD OF MAKING PIPES.

HERE are few things that possess more
fascination for the amateur mechanic than
a musical instrument, and few, indeed, that,
if the work be well carried out, will so fully
reward him for his patience and labour. The organ,
that acknowledged king among keyed instruments, is
of such construction that every portion of it may be
made by a person possessing a little skill and a fair
amount of patience and ingenuity. In this respect it
differs from the piano or harmonium, as in those
instruments the really music producing portions would
not be placed to the credit of the amateur, but would
necessarily be purchased, whereas every pipe in the
organ could be made by the amateur himself.

Before proceeding with the instructions for the
building of the instrument it will doubtless be well that
I should indicate the principal appliances and tools
required for the work.

First and foremost, a good, firm, and level bench is
absolutely necessar}^ and this should be at least 6 feet
long, or capable of being extended to that length by
means of an end flap with firm supports. It must also

10 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

be provided with the usual appliances for holding the
wood firmly whilst it is being planed, etc.

We shall require one or two hand-saws for ripping
planks and for general sawing work, and also one large
and one small tenon saw.

Of planes we must have at least three, viz. : — a jack-
plane for rough work, a trying-plane for planks and for
shooting joints, and a smoothing-plane for finishing off.
In addition to these one or two small American iron
planes would be found very useful.

A tool commonly known as an " old woman's tooth,"
or router, will also be necessary for clearing out and
levelling groovings.

At least four chisels, viz. : :^-inch, |-inch, |-inch, and
l^-inch. One or two of the intermediate sizes and
a s-inch mortise chisel would be very handy, but are
not absolutely necessary.

A gcuge or two, say ^-inch and |-inch, for mafking
conducting grooves, etc.

A hammer and mallet and a marking gauge are, of
course, indispensable.

A good brace and set of at least six bits of different
sizes, ranging from -j^g-inch up to i|-inch will be
needed, and an expanding bit would be an acquisition.
These bits may be either American twist bits, or the
ordinary nosed centre bits.

A small Archimedean drill, with three or four d/ill-bits
of various sizes.

Three or four gimlets and bradawls of different
sizes.

A screwdriver, and two or three files of different
shapes and degrees of fineness.

A glue-pot holding at least a pint of glue, and two or
three glue brushes of various sizes,

TOOLS AND APPLIANCES. II

Two or three paint brushes, one very small and the
others medium-sized sash tools.

A wood T-square, not less than 30 inches long,
and a metal-bladed carpenter's square, 9 or I2 inches
long.

A few screw cramps.

A soldering iron for metal work, if it is intended to
do this work at home.

A pair of cutting pliers, and also a pair of round
ncsed pliers of small size, for wire work.

A few other special tools may be required, which will
be described when dealing with the work.

Of course, it will be understood that these tools need
not all be purchased before commencing the work, but
only such as are needed for the operations actually in
hand. The others can be acquired as the progress 01
the work calls for their aid. It is, however, absolutely
necessary that all tools should be of good quality and
always kept in thorough order, for it is impossible to
work well with bad or blunt tools.

As regards skill in workmanship, if the would-be
organ-builder can plane a board true, make a good joint
(such as a butt joint, dovetail or mortise and tenon),
and possesses a general knowledge of the use of the
various tools mentioned herein, he can, with patience
and perseverance, accomplish nearly all that is set out
in these p«ges.

All wood used must be of the best quality, thoroughly
sound, well-seasoned, and free from knots and shakes.
It should be purchased and kept in a warm dry place,
as long as possible before using.

The leather used in organ building is white sheep-
skin, specially prepared for the purpose, and no other
kind^\S!i. be suitable. It can be procured at any shop

12 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

where organ requisites are sold, and generally costs
about 3s. or 3s. 6d. a skin. Shoemaker's white leather
will be of no service whatever.

I now propose to give such instructions as will
enable amateurs to build themselves a really useful
instrument, that may be a source of pleasure to them-
selves and their friends for many years to come. In
order to meet the requirements of all, and with the view
of making the instructions as intelligible as possible, I
shall describe a specific instrument, and add such
information as may be requisite to enable the amateur
to build either a smaller or a larger one, as the length
of his purse may permit. But I would here urge
upon all intending workers that, whatever scheme they
may rdopt, they should keep to, and work away at it
steadily until all is completed, for many commence
upon work which they have not sufficient patience to
carry out, and consequently, they never have anything
to show for the time and money which they have
expended.

Amateurs should also consider the time and means
at their disposal, before deciding on the work, and will
do well to remember that a very small organ, if built in
spare time, after ordinary working hours, may require
months, or even years of patient application before the
work can be completed. The greatest pains should be
taken in the construction of every part, and all should
be done ^s though one's life depended on the result.

The specification for the instrument to be described
is as follows ; —

Open Diapason to Tenor C

44 pipes.

8 feet tone,

Stopt Diapason, Bass

12 „

8 „

Stopt Diapason, Treble ...

<4 ,

8 „

Flute (for Principal) ...

56 „

4 H

SPECIFICATIONS.

5. Keraulophon (small scale, to

Tenor C) 44 pipes. 8 feet tone.

6. Flageolet (for Fifteenth) ... 56 ,, 2 „

7. Bourdon (pedals) 25 „ 16 „

Total .,,

2S1 pipes.

Couplers : octave ; great to pedal.

The whole may be enclosed in a general swell. Size
about 6 feet 6 inches wide, 9 feet high, and 3 feet
deep.

There will be room for another stop of twelve pipes
in the bass, which may be utilised at any time by the
insertion of a stop of the violoncello type.

If the Bourdon were omitted it would reduce the
size of the instrument considerably, or a nice little
instrument could be made by having the first four or
five stops only.

For a small two-manual instrument, the following
would be a good specification :^

Great organ —

I. Open Diapason to Ten

44 pipes.

8 feel lone.

2. Stopt Diapason, Bass

...

3. Principal (flute)

...

4. Flageolet

...

Swell organ —

5. Lieblich Gedacht ...

...

»»

6. Keraulophon to Tenor

...

Pedal organ —

7. Bourdon ,,.- ...

...

Total

293 pipes.

Couplers : swell to great unison ; swell to great
octave ; great to pedal.

Same size as No. I, but 6 inches deeper.

14 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

A smaller two-manual might comprise the following

stops : —

Great organ —

1. Open Diapason 44 pipes, 8 feet tone.

2. Stopt Diapason, Bass ,.. 12 „ 8 „

Swell organ —

3. Lieblich Gedacht ... ... 44 „ 8 „

4. Flute (lOr Fnncipal, small

scale) 44 » 8 „

Total 144 pipes.

Couplers : swell to great unison ; swell to great
octave ; octave on great.

The pedal-Bourdon may, or may not, be added,
according to the will of the amateur. If it is, a
coupler, great to pedals, would be needed.

Note. — If octave couplers are attached to any of
these organs, they will be made much more efficient by
carrying each stop on which they act an octave higher
in the treble, so that every note in the compass of the
key-board will be connected with one an octave higher
when the octave coupler is in action.

The intending organ-builder has thus several schemes
to choose from ; and, as the dimensions of the sound-
board and all other portions will be fully set out in the
succeeding articles, he will be enabled to find all the
dimensions he will require. The scales for the pipes
will be the same for each organ.

It will be noticed that in neither of the above speci-
fications have I mentioned the materials of which the
pipes are to be made, and my reason for not doing so
is, that I have worked out a new method of making
them, and now propose to give the amateur the benefit
of my experience. Many who would much like to

NEW METHOD OF MAKING PIPES. I5

build an organ are deterred from doing so by the great
outlay necessary to purchase the pipes, or the materials
for making them ; but it is now open to anyone, by
following my instructions, to make the whole of the
pipes required for Scheme i, for a very much smaller
sum than would be required to purchase the open
Diapason alone. That stop, in metal, would cost about
£S to purchase, a wood stopt Diapason, ;^8 15s.; a
Bourdon, about £1 1 or ;^I2 ; Principal, metal, £$ los. ;
Keraulophon, £6; Flageolet, ;^3 los. ; — thus running
up to something like ^^"40 for the pipes alone. The
cost of the materials for making these pipes would also
be something considerable, whilst for pipes made on
my system, about los. for each stop will cover the cost,
and leave a margin. The Flageolet will cost less
than 5s.

Many of my readers will no doubt smile incredulously
when I state that the pipes are simply made of paper ;
but I can only assure them that they answer thoroughl}',
and I have spent years in making various experiments
for perfecting them. The idea, I believe, is not a new
one, but I am not aware that it has ever before been
practically worked out ; and, indeed, it was the ridicule
cast on the plan by would-be scientists that induced me
to persevere with it until I succeeded. All pipes up to
2 feet long may be made of cartridge paper, but for
longer pipes stout brown paper is the best.

The advantages I claim for my system are, that it
is very cheap, far cheaper, in fact, than any system
ordinarily followed, as the prices above quoted will
show ; that the pipes are exceedingly light, a 4-foot
stopt Diapason weighing about twenty ounces, or an
open pipe the same size fourteen ounces, which will
contrast very favourably with the weight of metal or

1 6 OKGAxN' BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

wood in a simHar pipe. They are easy to make, an
amateur being more likely to succeed with these than
with ordinary pipes, as they require but little skill, and
no expensive tools ; and having, practicall}', no join
throughout their length, there is no long glue joint, as
in wood, or soldered joint, as in metal pipes, and, con-
sequenth', no risk of leakage. They take up only the
same room as metal pipes, though they are much
stronger, and cannot so easily be damaged by rough
knocks, and any form of pipe can be made; and last,
but not least, you can try your pipes before completing
them, and will thus be sure that they will answer.

Before starting on the pipes, set out the scale for
them in the following manner: — on a nicely-planed board
draw a line 4 feet 6 inches long, and at right angles to
the top of this line draw another, 2^ inches long, and join
the end of the short line to the bottom of the long one
by a sloping line ; 2 feet below the top line draw another
thick line across from the long line to the sloping one,
I foot below that draw another, 6 inches below that draw
another cross line, and others at 3 inches, i^ inch, and
I inch, one below the other. Mark a c against each of
these cross lines, and 6 inches from the bottom set off
a thick line and mark it with the word " mouth." Now
divide the spaces between each c into twelve equal
parts ; the top one will thus be divided into twelve
spaces of 2 inches each, the next one into spaces of
I inch, the next into spaces of i inch each, and so on,
each set being exactly half the size of the preceding
one. Against each of these lines write the names of
the notes in the same order as I have shown them in
Fig. I, but I have not been able to show them all
through as the scale is too small to admit of it. To
find the size of any pipe, you measure from the line

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NEW METHOD OF MAKING PIPES. 1 7

marked "mouth" up to the cross Hne against which is
the name of the required note ; this gives you the
speaking length of the pipe, and the length of the cross
line is the interior diameter of it, and so you will pro-
ceed to find the size of any pipe you may require up to
4 feet long.

Before proceeding farther, it may be as well that I
should state that an open pipe 8 feet long, which
sounds the note CC, is termed an " %-feet tone " pipe ;
and the same term is applied to the whole stop, not-
withstanding the fact that the stop may not extend
down to CC on the instrument. Thus both the open
diapason and the keraulophon are 8-feet stops, although
they cease at tenor C ; but if carried down to CC, the
lowest note would require an open pipe 8 feet long.
Closed, or stopt pipes, sound an octave lower than open
ones; so the stopt diapason, soundmg CC with its
pipe only ^feet long, is still termed an ?)-feet tone stop.

Four-feet tone stops, such as the principal, flutes, etc.,
sound an octave above the unison, or 8-feet toned stops,
and their longest pipes on the manual sound-board are
only 4 feet long, unless they are what are termed
harmonic stops, in which case, though the pipes give
only the 4-fcet tone, they require to be made as long as
an ordinary pipe sounding the 8-feet tone.

Two-feet tone stops sound two octaves, or a fifteenth,
above the unison stops.

Si.xtcen-feet tone stops, which appear on the pedal
organ only, unless in a large instrument, sound an
octave below the unison, and })2-feet tone stops sound
two octaves below the unison ; but these latter stops
are only found in instruments of the very largest size.

It will be noticed on setting out the scale, that each
octave of pipes is, roughly speaking, double the length

1 8 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

of t'ne succeeding octave. Thus all the pipes from CC
to B, are double the length of those from tenor C to
the B above. It will also be observed, that in the 4-feet
octave, each pipe is 2 inches shorter than the preced-
ing note, in the 2-feet octave, each pipe is i inch shorter
than the one preceding it, and so on up to the smallest
pipe.

It will be best for the amateur to make a small pipe
or two, for experiment, before he starts on the set for
the organ. A convenient size to commence with will
be the G' in the treble of the open diapason. This
pipe, as 5'ou will find from the scale, is 8^ inches speak-
ing length, and about \l inch diameter. You will
require a mandrel to form it upon, and my m.ethod of
making this is cheap and simple, viz., take a sheet of
stout, smooth paper, 12 inches wide, and roll it up
tightly until it is jg- inch diameter (the si/e required
for our pipe), taking care that you roll it straight, and
have the ends square, or your pipe Vv^ill not be a true
cylinder, but slightly conical. When you have rolled
it to the right size, glue the edge down smoothly, and
let it dry, which will only take a few minutes. If you
have used a sufficient length of paper, you will now
have a perfectly round straight firm mandrel to v/ork
on. I may say that an ordinary round lead pencil
will answer very well for starting the rolling up of the
paper. Now cut a piece of nice smooth cartridge paper
9 inches wide, and long enough to go four times round
the mandrel, which will take about 9 inch.es. Cut the
sides of the paper perfectly square, and then roll it once
round the mandrel and mark that distance by a pencil
line, take it off the mandrel, and then with a brush
full of hot, thin glue, go over all the rest of the paper
up to the pencil line ; allow the glue a minute or so to

NEW METHOD OF MAKING PIPES.

soak in and the paper to stretch, and then carefully roll
it round the mandrel, rubbing it well down with the
fingers, or with a small round stick (the lead pencil will
do very well) as you roll it up. When it is all rolled
up, roll it between your hands on the table, like a cook
rolling out dough, and rub the joint well down, and also
rub the pipe all over with the round stick. Slip it oflf
the mandrel (there being no glue on the first turn it
cannot stick to it), and stand it up on end to dry, and
it will be a tube 9 inches long, \\ inch internal diameter,
perfectly straiglit and smooth inside and out. All this
can be done in less time than it takes me to write the
directions.

While the tube is drying, 3'ou may make the conical
portion for the foot, this being formed of a piece of
paper shaped as in Fig. ii, about 9 inches wide and 8
inches deep. Commence rolling it from the top corner
as shown by the dotted lines in the sketch, and when
rolled up it will assume a conical sh.ape of any diameter
you may like to make it. Unroll it, give it a coat of
thin glue, and ivJicn it has had time to strelch, roll it up
again, rubbing it well down, inside and out, with a
pointed stick to make each layer adhere thoroughly.
When this is completed you will have a conical tube
like Fig. 3, running almost to a point at one end, and
irregular at the top. The outside join should be a
straight line right down the cone, not winding round
it ; the paper can be cut so as to ensure this just before
you finish rolling it up. When this is dry, both the
tube and the cone must be painted or varnished inside.
Though it may seem rather a difficult job to paint the
inside of so small a tube, it is, however, quickly and
easily accomplished by tying a piece of sponge on t:
the end of a thin cane or wire, so that it forms a kind

20 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

of mop that will just go into the pipe ; dip this in the
paint and work it up and down the inside of the pipe
two or three times, and the job is done in less than a
tenth of the time it would take with a brush, and
securing a much smoother coat of paint. The con'^
may be painted with a smaller mop, or a fine brush.

The paint must be allowed to get thoroughly dry
and then you may trim off the top and bottom of the
pipe with a pair of small pointed scissors, and trim off
the top of the cone in the same way till it is exactly
the same diameter as the tube, then rub the ends of
the pipe and the top of the cone perfectly level on a
piece of glass-paper stretched over a block of wood
covered with cork. Cut out a flat piece of mahogany
or cedar y^ inch thick to the shape shown in Fig. 4, the
straight part being two-ninths of the circumference ;
the top and bottom edge of this straight part should be
slightly rounded off with fine glass-paper. This circular
piece, which is called the languid, should just fit the
bottom of the tube on which you may now lay it, and
mark where the ends of the straight part come, then
cut a three-cornered piece of that width, and about I
inch long out of the tube immediately over it, as shown
in Fig. 6. A similar piece must now be cut out of the
front of the cone, but the gap must be slightly narrower,
so that, when it is placed against the end of the tube,
the front of the cone will project slightly beyond it, to
allow for the windway. A piece of thin mahogany,
or cedar, shaped as in Fig. 5, is cut to fit on the top of
the cone. Lay the tube on a piece of glass-paper so
that the part where the piece is cut out lays flat on the
paper, and rub it down level, and proceed in the same
v/ay with the cone. Cut out two pieces of wood iike
Figs. 7 and 8 ; the first piece is chamfered on the

NEW METHOD OF MAKING PIPES. 21

front to form the upper lip, and the other is just
rounded oflf at the top edges to form the lower lip.
Glue the languid on to the bottom of the tube, and
the under languid on to the top of the cone ; when dry
you may bind on the upper and lower lips in their
proper position with a piece of narrow tape. The
height of the mouth is about a quarter of the diameter
of the opening.

You may now place the cone and the pipe together
in their proper position, leaving a narrow windway
between the straight edge of the languid and the lower
lip ; hold it in that position and blow gently through
the pointed end of the cone, and you will be rewarded
by a musical note. If the note is not quite satisfactory,
the upper lip may want shifting a little higher or lower,
or the lower lip may require a little shifting. The top
of the lower lip should be level with the top of the
languid, or but very slightly below it. The windway
should be about wide enough for a piece of thin playing
card to pass. On the front edge of the languid, fine
nicks should be made in a slanting direction with a fine
penknife : about twenty to the inch for this pipe — this
is the voicing, full directions in regard to which will be
found in the chapter on voicing and tuning. Mark on
the pipe the height of the mouth, then take off the lips,
glue them and bind them in their places with tape.
Even in the matter of binding on, there is a right and
a wrong way ; the proper way being to bind with both
ends of the tape, so that it crosses down the centre of
the lip, you will then get the edges of the lip parallel
with the edge of the languid. This is a point to be
gained, as, if it is not parallel, the note will be faulty,
either squeaking or chiffing, as it is termed, before it
speaks the proper note. If it is satisfactory you may

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

now glue the foot on to the tube and stand it up, and

when dry, rub down the

sides of the lips and
round the joint of the
languids with glass-
paper to make it look

\iTir

Fig. 12.— The Linen Band.

neat. Cut a piece of glazed dress-lining as in Fig. 17
(the marks show where it is to be
cut to make it lay even on the
cone), and glue it round the joint
of the pipe, to strengthen it.
There may be a little piece of the
pipe projecting on each side of
the mouth, which should be taken
off with a sharp penknife. This
is the smallest pipe that will re-
quire ears, w-hich are simply pieces
of veneer shaped as at a, in Figs.
13, 14 and 15, and glued on to
the pipe against the edges of the
lips, so that no wind ma}' be lost.
They will want chamfering on the
edge where they are glued to
the pipe, to make them fit on ;
this may be done with glass-
paper.

Cut off the bottom of the foot
to the size required, about 6 inches
will be long enough, and chamfer
it off at the bottom about 1 of an
inch with a sharp knife. This
chamfer has now to be coned
in, just the same as metal piper,
are, a metal cone being used for them ; but the

Fig. 13. — Section of
Pipe (full size).

NEW METHOD OF MAKING PIPES.

amateur need not lay out 75. 6d. in buying a metal
cone, as a common china egg-cup, costing a penny, will
answer the purpose equally as well. The under part
of the foot will do to cone small pipes, and the cup

Fig. 14. — Section of Pipe
with inverted mouth.

Fig. 15. — Section of Stopt
Diapason shown in Fig. 1 6.

itself will be used for large ones. You have merely to
wet the chamfered part with your lips, place the foot of
the egg-cup on it, and work it gently round with your
hands till it is coned in sufficiently. The hole should

24 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

come in the centre of the coning, and is about ^^ of an
inch in diameter for this pipe ; it may be made quite
round by inserting the point of a lead pencil with a
slight screwing motion. When dry, the coning is quite
hard, but the hole can be enlarged with the pencil, or
closed with the coning cup, as may be required, to
admit the proper amount of wind. Trim down the
top of the pipe with the scissors until it speaks rather
too sharp a note ; then make a short piece of tube
about I inch long that will just fit, on the pipe, and
slide easily up and down. This is the tuning piece ;
raising it will flatten, and lowering it will sharpen the
tone. The appearance of the pipe will be improved if
you chamfer off the top edge, and also the top and
bottom edges of the tuning cap. Give the pipe and
slider two or three coats of oil paint to preserve it, and
it will now be finished. The experience gained in
making this pipe will be very useful, and you will very
soon acquire the method of manipulation, so that you
can go to work with certainty. Making a single pipe
takes some time, as you have to wait about for the
parts to dry, but when you commence on the sets of
pipes required for the organ, you will find that no
time need be lost.

The first thing you will require to make will he
several mandrels, say one for every fourth pipe ; make
them considerably longer than the pipe to be formed
on them, for one mandrel may be used for more than
one pipe. It is a maxim in organ building, that each
stop should be of a different scale, but it will only be
necessary to make one scale for these pipes, except
the bourdon and the lowest octave of the stopt diapason.

The scale as it stands is for the open diapason, the
stopt diapason treble will be one scale larger, that is

NEW METHOD OF MAKING PIPES.

the C of tliat stop will be made on the B mandrel of
the open pipe, and so on. The flute, or principal, will
be one scale smaller than the open diapason, the
flageolet may be two scales smaller, while the kerau-
lophon will be six scales smaller ; thus we may proceed
with the tubes for all the pipes simultaneously. Having
cut the sheets of paper to the necessary size, alloiv'ng
sufficient length in each pipe to cut off the tuning-pieces
— as the piece cut off one pipe will fit on to a smaller
one and thus save having to make separate pieces —
mark the distance of one turn round the mandrel by a
pencil line on all of them, and mark them also with the
name of the note of the pipe they are intended for
Suppose you start on 6 inch C, open diapason, you
glue that sheet and lay it aside, glue another sheet for
6^ inch B for the flute, and another for 5| inch Cs.
stopt diapason. Now take up your first sheet and roll
it round the mandrel, proceeding in the same way as
with the experimental pipe ; when finished draw it off
and stand it up to dry, roll up the second sheet, and
slip that off, then proceed with the third. The reason
for doing three sheets at a time is that it allows just
sufficient time for the paper to stretch and the glue to
get right for rolling up. You then glue three more
sheets, viz., 7 inch As. flageolet, the 9 inch Fs. of the
keraulophon, and one of the sheets for another mandrel,
thus you can keep on making these tubes at the rate of
twenty or thirty an hour when you get used to it, and
have all the stops in hand simultaneously. Mark each
pipe in ink with the name of the note and the stop it
belongs to, so that you may be able to keep each stop
separate. When you have made all the pipes you
require on one mandrel, roll more paper round it and
glue the edge down, to bring it up to the proper size of

2 6 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

the next pipe, and so proceed till you have made all the
tubes. Use cartridge paper for all pipes up to 2 feet
long, using stouter paper for the larger ones, or else
have five tliicknesscs instead of four. All pipes above
2 feet long should be made of stout brown paper, of
which an excellent sort for our purpose is sold for
laying under carpets ; it runs 4 feet 6 inches and some-
tmies 5 feet wide, and is continuous ; the price at
small shops is 3^. per dozen yards, but at large, or
wholesale shops, it may be purchased m.uch cheaper.
The 4-feet pipes should have five or six thicknesses,
and the larger bourdons seven or eight thicknesses.
It will be more convenient if you make the large
bourdons in two lengths, and then join them in the
centre, covering the joint with a band of linen or thin
American cloth, to strengthen it, or preferably gluing
an extra thickness or tv»o of paper over the whole
length of the pipe. The bourdon CCC is 8 feet long
and 5 1 inches diameter, the smallest is 2 feet long and
1 1 inch diameter. The stopt diapason CC is to be 3^
inch diameter, and tenor C if inch diameter. I
apprehend that no difficulty will be experienced in
setting out the scales for these similar to the scale
previously made.

Having completed the tubes we may now proceed
with the cones for the feet, and may use up the paper
in the tube mandrels for that purpose. No mandrel
will be required for the cones for pipes less than i inch
diameter, as you can roll the paper up without being
particular as to the size, for they are sure to fit some
pipe, and can be cut off at either end to the requisite
size. Six inches is long enough for all pipes up to
18 inches long, but for pipes above that length they
should gradually increase till they are about 12 inches

NEW METHOD OF MAKING PIPES. 2/

long for a 4-foot pipe. The length of foot makes no
difference in the tone, so it is a mere matter of conve-
nience and appearance. For the cones of the larger
pipes you had better make two or three mandrels about
15 inches long and of ditfcrent diameters. Make them
in the same way as the cones, only very much stouter.
The cones should be stouter than the pipes as they
have to bear all the weight, and are exposed to a good
deal of wear. Having completed the cones you may
next proceed to paint the inside of both them and the
tubes, starting v/ith the largest, as you can trim your
sponge mop smaller so as to suit the smaller pipes.
While the paint is drying you can prepare the other
parts. The stoppers for the stopt diapason and bourdon
pipes may be made of wood shaped as in Fig. 10, covered
with leather round the lower edge, so as to fit tightly
inside the pipe. I prefer to make a different style of
covering or stopper as follows : — Make a short length
of tube the same as for the sliding piece for tuning the
open pipes, glue a piece of stout card on the top of
this, thus forming a box or lid. Glue a strip of soft
leather round the inside, having previously pared down
the edges of the leather ; this cap is to fit tightly on
the outside of the pipe like a lid. The leather should
be rubbed with a mixture of tallow and black lead to
make it slip easily, for it should not fit too tightly to be
moved, as the pipe is tuned by moving it up or down.
This cap is much lighter tlian the wood stopper, easier
to make, and there is no danger of it slipping down, as
stoppers sometimes do when there is a sudden change
in temperature. The caps should fit loosely on the
pipes at first so as to allow for three coats of paint on
the pipe, when they should fit perfectly air-tight. As
it is best to put the stopt pipes together with caps on,

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

they may be temporarily fitted by wrapping two or
three thicknesses of paper round the pipe.

The caps of the stopt diapason
should be 6 inches long for CC, and
^ inch long for the smallest G. The
tuning caps of the keraulophon are
not closed at the top, they should
be 6 inches long for tenor C, and i^
inches long for the smallest G. In
the centre of the side of the cap, a
distance of one diameter from the
top, there is a round hole | inch in
diameter for tenor C pipe, and about
T5 inch for top G. The best way to
make this hole is by a taper bit of
such size that when it is bored
through the cap so that the point
just touches the further side of it,
the hole in tenor C is | inch in
diameter, and as each cap gets
smaller, the pushing the bit through
so that it touches the further side,
will cause the hole to diminish re-
gularly. A sharp pointed stick will
do instead of a bit, as the burr could
be cleared off with a hot wire. The
small scale high mouth, and the hole
Fig. i6. — Front in the sliding cap of the keraulo-
view of Stopt j^Qj^ cause it to give a rich, though

Diapason, snow- *^ • i •

ing Arched Up- quiet, Stringy tone, which is very

P^"" ^'P" useful in solo passages.

The flute and flageolet pipes are made with the
upper lip turned so that the chamfer comes on the
inside of the pipe, and the languid is sloped down-

New method of making pipes. 29

wards on the front edge, as shown in Fig. 14. This
causes it to give a soft quiet tone. The flute should
be softer in tone than the diapason, and the flageolet
should be softer than the flute. The stopt diapason
is made with a high mouth, and the upper lip is cut
slightly circular, the lower lip may be a little below
the top edge of the languid.

The approximate lengths of the pipes from the
mouth up to the top, and the sizes of the mouths
for the several stops are as follows : —

Approximate
u^;„\,t r^t I.en.^th of Length of
Width of Mouth. M^ u L'"'g=st .Shortest

Pipe. Pipe.

Bourdon One-fourth of the One-third of 8 ft. 2 ft.

circumference its width

Stopt Diapason... One-fourth One-third 4 ft. 2\ in.

Open Diapason. ..Two-ninths One-fourth 4 ft. 4^ in.

Keraulophon One-fifth One-third 4 ft. 4^ in.

Flute One-fifth One-fifth 4 ft. 2| in.

Flageolet One-fifth One-sixth 2 ft. lyVin.

The sizes of the holes at the bottom of the coned
feet are about as given hereunder, but the pressure of
wind and the voicing affect the sizes considerably, and
they may have to be a little larger or a little smaller
according to circumstances.

CCC. CC. Tenor C. Middle C. Top G.

Bourdon ^ in. fin. fin.

Stopt Diapason | in. f in. \ in. ^ in.

Open Diapason ^ in. | in. \ in. J in.

Flute I in. y'^ in. ^ in. ^ in.

Keraulophon fin. tb i"- tV '"• i in.

Flageolet t\ >"■ i in- i in. t5 in-

The Lieblich Gedact is simply a stopt diapason ot
the same scale as the principal, but with a straight
upper lip, and the lower lip slightly below the upper

30 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

edge of the languid. The languid increases in thick-
ness with the size of the pipe-, that of a 4- foot pipe
should be ^ inch thick. The same remark applies to
the lips, which should increase in size and thickness
with the size of the pipe. The upper lip of the CC
stopt diapason should be nearly ^ inch thick at the
thinnest edge. The lips can be expeditiously cut out
of a piece of thin wood, by marking it out as shown
in Fig. 17, and cutting through the marks with a tenon
saw. The very best wood you can use for the languids
and lips (except the smallest, which are simply veneer)
is cigar-box wood. Cigar boxes can be purchased for
twopence or threepence at most tobacconists or public-
houses, and many shopkeepers will give them away

to their customers. The

languids of the larger pipes

may be fitted into the ends

Fig. i7.-Metliod of Cutting cut of the tubes instead of being

IhcLips. • , , , ,

smiply glued on to them.

Having prepared a quantity of languids, lips, etc.,
glue them on, having previousl}^ cut out the portion of
the tube and cone wl:ere lips come.

About a dozen pipes will be found a good number to
have in hand at one time for putting together.

The windway for the largest bourdon is nearly
T^- inch wide, for a CC stopt pipe y\ inch wide, and
gradually smaller for each succeeding pipe. Stopt
pipes require a larger windway than open ones, as the
mouths are cut higher and the upper lips are much
thicker. The voicing nicks are nearly ^ inch apart in
a 4-foot pipe, but get closer and smaller as the pipe
diminishes in size, until in the smallest pipes they are
scarcely perceptible scratches very close together.
They may be made with a very fine tuning file, or a

NEW METHOD OE MAKING PIPES.

small penknife. For a loud tone, the nicks should be
few and deep, for a soft, sweet tone, they must be very
fine and close together, the burrs being taken off by a
slight touch with a piece of fine glass-paper. The
upper chamfer should not be nicked. Wherever the
wind passes there should be no sharp edges or it will
cause a hissing noise, therefore, the top and bottom
edges of the languid, the edges of the lower lip, and
the frcnt edge of the upper lip should be slightly
rounded off, but the inner edge of the top lip should be
left square.

If it should happen that when a pipe is finished the
windway is too nar-
row, it may generally
be set right by pass-
ing the thin blade
of a penknife flat
down between the lip
and the edge of the
languid, but if this is
not sufficient, cut a

slip of fine glass-paper and insert that, moving it
gently up and down, so as to take a very little
ofT cither the edge of the languid or the inner edge
of the lip, whichever maybe required, and then care-
fully touch up the voicing. For cutting the lips a'
little higher, and touching up the pipes generally,
you will find the following tool very handy, and
should make five or six of different sizes : — a thin
slip of wood, or veneer, say i inch wide at one end,
and ^ inch wide at the other, covered on one side with
very fine glass-paper and on the other with some a
little coarser. You will thus have four files in one.
Another handy little appliance is shown at Fig. 18; it

Fig. 18. — Block covered with Cork for
using \\ith Glass Paper.

32 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

is a block of wood, 5 or 6 inches long, 3 inches wide,
and i^ inches thick, covered on the bottom with a flat
piece of cork. A piece of glass-paper can be stretched
over this, and grasped in the hand, and may then be
used to smooth off the ends of the pipes, the edges of
the lips, and any small chamfering. You will have this
block in requisition ai all stages of the work.

The pipes, caps, and tuning pieces, should have three
coats of oil colour, a little varnish being mixed with the
last coat, and it will be found a good plan to paint each
stop a different colour, as any stop can then be picked
out at once.

Write the name of the note, and the stop, on the
back of each pipe, using ordinary ink and a Waverley
or Pickwick pen, as the points will not scratch the
paint. Breathe on the place and pass the finger over
it, the ink will then flow as nicely as on writing paper.

The painting or varnishing of the pipes preserves
them from the damp, and improves both their tone and
appearance.

The following points should be strictly adhered to,
viz., all pipes above 12 inches long should be allowed
to dry on the mandrel, or they may be apt to cast a little,
which will not improve their appearance ; the foot to
be perfectly straight with the pipe, the lips to be quite
parallel with the edge of the languid and with each
other, the nicks for the voicing to be even and regular,
and the caps of the stopt pipes to fit perfectly air-tight.

•jooj

''<'■ '■''P'¥//^fmWM^M^wmvz:{'A'M''y-^^^^ ^$i^

CHAPTER II.

WOOD PIPES.

NOW proceed to describe the process for
making wood pipes — so that the amateur
may be able to place them in his organ for
use either by themselves or in conjunction
with the paper pipes described in the previous chapter.
I would remark, however, that every variety of tone
required may be obtained from the paper pipes, whilst
the wood pipes afford but a limited range of tone. The
Keraulophon stop, for instance, cannot well be made of
wood, but is very successful in paper.

As with the other pipes, we shall, of course, require
a scale to work from, only it will be necessary to set
out a fresh one for each stop. Draw the line on a
board 4 feet 6 inches long, and divide it out exactly as
described in the last chapter, but as wood pipes are not
round but oblong in plan, two diameters are required
for each pipe, instead of only one as in round pipes.
The size of the largest stopt diapason is 3^ inches deep
by 2|- inches wide, so you set off those distances on the
topmost cross-line, and draw the sloping lines from
them down to the point 6 inches below the mouth, as
shown in the sketch, Fig. 19. By measuring in just
the same way as before described, you will be able to
obtain the length, width, and depth of each pipe. I

33 3

34 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

have only shown the largest octave on the sketch, as

1 think you will have no difficulty now in making a
scale for any sized stop you may wish for.

The six largest pipes of the stopt diapason will be
made of | inch pine, and the others will be graduated
in thickness till the smallest is only -^^ inch thick.
You need only take the roughness off the side of the
wood which is to form the outside of the pipe, for it is
best to plane them up when you have put them all
together, as you can make them look nice, and also
graduate the thickness of the wood in regular proportion
to the size of the pipe. Let all the wood be of the best
quality and free from knots or shakes, as knots are
almost sure to loosen some time or other and thus
spoil your work, perhaps when you are least able to
remedy it. Keep your wood by you as long as possible
before using it, so as to ensure its being thoroughly
well seasoned. First prepare some wood for the blocks
of your pipes, by planing up some lengths of pine about

2 feet long, and gluing a piece of | inch mahogany on
one side of them. The scantlings of these pieces will
be indicated by the diameters of the pipes for which
they are to form the blocks. Plane the first piece
down to the size required for the largest pipe, viz.,
3^ inches by 2| inches, the mahogany facing being on
one of the narrow sides, and cut off a piece 4 inches
long ; dress the remainder down to the size of the next
pipe, but do not touch the mahogany side again, and
cut ofT 4 inches for that one ; dress the remainder down
for the next sized block, and cut that off, and so keep on
till you have cut off all your blocks. The first twelve
will be 4 inches long, the next twelve 3 inches, the next
2^ inches, the rest about 2 inches, and these proportions
may be used for all the pipes in each stop, as the length

WOOD PIPES.

of the block is not a very material point provided it
is long enough. Now shape the block as shown in
Fig. 20, by cutting a gap with a tenon saw through
the mahogany facing into the block, keeping the same
proportions for each block, and using a chisel to take
out the piece. The sloping part should be cut up to
within about ^ inch of the top edge, but be extremely
careful not to damage the edge. The opening shown in
the bottom is a round hole, which will be bored after the
pipe is put together, and the foot will be inserted in it.
When you have got a dozen or so of these blocks ready,
get out the wood for the sides of the pipes, remembering
that the sides are the deepest measurement of the block,
and also that the sides and backs must be long enough to
come down to the bottom of the block as the scale length
does not include this. After planing them true give them
all a coat of very thin hot glue on the inside, to stop all the
pores, and, when dry, glue the block in between them
as shown in Fig. 2i. It will be well to preserve the
pieces you cut out of the blocks, and glue them between
the sides at the top of the pipe, and you will thus have
them quite parallel. The pieces glued at the top will
be cut out when trimming down. If you cannot get
these pieces out of the blocks without breaking them
up, you must cut a slip the same width and use that
when gluing up the pipes. While this is drying prepare
the backs, treating them with thin glue the same as the
sides, and then glue them on to the sides. It will be
well to allow both the backs and fronts to lap over
about I inch on each side, so that the dents made when
you bind the pipes up with strong tape or string to
secure the glue joints may be no detriment, as they can
be planed off afterwards.

Now prepare the fronts — which only extend down to

36 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

the top of the block — and cut the chamfer for the upper
lip, and the opening for the mouth, as shown in Fig. 33.
It is a very good rule to cut the chamfer as high as it
is wide, but the lips had better not be cut too high
nor too thin at first, as the height of the mouth will
have to be regulated when j'ou are engaged in voicing
and tuning, instructions for which will be given in a
subsequent chapter. All dimensions for the heights of
the mouths, the widths of the windways, the holes in
the blocks and feet — in fact, every size except the
diameters of the pipes, will be the same for the
respective stops as those given in the last chapter for
the paper pipes, so there will be no need for me to
recapitulate them here. The sizes given for the holes
in the feet of the smaller pipes in page 29 must be
considered as only approximately correct, as they may
require to be coned in much smaller in some instances.
In the wood pipes it is especially necessary that the
hole should be large enough to allow plenty of wind to
pass. If it should be too large, a small wood plug is
inserted at the bottom to stop off a little of the wind,
but it would be awkward to remedy if the hole was too
small, as it would entail the enlargement of it right
through the length of the foot. You will find the small
American planes, which are made of iron, very useful
for smoothing the chamfers, etc.

Before gluing on the fronts or backs be sure that
they will lay perfectly flat on the edges of the sides,
and in order to secure this it is best to shoot the edges
with the plane after the blocks are glued in. The front
and back surfaces of the blocks should coincide with
the lines of the front and back edges of the sides.
Glue on the fronts, and bind them up tightly with stout
tape or string, and then leave them to dry while you

WOOD PIPES.

prepare the caps. These caps are the pieces of wood
which cover the gaps in the front of the blocks. All
the caps should be made of mahogany, those for the
stopt diapason being simply flat pieces the same thick-
ness as the fronts of the pipes. The windway in the
block (on the top front edge) should be made with a
flat file ; do not make it too deep, but leave the final
touching up for tlie time when you are tuning. You
may now with a centre-bit bore the holes in the centre
of the bottom of the blocks to receive the feet, which
are simply round pieces of wood about 6 inches long,
w'ith a hole through them of the size required. They
can be purchased ready made at a very cheap rate, but
if you have a lathe they may be made at home.

Next prepare the stoppers, or tompions, which are
shaped as in Fig. 23, and covered with soft sheepskin,
so that they will just fit into the top of the pipes so as
to close them in quite air-tight. The stoppers must
not, however, fit so tightly as to prevent their being
moved up and down. The leather is to be glued on
the grained side, and this inust be first well rubbed
over with glass-paper to take off all the smoothness, or
the glue will not hold. A mixture of tallow and black-
lead should be rubbed on to the outside of the leather
when the stoppers are completed, and they will tlien
slip up and down easily, but be sure that they are
perfectly airtight. Let no one persuade you to make
stoppers of a piece of board with a handle stuck in the
middle, as in consequence of the bearing surface being
so small they slip askew and force the seams of the
pipes open, thus ruining them. The stoppers should
have, at least, 2 inches in depth of bearing surface. I
may say that brads may be used in addition to glue for
putting the larger pipes together, but be careful not to

38 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

drive any nails into the blocks or you will ruin your
bits when boring the holes for the feet. The feet
should not be glued in till it is time to plant them in
their places, as you will then be able to regulate them
£o as to ensure the pipes being upright. File no
notches on the edges of the blocks, but leave them
quite smooth.

The bourdon is simply a stopt diapason, and is
made in exactly the same way. The largest pipes may,
if you like, be made with languids instead of a solid
block, by cutting tv/o pieces of wood, and fitting them
into the pipe as shown in Fig. 25, and they may be
secured with glue, and small brads. The largest pipe
CCC, which may be made of i-inch pine, is 8 feet
long, 5| inches deep, and 4f inches wide ; the smallest
IS two feet long, 2| inches deep, and 2 inches wide.
The bourdons should also be furnished with ears as
shown at e in Fig. 25. You must not be disappointed
with the bourdons if they do not appear to sound very
loud. Close to the organ a mere rush of wind might
be heard, but some distance away the sound would be
overpowering, in the next house, or two or three
houses oif, it would, most likely, be voted a nuisance.
I may state, however, in order to prevent misappre-
hension, that it is not advisable to have a separate
pedal organ for a room less than 16 feet square. An
additional bass stop on the manual, to be used in lieu
of a 1 6- feet pedal stop, will be described in the next
chapter.

The Lieblich Gedacht (German, lovely stopped pipe)
is simply a stopt diapason of the same scale as the
open diapason. The block is cut out as shown in
Fig. 26, and the mahogany facing projects | inch above
it for CC, and about | inch for the smallest. This stop

WOOD PIPES. 39

is described to be used in the swell organ of the two-
manual instrument, but it may be substituted for the
stopt diapason of the single manual from tenor C
upwards. The stoppers are made in the same way as
for the stopt diapason. The cap is hollowed out, as
shown at c in Fig. 26, and Fig. 30 is an inside view of
a similar cap. The top of the cap should be slightly
below the edge of the mahogany facing, about ^ inch
in the largest and ^\- inch in the smallest.

We now come to the open diapason, which is the
chief stop in the instrument, but in our small instru-
ment it is only carried down to tenor C, which,
however, being an open pipe, is 4 feet long, the same
as the CC stopt pipe ; the width of it is 2^ inches and
the depth 2| inches. It has a straight block with
merely a throat cut in it, as shown in Fig. 27 ; the
cap c is cut out as there shown, and another view of
it is given in Fig. 32. The upper part of this hollow
should not be made with the chisel, but with a flat file,
as it is very easy to make too deep a windvvay, and
then you would have to reduce the thickness of the
cap by rubbing it on glass-paper in order to remedy
the defect. All hollow caps should be slightly thicker
than the fronts of the pipes, and project below the
block so as to allow of screwing them on without
splitting them. Three, or at most four, small screws
to each cap are all that should be required, and the cap
should fit so nicely that no wind can escape except
through the windway.

We next come to the flutes top, which is made in a
rather different manner, as it has what is termed an
inverted mouth, that is the chamfered side of the lip
is turned to the inside of the pipe so that the front
y\ould appear quite plain all the way down, with merely

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

Fig. 29.— Front View
of Inner Cap.

the mouth cut in it. You must not plane the front of
this stop after it is put together, or you will spoil it, all
planing for the front must be done before it is glued
on. This pipe will require two caps, the inner one
being merely a flat piece of mahogany, as in Fig. 29,
the exact thickness of the front of
the pipe, and having a round hole
bored opposite to the throat, and
countersunk, on the outside. '1 his
cap projects abo\'e the edge of the
block exactly the same height as
does the mahogany facing in the
Lieblich Gedacht, The outer cap
is also hollowed out exactly in the
same way as for that stop, but should
be level with the top edge of the inner cap. The
scale for CC is 2^ inches deep and 2^ inches wide.

Another stop, which may be made
of paper or wood, and is called the
Gemshorn (German, goat's horn)
may be substituted for the flute.
It gives a beautiful, slightly stringy j
tone, not quite so powerful as the .
flute, but more penetrating, and is
much used in small organs as a
substitute for the principal. It is
conical in shape, the diameter at
the mouth being the same as in the
flute, but at the top it is only one-third of that diameter.
Of course it is rather more trouble to make than the
straight pipes on account of the necessity of preservir.g
the proper proportions. If made in paper, one mandrel
for every three pipes will be all that is necessary, as
you can cut the pipes down at either end to get them

Fig. 30. — View of
lii-ide ol' Outer
Cap ol Flute.

WOOD PIPES.

ICJ

Fig. 3I-—
Section of
Lower Part
of Flageo-
let.

to the proper size, and you would make them in much
the same way as you make the conical feet, only
taking care to have the inside join in a
straight line down the pipe. The mouth
is cut up one-third of its diameter, and, if
made of wood, the block and cap may be
like either the flute or open diapason,
which ever you may desire (see Fig. 34).

The keraulophon, as I have already
stated, should not be made of wood.

The flageolet stop is made with a block
shaped as in Fig. 31, and has an inverted
mouth like the flute. The largest pipe is
only 2 feet long and the scale is i| inch
deep by i^'„ inch wide. This stop will need
great care in making as the pipes run so
very small in the treble, and you must be
very careful not to let it be too loud and shrill. If you
can possibly afford it, make these
pipes entirely of cedar or mahogany.
The holes through the feet are
very small, so the best way will be
to glue a disc of thin mahogany on
the bottom of the foot zo as to
close it up entirely, and then drill
a very fine hole through it. 1 his,
of course, applies only to the pipes
of the smaller octaves.

The thickness of the wood will
be nearly the same for the same
sized pipes of any stop, but you may allow stopt pipes
to run thicker than open ones, as they give a note an
octave lower. The rule is that the thicker the wood
the fuller and rounder is the tone. Open pipes are

Fig. 32.— View of In-
side Cap for Open
Diapason.

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

tunsd by a lid of soft tin or zinc which is bent down
and let into a saw cut made in the thickness of the
back of the pipe. This lid should be
rather larger than the top of the pipe,
but should never be shut right down ;
raising it sharpens, and closing it lowers
the tone.

The pipes are all to be made according
to the lengths given in the scale, with
the addition of the length of the block.
They will all be slightly longer than the
tone speaking length, but this is neces-
sary in order to allow for the stoppers
in the stopt pipes, and for cutting down
to the right note in the open pipes. The
same remarks apply to the scale lengths
of the other pipes, "When trimming the
pipes down only very narrow pieces
should be taken off with the tenon saw,
for you can always take oflf more if re-
quired, but it becomes an awkward
matter to remedy if you cut the pipe too
short. The scales of all the pipes de-
scribed are small scales, suitable for
chamber organs. For a church organ
the scales would be much larger.

The lips of the large bourdons may
be made of mahogany and tongued on
to the fronts, as shown in Fig, 25, which
is to a scale of i^ inches to the foot.
All the sections in this chapter, with the exception of
Fig. 25, are to a scale of 3 inches to the foot, or one-
quarter of the full size. They represent the largest
pipe in each stop. The sizes of the throats in the

Fig. 33 -
Open Dia
pasonCom
p'ete.

WOOD PIPES.

blocks and the sinkings in the caps may be taken
from these sections, and should be gradually lessened
for each successive pipe, preserving about the same
proportions to the size of the block. It
is, however, not requisite that the dimen-
sions of the throat should be set out with
mathematical nicety.

The pipes, when completed, should be
carefully packed away in a dry place in a
room where the temperature is about the
same as that in which the organ will be
built. It is best to complete all the pipes,
if possible, before commencing on any other
portion of the instrument, as it gives them
time to season and settle down, and should
there be any defects in the joints they will
have time to demonstrate their existence.
It is very annoying to find out these defects
after you have got the organ into working
order, and thus have to leave other work
to remedy the mischief As regards paint-
ing the pipes, some persons advocate plain
wood, for the excellent reason that the
pa'nt is often used to hide bad materials
and worse workmanship. This, however,
is no reason why paint should not be used
on material and workmanship known to be
good, and my own experience justifies me
in saying that it improves the tone in many
cases, and undoubtedly preserves the material, whilst
it looks better than plain wood for pipes that are in
sight.

In the concluding chapter will be found a few specifi-
cations for organs of a larger size, so that amateurs who

Fig. 34-—

Gemshorn.

44 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

have plenty of time and money at their disposal, may
gratify their wish to possess the best instrument within
their reach.

In the meantime I would urge the would-be organ-
builder, before starting on the work, to consider the
size of the apartment in which the instrument is to
be placed, so that the organ may be suited to the
surroundings. It must be remembered that, though
a single pipe does not sound very loud, a full chord on
one stop gives a considerable increase in tone, and
when all the stops are out and the couplers in action,
the noise would be simply unbearable unless great care
were exercised to keep down the power of the pipes
when in course of construction. For this reason I
advocate pipes of small scale, with the mouths not cut
too high, as thej' ran be made to speak up well and yet
not be noisy.

CHAPTER III.

PIPES OF METAL— CASTING BENCH AND CASTING
BOX — METAL FOR PIPES — MELTING METAL —
NECESSARY TOOLS— SCALE FOR CUTTING METAL
FOR PIPES— FORMATION OF SHEET METAL INTO
PIPES.

[N giving instructions respecting metal pipe
making I may say that I have generally
rather deprecated amateur attempts in this
branch of organ construction, for two
reasons, viz. (i), because it is undoubtedly a fact that but
very few amateurs possess the requisite skill ; and (2),
because in most cases metal pipes could be bought at a less
cost — when the outlay for tools and apparatus is taken
into account — than that which would be incurred by an
amateur in making them for him.self. But, as it is quite
true that amateurs have before now turned out very
creditable work in this branch, I will now endeavour
to describe, in as clear and concise a form as possible,
the modus operandi, for the benefit of those who may
be ambitious of trying their hand at this rather difficult
v. ork.

If amateurs intend to cast their own pipe metal, it
will be necessary that they should have a proper bench,
for which purpose many manufacturers use a large slab
of York stone or slate, whilst others have a wooden
bench.

46 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

As this latter form will probably be that most within
the reach and requirements of the amateur, I will
describe it more particularly. The top or table of the
bench is formed by placing pieces of stout wood —
yellow deal will do — about |- inch apart, and then
bolting them tightly up, but keeping them apart by
pieces of thin stuff. If you do not propose to cast
metal for pipes larger than tenor C open diapason,
the bench top will require to be about 5 feet long and
18 or 20 inches wide, and should be formed of deals
i^ inch thick and about 4^ inches wide, placed edgewise,
I inch apart, and bolted up in the manner described.
The planks should run lengthways of the bench. True
up both top and under side of this table, and square it
at each edge. The bench or table top is now to be
covered with a piece of good linen bed-tick or moleskin
cloth. This should be stretched tightly over the top,
brought down all round, and then securely tacked on
the under side of the bench. See that this work is well
done, and that the ticking or moleskin lays perfectly
smooth and without wrinkles, and be careful that there
are no chips between the table and the ticking, or
anything that would cause the slightest deviation
from a level surface. The table top should now present
an appearance similar to that of an artist's canvas
stretched ready to paint upon. The bench is then
placed upon a pair of trestles, or otherwise firmly sup-
ported, so that it lies quite level.

The casting box is a simple affair, but it must be
strongly put together. Fig. 35 shows both the bench
and the casting box, and it will be seen that the latter
is a square box with a sloping back, and is nearly as
long as the bench is wide. It should be made of oak
at least 2 inches thick, and may be 5 or 6 inches wide

48 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

at the top, and about 5 inches high. It has no bottom,
and the front is made to slide up and down a little way.
This may be managed by cutting a tenon on each end
of the front, and carefully fitting it into a groove at
each end of the box. A strip of inch oak is fixed to
the ends, so that it is raised about ^ inch above the
front, and a couple of fine-threaded thumb-screws, or
screws with fly nuts, are then screwed through the
slips into the top of the front, so that by turning them
the front may be raised or lowered, so as to regulate
the width of the opening marked c in Fig. 35 at the
bottom, through which the metal will flow when
casting. The bottom edges of the box must be planed
perfectly true, so that no metal can run out except at
the proper opening. A rebated runner is fixed on each
end of the box, so that the rebates just fit over the
edges of the bench, and allow the box to be pushed freely
backwards and forwards along the top of the bench.
Now screw a slip of brass along the front end of the
bench, as shown at b, bring the casting box close up to
it, so that the brass securely closes the opening at the
bottom, and with a bradawl bore a couple of holes
through each runner into the bench side ; about an inch
will be sufficient. If a stout wire is inserted in each of
these holes, the box will be kept firmly in its place, in
order that the metal can be poured in. The wires can
be pulled out when the casting is to be made.

The next thing is to decide on the composition of
the metal of which the pipes are to be made. The
metal generally consists of a mixture of tin and lead.
Tin is the best metal to use, as it is light, strong,
durable, keeps its lustre and colour, gives a fine tone,
is not much affected by changes of temperature, and
does not easily corrode when it comes into contact with

METAL FOR PIPES. 49

the rack boards or stock boards. Lead pipes, or those
which contain a very large proportion of that metal,
have many faults. They are very heavy, so much so
that they are apt to crush up under their own weight ;
they oxidise easily in damp air, and at the points of
contact with wood — especially with oak — forming sugar
of lead, which is very poisonous ; they do not keep
their lustre or colour, and the tone is much less brilliant
than that obtained from tin. In order to harden lead
pipes, antimony is sometimes mixed with the metal,
but this causes them to be brittle, so that they split
when being tuned with a cone, and, in the case of
inverted conical-shaped pipes, they sometimes snap
right off.

For very large pipes, such as those required in the
pedal organ, zinc has been used of late years with very
satisfactory results. It is very light, is not much
affected by a moist atmosphere, keeps well in tune,
and gives a very fair tone. The speaking parts of
these pipes should, however, be made of pipe metal,
let into and soldered to the zinc. Zinc is very cheap,
and will stand hard knocks, so that for show pipes it is
very useful, but it does not give good results if used for
pipes under 4 feet long.

Now, as I have said, tin is the best metal to use, but
it is very expensive, and, under these circumstances, is
not used without adding a certain proportion of lead,
unless in the highest class of instruments.

The show pipes of the great organ at the Albert
Hall are composed of nearly pure tin (90 per cenc.) ;
the internal pipes are five-ninths tin and four-nifxths
lead.

Common pipes contain five times as much lead as
there is tin, but about the most useful proportion is

50 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

two-thirds lead to one-third tin, which makes what
is termed "spotted metal." These spots rise to the
surface when the metal is cooling, and when the pipes
are polished up they look as though they were marked
all over with inkstains which have been partially
cleaned off. If a little more tin is added, say five
parts of lead to three parts of tin, the spots run closer
together; indeed, spotted metal proclaims its quality
by its appearance. If the spots are very widely
separated the quantity of tin is small, but if they are
numerous and close together the proportion of tin is
large. Such pipes give good round tones, and are very
satisfactory for all except stops which are required to
give a piercing quality of tone, in which case the more
tin there is in their composition the better.

Having decided upon the quality of our metal, we
place the requisite proportions of each in an iron melt-
ing pot. The proportions are taken by weight, and as
regards the lead, it may be useful if I say that the lead
linings of grocers' tea-chests, being very soft metal, are
very applicable for the purpose, and grocers are often
glad to dispose of this stuff at a very cheap rate. Put
a little Russian tallow and a small piece of resin into
the melting pot, to keep the metal nice and clear, and
when the metal is thoroughly melted, ladle a sufficient
quantity out into an iron saucepan — which should pre-
viously be greased and made warm — sufficient to cast
a sheet of metal of the size required. The sliding front
of the casting box should be raised by adjusting the
screws, so that the aperture at the bottom is rather
wider than the thickness of the sheet of metal to be
cast. Thus, if we require a sheet ^i^ inch finished
*hickness, we must make the aperture rather more
than iV inch wide, as the rough upper surface of the

MELTING METAL. 51

sheet will have to be planed down before the metal is
made up into a pipe. Having adjusted this to our
satisfaction we fix the casting box in position with the
wires, as before described. A double sheet of brown
paper must be laid on each end of the bench, so that,
while the casting box is at rest, the molten metal therein
may not burn the ticking.

But, before going further, I would strongly recom-
mend the inexperienced amateur to refrain from
attempting too large a job at first. Commence by
casting only a small sheet of metal, practise planing
and cutting up ; then try to solder pieces together by
following the directions which I shall give. After that
a small pipe, say l-foot C, may be attempted, and when
the requisite skill has been obtained you may commence
work in earnest.

When your metal is poured into the saucepan it must
be kept well stirred and a little more grease thrown in
to keep the surface clear, and before putting it into the
casting box the heat must be tested, as it will not do
to use it too hot. Accordingly have ready a few strips
of stout white cartridge paper, a few inches long and
about an inch w^ide. Plunge one of these strips into
the molten metal, and if the paper only turns brown the
metal is ready to use, but if the paper smokes up and
consumes at once, the heat is too great. All scum and
dross must be removed.

When the right temperature is obtained, stir the
metal well up and pour into the casting box, pull out
the wires which secure the box to the bench, and then
with a firm and uniform pressure draw the box back to
the further end of the bench, and the sheet of metal will
be left behind, or rather in front of the box. It will be
advisable to have help in this matter, so that there may

52 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

be one person on each side of the bench to draw thd
box along. The sheet of metal will be sufficiently cool
in a few minutes to be removed, and another one can
then be cast, but any metal remaining in the box must
be taken out and put into the melting pot before
pouring any more in. A shallow trough with a sloping
bottom should be hung on to the front end of the bench
to catch any metal that may run over, as shown in
Fig. 35.

The sheet of metal must next be planed to make it
smooth, and in order to do this it must be tacked down
at one end on a level bench, and planed away from the
point where it is so secured. If it is attempted to plane
towards the fixed end, as in planing a board, the metal
will ruck up and be spoilt. Care must also be taken
to plane the sheet to a uniform thickness, and not to
make it thinner in some parts than in others, the ten-
dency being to run it off thin at the edges. The plane
used is like an ordinary carpenter's jack-plane, only the
iron is set more upright. After planing the surface
and scraping down on both sides with a flat steel scraper
till it is smooth and of the requisite thickness, the
edges must be trued up. The thickness of the metal
will, of course, vary with the size of the pipe and the
nature of the stop. Speaking generally, a tenor C pipe
should be about ^^ inch thick, and the smallest only
about as thick as an ordinary playing card. Pipes
required to give a full round tone are made of stout
metal, while those required to give sharp and piercing
tones are generally of thinner and closer metal ; that is,
metal containing a large proportion of tin.

Before finishing off the metal it should be cut to the
sizes required for the pipes. I think it will be useful if
I give a method by which the exact sizes and shapes

SCALE FOR CUTTING METAL FOR PIPES. 53

can be obtained for any kind of pipe. The metal
pipes are round, and the distance round a pipe, or the
circumference of any circle, is within a shade of 3|
times its diameter. For instance, suppose we want to
make a pipe whose diameter is 2^ inches, we shall
require a sheet of metal which is 8^ inches wide, which
we may reckon up thus — 3 times 2| inches make 7^
inches, and y of 2f inches is f inch, which added
together give 8^ inches as the distance round the
pipe. No doubt to many these instructions, and those
which immediately follow, will seem superfluous, but I
must beg of them to bear with me, as I know from pre-
vious experience that many amateurs are likely to be
in great difficulty in this matter. Now if the amateur
wishes to find the size of the sheet of metal for any
pipe, he has only to make a scale like that in Fig. 36.
This scale takes all pipes up to 4 feet long. First draw
a line on a board 4 feet 6 inches long from b to d, and
at a distance of 6 inches from the bottom draw a thick
line across and mark it with the word mouth. Now
divide the line above this into two equal parts, being of
course 2 feet each. At the top draw a line across and
make it just as long as the diameter of the longest, or
tenor C pipe, of your open diapason, or whatever stop
you intend to make.

If for open diapason this diameter will be about
2f inches for a chamber organ, and this distance is that
marked a b on the sketch. From the point b draw a
sloping line down to the point d, which is 6 inches
below the mouth. The lower 2 feet of the long line u
now divided into 2 lengths of i foot each, and a cross
line drawn, marked O, or i-foot C. The lower length
of this is again divided into two lengths of 6 inches,
and the line marked O, or 6-inch C ; the lower lenieth

54 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

thus obtained is subdivided again into 3-inch lengths,
and so on, dividing each in half, and the cross lines at
those divisions are all C pipe diameters. Now if each
of these portions are divided into twelve equal parts by
lines running across, we obtain the diameters of all the
pipes in each octave by simply measuring the length of
the cross lines at the places marked for the required
pipes, while the distance from the line marked mouth
up to the line of any pipe diameter will give the length
of the straight tube, or cylinder for that pipe. Thus
far we have an ordinary pipe scale, but if we extend the
cross line at the top to the point e, and make it 3! times
as long, that is, 8j inches long from a to c, that line
gives us the width of the metal required to make a
tenor C pipe 2f inch diameter. Draw a sloping line
from the point e down to the point d, and extend each
of the cross lines till they touch that sloping line, and
it is obvious that measuring any of those lines across
from the outer line a to the outer line c, the distance is
just Sr times as much as the same line measured only
from A to B, and consequently from this scale we can
get the size of any pipe in the stop, and the size of the
metal required to make the tube for that pipe. For
pipes extending to 8 feet long the scale must be made
4 feet longer at the top, and that space be divided into
twelve equal parts, the same as each of the others
already described.

The feet of the pipes are conical, and I have been
asked by many how to obtain the correct size and
shape of these. Here again the matter is very simple.
Suppose we want to make the foot of our tenor C
pipe, and we wish it to be 12 inches long, with an
opening at the bottom i inch in diameter; we draw a
section of the pipe-foot as at a, b, c, d. Fig. ^7, first

SCALE FOR CUTTING METAL FOR PIPES. 55

setting up the centre line, and drawing the diameter
A B 2| at the top, and I2 inches down, drawing the
diameter, c, d, of i inch from the bottom. From the
points A and b draw lines down through the points
c and D, and extend them until they meet in the centre
line, which will be at the point e. This completes the
section. Now look at Fig. 38, and making a centre
line, take the distance e to a, or e to b from the section,
with a pair of compasses strike an arc of a circle, as at
A, B, on Fig. 38, sticking one point of the compasses in
the point e. Now we must take the arc or curve thus
obtained exactly the same length as the distance round
the pipe, viz., 8^ inches, and in order to do this
correctly we must take a small distance in our com-
passes, say I inch, and step it round, eight times, and
then add the ^ inch to complete the distance. We
have thus obtained the points a and b, and if we join
these points to e by a sloping line, and then with the
compasses placed at e we strike another arc, with the
distance e to d, as in Fig. 37, we shall obtain the exact
shape of the sheet metal required to make a pipe-foot,
fulfilling the conditions laid down. This sheet is that
enclosed within the lines a, b, c, and d, on Fig. 38. If
this sheet is cut out and turned up, as will presently be
described, it will form a cone, perfectly flat or square,
as it is termed, at the top and bottom.

It takes a long time and space to describe this
setting out, but the actual work can be done very
quickly when you have once grasped the method.

In workshops where many stops of pipes of the
same scales are constantly being made, patterns cut
out of sheet iron or some similar material are kept in
stock, so that for a particular pipe-foot all that is
fequired is to lay the pattern on the mtit.il and cut

56 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

round it with the cutting-tool. An ordinary amateur
will not need to go to this expense, and can, therefore,
either make a set of patterns out of stout paper or
card-board, or simply set each one out on the metal
itself.

For cutting up the metal, unless it is very stout, a
shoemaker's or saddler's knife will be found sufficiently
strong, but a couple of tools similar to that shown in
Fig. 39 will be found very handy. They can be made
out of an odd piece of steel, and fixed in a handle.
The part a is ground to an acute wedge shape, and
the bottom is brought to a sharp point. One of these
tools should be made about the same size as the figure
for small work ; and another about three or four times
as large for large work.

Having cut the metal into the required shape and
form, and planed the edges true — for which purpose
one of the little iron American planes will be found
very handy — the pieces must be thoroughly cleaned
on both sides. This is done with whiting and water,
with a little soft soap mixed with it, rubbing it on with
a soft pad till the metal appears clean and bright ; leave
it to dry, and then finish off with wash leather. Soda
must not be used in the water.

The metal is now bright like silver, but before
turning it up into shape it must be prepared for
soldering ; that is, it must be protected from the heat
of the iron. Take an old, clean saucepan and pour
ipto it some thin glue boiling hot, and then mix a little
whiting and water and pour it into the glue, so as to
make a mixture like thin whitewash. With a paini
brush give the metal a coat of this mixture nearly an
inch wide on both sides of the metal where the solderecj
joint is to come, let it dry, and then give another coat.

FORMATION OF SHEET METAL INTO PIPES. $7

In order to turn the metal up it has to be rolled
round a mandrel or roller, and these can be made in
the same manner as described in Chapter I. ; that is,
by rolling several thicknesses of paper round a long
roller of wood, until the requisite size is obtained.

To bring it round the roller slip the sheet so that it
laps over the edge of the table about half-an-inch, and
slip under the edge a lath of wood cut feather edged,
and as long or longer, than the sheet of metal ; place
the mandrel on top of the sheet of metal, and with the
thumbs placed under the slip of wood, gently bring the
metal round the roller. This operation requires great
care, as it is very easy to thoroughly spoil the sheet of
metal if it is clumsily done ; but those of my readers
who have experimented in making paper pipes will
have acquired the knack necessary to bring the paper
or the metal straight and smooth over the mandrel.
Before folding down close to the mandrel the edges of
the metal to be soldered together must be first gone
over with the little iron plane, so as to take off any of
the whiting that may have run on to them, and they
must be planed so that they only touch on the under
side, forming really a V-shaped groove for the solder to
run in, as shown in sketch, Fig. 48, It must specially
be noted that these edges must not be scraped or filed,
but be made clean and smooth with the plane or shave-
hook, otherwise you will assuredly fail to make a joint
with the solder. The little iron planes will be found
the best tools to use, and they can be purchased for
about IS. each at almost any tool shop. Having got
this matter all right, the edges of the metal must be
brought together and pressed closely down to the
mandrel by gently pressing a slip of wood on them.
This slip should be shaped somewhat like a paper-

58 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

knife, and may be about lO inches long, 2 inches wide,
and I inch thiak, without any sharp edges, as the
metal must not be dented or wrinkled in any way. If
the glue sizing has chipped off at all, it must be re-
placed with fresh, and allowed to dry before proceeding
to solder. In order to keep the edges of the metal
together for soldering the amateur may find it con-

Fig. 48. — Section of Pipe Cylinder Ready for Soldering up.

venient to bind it round here and there with a piece of
broad tape. A few blocks like Fig. 49, with semicircular
hollows of different sizes, will be handy for supporting
the pipes, both for this and succeeding operations. The
soldering-iron used is really an iron, and not a copper
bit. It is shaped as shown in Fig. 49, and the square
part is made of well-hammered iron, 4 or 5 inches long
and I inch square, with a rather thin tang, which slips

FORMATION OF SHEET METAL INTO PIPES. 59

into the wooden handle, but is not permanently fixed
therein. The handle is made in two pieces, which are
merely held together by being bound round with wire,
as shown, at the end furthest from the iron,
so that it can be slipped on and off the iron, d^.

as required. Rub a piece of tallow candle ' W^

all along both edges of the metal where it is 0^.

to be soldered, make your iron hot, put a
piece of solder in the hollow part of a clean /
brick, add some resin, and //;/ the iron, as it
is termed, by rubbing the sloping part in
the solder and resin, so as to give it a coat-
ing of solder. To a beginner this tinning of
the iron is a troublesome job ; but until it is
accomplished it is impossible to take up the
solder on the iron, so as to make a joint.
The iron must be clean, and hot enough to
melt the solder readily, but not so hot as to
perish it ; practice alone can enable any one
to judge of the temperature required.

A little piece of composite candle will be
found of great assistance to enable the solder
to be taken up on it. This should be placed
along wirli the sjlJer in a hollow block of
wood, and whenever you require more solder,
touch t'.:e iron on the candle first and then
take up the solder. First tack the pipe
together by dots of solder about 3 inchc-s ^^^^ .,._
apart, then take up more solder and connect Soldering
the do's to one another. Finally, with the
iron tolerably hot. run down the whole length of the
joint, so as to make the solder flow in a clear bright
line. If the iron is too cold this joint will lock rough
and botch}', but with a nice hot iron the joint is smooth

60 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

and workmanlike. Fig. 48 shows the pipe turned up
ready for soldering, the thick lines indicating the glue
sizing, and the black dot on top a dot of solder for
tacking.

Having soldered up the tube or cylinder, we may
proceed to perform the same operation with the conical
foot, which must be turned up on a mandrel of the
requisite shape. The directions given in my first
chapter for making the mandrels for the feet of the
paper pipes will apply here, but the mandrels must
be made rather more substantial than is needed for
turning paper on. The paper mandrels can be much
more quickly made than wood ones, are cheaper, and
can be increased in size as required for larger pipes
by merely gluing more thicknesses of paper round
them. The feet of the pipes, especially large ones,
should be cut out of thicker metal than the tubes, so
as to be strong enough to support the weight of the
pif)es without doubling up. When the feet are soldered
up the mouth must be cut in the tube and the lips
formed.

The width of the mouth for the open diapason
will be I of the diameter of the pipe, and its height
will be ^ of its width. In order to cut the mouth,
a metal or hard wood cone is inserted in the pipe,
and a cut made at each side of the mouth to the
depth required, and then another cut is made across
to join the two cuts, thus taking the piece right
out. The small size tool (Fig. 39) is used for this
purpose. One side of the metal or hard wood cone
is squared off, as shown in Fig. 50, and this flat part
is now brought under the portion of the pipe imme-
diately over the mouth, and the lip is then formed by
gently rubbing the metal down with a burnisher, so

FORMATION OF SHEET METAL INTO PIPES. 61

that it assumes the form required. In pipes which are
outside the case the bay leaf, as the ornamental upper
lip of the pipe is termed, is formed before the pipe
is turned up, by marking out the shape on the inside,
and rubbing a burnisher round the line, thus causing
a ridge to show on the outside of the pipe.

In large pipes the bay leaf is formed separately
and soldered in. The same process is repeated on
the top of the foot to form the lower lip, only it must
be remembered that the lower lip is not made so deep
as the top one, and that it must not take so much off
the diameter of the foot, as a v/indway is to be allowed
for. The pipe may now be cleaned off inside and out
with a wet sponge and a little whiting, which will get
off all the sizing ; a little mop, like that used for
paper pipe painting, being used to clean the inside of
the metal pipes.

The languids may now be formed and put on.
They are simply pieces of thick metal cut to fit on to
the top of the pipe-feet, and shaped as shown in
Fig. 45, and in the sections Figs. 46 and 50. For a
tenor C open diapason, they may be a full ^ inch
thick, while for the smallest pipe in that stop, they
may be about ^jj inch thick. It will be observed that
they are sloped off all round the curved part to a very
thin edge, so that when placed on the top of the pipe
foot, and the tube on top of all, the joint is scarcely
seen. The angle of the slope of the languid at the
mouth should be about that shown in the section
Fig. 50, but some makers slope it further back. Now,
polish the languid up, size it round with glue and
whiting, serve the top of the pipe-foot the same, trim
off to form a slight V groove for the solder, place the
languid on the foot, and solder it by dots, and then join

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

all round the curved part, leaving the straight part open
for the wind to pass. The under side of the languid
should be just level with the top of the lower lip.
These processes may now be repeated, and t!ie tube
joined on to the foot, taking great care that the mouth

comes in its proper position,
and that the foot and the
tube are perpendicular to
each other, as, unless this is
the case, the pipes will lean
in all directions when planted
on the sound-board, looking
very unsightly, and occupy-
ing an unnecessary amount
of space.

The ears are now to be
cut out and soldered on, tak-
ing care to size with glue
and whiting as before de-
scribed. The ears are merely
small pieces of metal shaped
as shown in Fig. 50, and
placed one on each side of
the mouth to prevent the
wind, which should impinge
on the upper lip, being wasted.
In this figure a is the languid,
B the upper lip, c the ear,
and D the lower lip. It must be remembered that the
seam or joint should be at the centre of the back of
the pipe and foot. It now only remains to chamfer off
the edge of the upper lip, and to cone in the hole at
the bottom of the foot. The chamfering may be done
with a small shave-hook or a sharp penknife, and the

Fig. 50. — Enlarged Section of
Mouth or Speaking Part.

FORiMATlON OF SHEET METAL INTO PIPES. 63

foot is coned by means of a hollow metal or hard
wood cone being struck and worked round it until the
hole is reduced to its proper size. The directions and
dimensions given in Chapter I. will apply generally
to metal pipes, and instructions in voicing and tuning,
etc., are given later on.

CHAPTER IV.

REED PIPES.

[N the previous chapter I gave my reasons for
supposing that the generality of amateurs
would not gain much by trying their hands
at metal pipe making. These reasons apply
with tenfold force in the case of reed pipes, in
which the speaking part requires such delicate work
and entails so much patient perseverance to secure
satisfactory results, that I am afraid many who attempt
the task will fail. Moreover, it is very difficult to give
written instructions as to this most important branch
of the work ; but, so far as is in my power, I will
endeavour to make the matter clear. In order to give
the amateur every facility I have carefully drawn the
accompanying sketches on a large scale, and I trust
that a careful study of the drawings and instructions
will supply all that is required to enable the amateur to
understand what is to be done.

It must first of all be pointed out that the reed pipes
have no mouths like flue pipes, and that the pipes them-
selves play quite a secondary part in deciding the tone
of the note given. The real speaking part is a metal
tongue somewhat like a tongue in a concertina or
harmonium reed. This tongue, if properly adjusted,
and wind forced against it, vibrates in or against an

REED PIPES.

opening cut in a small brass tube called a reed : the
length of the vibrating portion being regulated by
means of a bent wire which presses the tongue against
the reed. The lengthening or shortening of this vibrat-
ing part decreases or increases the number of vibrations.
and accordingly the note obtained is proportionately

Fig. 51.— View of Wood Reed-Block.

lower or higher in pitch. The reed and tongue are
fixed in a hole in a block of wood or metal, and the
whole affair is enclosed in a sort of pipe-foot which is
termed a boot.

If we now place a short pipe over the hole above
the reed, and test the sound, we shall find that the note
obtained is of the same pitch as without the pipe, but
that the tone is different. So, according to t'.ie length,

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

scale, and shape of the pipe, we may obtain a variety of

tones from the
same reed ; but
the tone can also
be modified by
manipulating the
tongue of the
reed.

Having thus in
a measure cleared
the way, I will
proceed to de-
scribe the several
parts of the reed
pipes. Fig. 5 1 is
a view of a wood
block, and it will
be seen that it is
merely a square
piece of wood,
the lower portion
cut smaller than
the upper, so that
it will fit into the
boot, and a por-
tion of this lower
part is cut right
away. A hole
is bored through
it the size of the
reed, but it will
be observed that
this hole is made
than to the front.

T\g. 52 —View of Wood Reed-Block, with
Reed, etc., complete.

nearer to the back of the block

REED PIPES.

Another much smaller hole is bored through near the

front through which the

tuning-wire will pass. In

Fig. 52 the block is shown

so that we may obtain a

view of its under side, and

the reed ^ and tongue are

shown in position, a is the

block, B the lower portion

of the pipe fitted into the

hole in the lower part of

which is D the reed, and e

the tongue. The tongue

and reed are kept firmly in

their place by means of a

wedge F, which fits into a

notch cut at the side of the

hole in which the reed is

placed. The tuning-wire c

is also shown. Passing on

to Fig. 53 we have a section

of the wood boot with the

reed block fitted into it.

G is the boot, and n is a

small wooden foot or tube

through which the wind

passes into the boot. This

boot is merely a square box

of thin wood and may be

about 6 or 7 inches long,

but the width will of course

vary with the size of the

block. Figs. 54 and 55 give

respectively a view and section of the metal block, and

Fig- 53- — Section of Wood
Reed-Block and Boot.

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

the upper part of the boot. Metal is generally used
now, but formerly wood was almost exclusively the
material for blocks and boots of reed pipes. Amateurs
will probably be likely to succeed best if they make
these parts of wood, as metal blocks must be cast, but

the pipes may, never-
theless, be of metal if
desired. In order to
avoid confusion I have
lettered the sketches so
that the same parts are
indicated in each sketch
by the same letter.

There are two kinds
of reeds used in organ-
pipes, and they are
shown in Figs. 56
and 57. The first is
termed the open reed,
and the second is called
the CLOSED reed. They
both consist of a tapered
brass tube, open at the
top or small end, but
closed at the bottom
or large end by means
of a piece of brass
soldered on, and this
bottom piece, as will be seen by the section (Fig. 55)
is usually sloped so that it is rather higher at the
back than at the front. In the open reed the entire
front is filed away as shown in Fig. 56, and the
edges must be perfectly smooth, straight, and true.
In the closed reed only the lower portion is so filed

Fig. 54.— View of Metal Reed-Block
and Reed.

REED PIPES.

away, so that a conical opening is made as seen in Fig.
57. The exact size of these openings depends on the
particular stop for which the reed is intended, and also
on the individual taste or caprice of the maker, but the
edges MUST be true.

No definite rule can
be laid down for the
exact sizes of any of
the speaking parts of
reed pipes, as nearly
every builder uses his
own scales, the only
thing necessary is that
whatever scale you de-
cide to adopt should
be strictly adhered to
throughout the several
stops. For loud and
full-toned stops the
opening in the closed
reed should be longer
and wider than for quiet
thin-toned stops ; and,
of course, if an open
reed is used, the width
of the opening is regu-
lated in the same way.

The length of the reed is generally computed at h inch
for each foot in the "one length of the pipe. Thus for a
4-feet pipe the reed will be 2 inches long, for a 3-feet
pipe U inch, and for an 8-feet pipe it will be 4 inches.
This refers to the speaking length of the reed, or more
properly to the part of the reed visible below the block.
Consequently we mi^st allow an addition to the length

Fig. 55. — Section of Metal Reed-
Block in Boot, with straight tongue.

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

of the reed according to the size of it, so as to admit of
its being firmly held in its
place in the block. For a
CC reed we may allow
about f inch extra length,
while for the smallest (top G)
we may allow about j\ inch,
the total length of these two
reeds will be 4^ inches for
CC, and about | inch for
top G. Now as regards the
diameter of the reeds, CC
may be about /,; inch at
the top or small end, and
half as large again at the
bottom or large end, viz.,
-{^- inch. The top G is ^-^ inch
at the top, and half as large
again, viz., f^ inch, at the
bottom. These reeds are
shown in the sketches the
actual size ; Fig. 57, show-
ing the closed reed, with
an opening one-third of the
speaking length, the dotted
lines showing what would
be the size if made two-
thirds long, which is tlie
length often used for trum-
pet and cornopean stops.
The shaded part marked a
in the top part of the reeds
shows the portion which is

to be inserted in the block. It is usual to make the

Fig. 56.— CC

Open Reed.
Full Size.

Fig. 57-—

Closed i^eed.

Full Size.

REED PIPES. 71

reeds the same length and scale for all stops, any
difference required being simply in the size of the
opening where the tongue comes ; but if amateurs
like to take the extra trouble there is no objection to
their having different scales for the reeds of different
stops. A scale showing the length and the two
diameters of each reed can easily be made by follow-
ing the same system as in making a scale showing
the length and two diameters of a wood pipe, using,
of course, the dimensions given in the present article.

We now have to deal with the tongues, the vibrations
of which, in or against the reed, produce
the sound. They are simply strips of very
thin well-hammered brass cut nearly as long
as the reed, and the making of these is a
very delicate piece of work. Reeds sub-
divide themselves into two classes, viz., free
reeds and striking reeds. Free reeds are so p. g_
termed because in vibrating the tongues pass Smallest
right into the opening of the reed, whilst in pyjf size
the striking reed the tongues strike on the
edges of the opening, but do not pass into it. The
surface of the reed where the tongues strike is
generally covered with leather in order to prevent
harshness of tone. This is managed by fastening the
leather all round the reed, and then carefully cutting it
away over the opening. Care must also be taken to
get the edges perfectly flat and true. It will, therefore,
be understood that the length and width of the tongue
are affected by the conditions above referred to.

To make the tongues, procure a sheet of thin well-
hammered or rolled brass, and with the cutting tool
mentioned in the last chapter, cut out a piece sufficiently
wide to make the longest tongue, and long enough to

72 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

cut a good many tongues side by side. In order to
economise material, and save useless labour, they
should be marked out so that the wide part of one
comes at the top of the strip, and the wide part of the
next one comes at the bottom, in exactly the same way
as I have shown in the sketch on page 30 (Chapter I.),
for cutting out the wooden lips of paper pipes, only the
tongues will, of course, have but very little tapering.

It must be clearly understood that the tongues must
not be cut out with shears, as it would cause them to
roll up, or kink, and thus render them utterly useless.
We, therefore, after marking out the size of the tongues
in the manner described, take our shave-hook, and
placing a straight-edge against each line, firmly draw
the point of the hook along the line, until the metal is
almost cut through. Now look at Fig. 59, which is a
portrait of a little home-made vice, which will be very
useful in many ways. The sides are made of beech,
or other hard wood, and the jaws are each lined with a
piece of ebony planed perfectly true. The short side is
hinged to the long one by means of a piece of stout
leather, and a block is fixed to the lower portion of the
long side as shown, so as to keep sides parallel. The
vice is opened or closed by means of the thumbscrew.
If it is intended to make reed pipes longer than 4 feet
tone the vice should have two thumbscrews side by
side, as it will have to be nearly 6 inches wide ; but
if the vice is not required more than 3 inches wide one
screw will suffice. This little vice may be secured in
the chops of an ordinary bench vice, or screwed to the
side of the bench, or dovetailed into the top or side of it.

Now for its use. Having scored out a tongue, screw
the strip of metal in the vice so that the scored line is
just level with the top of the vice, then carefully break

REED PIPES. 73

or crack the metal, and you will thus be able to separate
each tongue from the sheet without bending or wrink-
ling it in any way. Having thus roughly shaped a lot
of tongues, you proceed to finish them off. Screw each
one up in the vice again, and with a little iron plane
carefully plane the edges true, and make the tongue the
width required. Then very carefully file each tongue
down to its proper thickness, where again the matter of
taste comes in. For heavy-winded pipes required to
give a loud full round tone, the tongues must be rather
thick and broad, but for light-winded pipes to give a
thin penetrating tone, the tongues must be thin and
narrow. The tongue must be perfectly true on the side
next the reed, but on the outside it slopes, being made
thicker at the top than at the bottom or free end.
Some makers have the tongue flat on both sides and
very thin, but this is a plan that cannot be recommended
as the tone is not satisfactory.

I do not think I can give amateurs better advice
than to urge them to procure one or two complete
pipes of each stop which they propose to make, and
endeavour to imitate them in every part, and also in
tone. If you obtain from a dealer or builder a large,
a medium, and a small pipe of each stop, you will have
a clear guide before you as to the size, scale, and
thickness of every portion, and above all will know
how your pipes ought to sound when completed.
These specimen pipes need not necessarily be new
ones, but, of course, they must be in good working
order. One word of caution however, on no account
give way to the impulse to blow a reed pipe with your
mouth, as it will most probably ruin the pipe. Always
test for tone by placing the pipe on a sound-board or
on a voicing machine.

74 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

When filing the tongues down let them be laid on a
block of smooth hard wood, and to finish them off use
an emery wheel or a piece of the finest glass-paper
stretched on a flat piece of cork. When proceeding to
fit and voice the reeds we must fix the tongues, flat
side down on the block of smooth hard wood by means
of a small screw clamp at the extremity of the thickest
end. Then take a round burnisher such as is used for
sharpening steel scrapers, or, better still, a round piece
of steel with a handle at both ends (this steel should
be about as thick as a stout straw and about 6 inches
long), and, holding a handle in each hand, gently work
it up and down the tongues, so as to make the thin
ends curl upwards from the block of wood on which they
are laying. The curve must commence about half way
down the tongue, and must extend right to the tip of
the free end in one continuous curve. The pressure
must be applied gently so as to obtain this result, and
so that the curve may be perfectly true and not tending
more to one edge of the tongue than to the other. The
tongue must be taken off and carefully fixed in its place
and tested so as to see whether it answers, as it must
net be curved too much. It is a prime necessity that
reeds should speak promptly, and if this result is
once obtained the question of tone can 'be settled by
manipulation. Assuming that you have fixed on the
particular tone or quality to be obtained from the pipe
you must test it in a variety of ways until that quality
is satisfactorily gained. The tuning-wire will require
shifting up, or down, and probably the pipe itself will
want a little trimming down, but this must be cautiously
done and only a little taken off" at a time.

The requisites for good and prompt speech are that
the outside face of the reed tongue should be graduated

REED PIPES. 75

in thickness from the fixed end off to nothing at the
free end, whilst, before curving, the under side must be
perfectly flat and true. The curving must be neither
too great nor too little, but, as it is impossible to state
the exact amount required, it must be settled by actual
experiment. It must not be twisted or kinked in any
way or the tongue will be irretrievably damaged. The
tongue must als j fit the reed most accurately, and must
not overhang at any of the edges. If the pipe refuses to
speak at all (a very probable result of a first attempt) it
may arise either from the tongue being too thick, too
much or too little curved, not properly fitting the reed,
being bent or twisted, or the wedge not being properly
adjusted. If it speaks, but squeaks, grunts, or rattles, it
may be caused by the tongue being too thin, not curved
enough, or from its not being properly adjusted or
tightly wedged up. Dust or filings will often cause
dumbness, or make the pipe sound a fifth above its
proper note. If you get a good note then the tuning is
accomplished by shifting the tuning-wire up or down,
or by cutting the tube down. All straight tubes may
have a sliding piece at the top as described for paper
pipes, and inverted conical pipes may be regulated by
shades like the wood pipes.

Having obtained a satisfactory note from one pipe,
all the others in the same stop must be made to give
exactly the same quality of tone. The reed tongues
will of course be smaller and thinner as the pipes run
smaller. I may remark that they can be purchased
unvoiced at most places where organ requisites are
sold.

This voicing and tuning of reeds is a work requiring
unwearying patience, and a certain knack which can
only be acquired by long practice. The amateur will,

T^ ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

however, meet with no difficulty that the ordinary
tradesman does not also have to encounter and conquer,
for there is no royal road to tuning these or any other
descriptions of organ pipes. Now, presuming that the
amateur has made his reed-block, reed, etc., and fitted
the latter into the block, it must be firmly secured
by means of a little wedge made of hard wood. The
wedge must fit well throughout its length, and must
be allowed to project below the block so that it can
be taken out easily when required to do anything to the
tongue, etc.

Next, we must make the tuning-wire, and in Figs. 6o
and 6 1 you will see sketches of the wire from two
different points of view. It is rather difficult to show
exactly how this wire is to be bent, but if it is borne in
mind that it is only the loop which touches the tongue
while all the rest of the wire is kept beyond reach of the
vibrating tongue, you will have no difficulty in making
it. Fig. 60 is a side view, and Fig. 61 is a view looking
direct on that portion of the wire which presses on the
tongue. The latter figure also shows an alternative
method of forming the loop. The wire should fit easily
but not loosely into a hole in the block, and the top of it
should be curved over a little, so that the tuning-knife
can be hooked under it when required to shift the wire.

The pipe is fitted tightly into the hole above the reed,
and the size of the hole in the bottom of the pipe is
therefore in a measure regulated by the size of the
reed, but the hole in the pipe may often be required to
be smaller than the reed. In the case of small metal reed
pipes the pipe is often soldered into the block, but in
the case of large pipes a short pipe or socket is soldered
into the block, anJ the pipe itself merely drops into the
socket.

KEED PIPES.

The pipes are in most cases of a conical shape, the
largest section being at the top and the smallest at
the bottom. They may be made of either metal, wood,
or paper. If they are to be metal the amateur must
first make a scale in exactly the same way as for an
ordinary metal pipe, showing the length and diameter
of each pipe in the stop, and also the width of the
metal required to make it, proceeding as directed in
setting out a pipe-foot, as they will be merely like
elongated feet. If the pipes are to be of wood they are
made square in section but conical in elevation (see Fig.
73), and the wood need not be more than | inch thick
for an 8-feet pipe. If they are made of paper they will
require to be rolled on a mandrel of the requisite shape,
but it might perhaps be convenient to the amateur to
make them square as for a wood pipe, in which case
they could be cut out of a single piece of stout cardboard,
and each angle partly cut through with a knife, so as to
facilitate folding up into shape (see Fig. 74). The only
joint would then be along one angle, and this could be
covered with a strip of paper to make it secure and
strong. The pipe could then be further strengthened
by covering it with two or three layers of stout paper,
so that it would look, and also really be, as practically
without a joint as a circular paper pipe. Do not forget
that when gluing the layers of paper a minute or two
must be allowed for the glue to soak in and for the
paper to stretch, before rolling it round the pipe. Well
rub down with a paper-knife or a round stick so as
to get a smooth unwrinkled surface. Pipes made in
this style would only require a few mandrels, as the
smaller ones could be made without them. I might add
that if the stoutest Willesden waterproof paper is used
to form the pipe, and a thinner variety of the same

7S ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

paper used for the outside layers, the pipes would not
require painting or varnishing^, and would at the same
time present a nice appearance. One advantage of
using wood or paper is that there is no danger of the
pipes crushing up or breaking off with their own weight
as is often the case with metal. If the metal is too soft
they crush up, if it is too hard the pipes are brittle and
easily break off.

As I daresay many of my readers would like to have
a hint as to the scales of reed pipes, I have furnished a
set of sketches showing their length and scale for a
tenor C pipe, as compared with a tenor C open diapason.

The pipes shown are as follows : —
Flue Pipits. —

Fig. 62. Tenor C, Open Diapason.

Fig. 6^. Tenor C, Keraulophon, 6 scales smaller.

Fig. 64. Tenor C, Slotted Gamba, 6 scales smaller.

Fig. 65. Tenor C, Gemshorn, diameter at mouth i
scale less than Open Diapason, diameter
at top \ diameter at mouth.

Fig. 66. Tenor C, Viol-di-Gamba, diameter at mouth
2 scales less than Open Diapason.
Diameter at top the same. Diameter at
smallest part (which is I the length down
from the top) J of the diameter at mouth.

Reed Pipes. ^

Fig. 6t. Tenor C, Oboe. Diameter at top of widest
part same as Open Diapason, diameter
at joint of inverted cone (which is \
the length of the pipe) \ of top diameter.
Tongue thin and narrow, and may be
straight, or very slightly curved.

REED PIPES.

Fig. 68. Tenor C, Trumpet, about 2 scales larger at

the top than Open Diapason, tongue

slightly curved.
Fig. 69. Tenor C, Cornopean. 5 or 6 sca'es 'arger

at top than Open Diapason. Broad

tongue, nearly straight, but does not lay

close to the reed.
Fig. 70. Tenor C, Bassoon. 8 to 12 scales smaller

than Open Diapason. Tongue thin and

narrow, very slightly curved, and close

to reed.
Fig. 71. Clarinet. Tubes only f the length of Open

Diapason, and 12 scales smaller in

diameter. Tongue thin and narrow, nearly

straight, and close to reed.
Fig. yz. Vox Humana. Only ^ the length of

Open Diapason, diameter of largest part

of top piece the same as top of Open

Diapason.
These pipes are sometimes made the

same shape as the Clarinet, and of stout

metal.

CHAPTER V.

SOUND-BOARD, WIND-CHEST, PALLETS, ETC.

E now commence on what appears, from a
casual glance at the sheet of details
accompanying this article, a rather for-
midable undertaking, but it will not be
found to present any great difficulties or to occupy
a very long time. The chief requisites are good
materials, the ability to plane a board true, and the
exercise of a little care and patience.

The sound-board of an organ — the term is a mis-
nomer, for it is in no sense of the word a sound-board —
is merely a flat board, termed the " table," which is
divided by wooden partitions, on the underside, into
as many channels as there are keys in the compass of
the instrument. The wind is admitted into these
channels by means of valves, called pallets, from a
box underneath, termed the wind-chest. On the top
of the table are flat slips of wood called sliders, run-
ning between other flat and fixed slips, termed bearers ;
over these are thick boards, termed the upper boards.
Holes are bored down through the upper boards,
sliders, and table into the grooves, the pipes being
planted over these holes, and if the slides are open
the wind passes from the wind-chest into the channels
and from thence into the pipes. When the sliders are
oiosed no wind can pass into the pipes.

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SOUND-BOARD.

The first thing necessary is to make a drawing-
toard, for without this you would be Hable to spoil all
3'our work. So prepare a board of ^ inch pine, 6 feet
long, and 2 feet or more wide, and on it set out, to
full size, the plan shown in Fig. 75, on the sheet of
details. This is for the organ described in Specification
I in Chapter I.

The outside measurements are 5 feet long by 2 feet
wide, so mark these lines first, and then draw another
at each end i^ inch in, to show the thickness of the
end bars or cheeks : the front and back cheeks are
each I inch thick. Now draw the two thick bars
dividing the treble from the bass, the centre of these
divisions being 21^ inches from the bass end. These
bars may be about an inch thick with a space between
them, or the division may be one solid bar 2| inches
thick. The bass portion is now to be divided into
twelve channels, and eleven partitions, or bars, in the
following manner : — The first two channels and one
division occupy 3 inches, the next three channels and
four divisions take 6 inches, the next three channels
and three divisions take 5 inches, the remaining 4^
inches being divided into four channels and three
divisions. The channels in the bass may be slightly
wider than the bars. Commencing now on the treble
side of the thick bars, we have four channels and four
divisions in a space of 5 inches ; then four channels
and four divisions in 4 inches ; next four channels and
four divisions in 3^ inches, then seven spaces and six
divisions in 5^ inches. Now mark a bar i inch thick,
and on the other side of it six spaces and six divisions
in 4 inches, and then fifteen spaces and fourteen
divisions in 7^ inches. The remaining sh inches is
occupied by four spaces and four divisions, these

82 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

really being for the first four notes of the tenor octave,
which are placed at this end of the sound-board for
reasons which will presently be explained. In the
treble portion of the sound-board the divisions,
especially the very thin ones, should be wider than
the spaces, in order to allow a firm seating for the
pallets. Having marked out all these lines carefully,
score over all the bars and the cheeks in order to
prevent any mistakes being made hereafter.

It must, however, be specially .noted that if couplers
are to be attached to the organ the sound-board should
contain 68 channels. The twelve extra channels will
be at the treble end of the board, and will not require to
be more than y\ inch wide, and the divisions will each
be J inch thick. By making the larger divisions a little
thinner and the channels a mere trifle smaller, these 12
extra ones can be got in without increasing the length
of the sound-board.

We may now proceed to mark out the sliders and
bearers. The two outside bearers are each i^ inch wide
(measuring from the outside edges of the cheeks) and
these may be drawn from end to end of the sound-
board. Then, commencing from the back of the
treble portion, set off" a width of 4 inches for the
width of the open diapason slider, and draw the line
for it, allowing it to run 3^ inches over the end of the
board. Now mark a bearer 2 inches wide, a slider
3 inches wide for the keraulophon, then a bearer i inch
wide, and a slider 3 inches wide for the stopt diapason.
Draw another bearer 2 inches wide, then a slider 3
inches wide for the flute, the lower line of which you
can carry right through the bass also. Now set oflf a
bearer | inch wide, and a slider 2^ inch wide for the
flageolet, continuing these lines also through the bass,

SOUND-BOARD.

and thus, with the outside bearer already drawn, com-
pleting the width of the sound-board.

On the bass end, now set out, after the outside bearer
at back, a spare shder 4^ inches wide which may be
used for a stop termed the " Violoncello," which will
shortly be described, then a bearer 2 inches wide, next
a slider for the stopt diapason-bass 4^ inches wide, a
bearer 2 inches wide, and a slider 4^ inches wide for the
flute bass, the lines for the next bearer and slider have
already been drawn through fro'm the treble. This
completes the setting out so far, and we have now to
show the positions of the several pipes. The pipes
stand in double rows over each alternate channel, as
shown in the sketch, the larger pipes being placed back
to back, but should not touch each other. With the
snialler pipes there will be no trouble whatever, as they
will all stand over their proper channels ; but as the pipes
get larger they become more crowded, and it may be-
come necessary to groove some of them off a few inches,
so that they may have speaking room. Tiiis is es-
pecially the case with wood pipes, as they take up
more room than either paper or metal ones. It is
therefore necessary to set them all out on this board
and mark the name of each note, and you will then see
where every pipe will stand in the organ. It will only
occupy a few hours, and the work will amply repay you
in time and trouble that it will save afterwards. To
set out the paper pipes all you have to do is to strike
a circle with the compasses, the same diameter as the
outside measure of the pipes including the tuning piece.
Commence with the smallest pipe and work up to the
largest and you will then see just how to place them.
In the case of wood pipes you will have to cut out
a paper pattern of the outside size of the pipes, and

84 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

laying it on the drawing-board, draw a pencil line
round it, and mark the name of the note in the square
thus drawn.

We now arrive at the reasons for placing some of
the larger pipes at the treble end of the sounding board.
The object is to save space, and keep down the height
of the organ. The usual method is to transfer each
alternate pipe in the bass to the treble end, but the
plan I propose possesses several advantages over this.
The usual plan is open to several objections, viz., it is
the tenor octave that is the most crowded and t! e
most difficult to deal with, not the bass ; transferring
the bass pipes only does not keep down the height, as
the open diapason and the keraulophon both run to
4 feet long in the tenor. !♦■ also becomes necessary
to waste space by having another very thick bar in
the treble, and the sliders require to be made so that
one portion is at the bass end, and the other at the
treble, thus making a very awkward piece of work.
My method avoids all these difficulties, and by trans-
ferring the first four or six notes of the tenor octave to
the treble end, you are enabled to plant three or four
of the longest pipes in the bass of each stop off the
sound-board, and three or four of the tenor octave of
the open diapason and keraulophon can be planted off
at the treble end ; thus your longest pipe on the sound-
board itself, is only 3 feet 4 inches (approximate)
speaking length. You also obviate all crowding of the
pipes and simplify the arrangement of the sliders, as the
bass sliders, instead of running all through the length
of the sound-board, are only the length of the bass
portion, and thus, may be wide enough to accommodate
all the pipes, and yet not be too hard to open and close.
The flageolet slider runs right through, and the flute

SOUND-BOARD.

can be made to draw in two parts or as a single slide.
If it is intended to adopt the latter plan, which will
save a stop-knob and connections, the slider can still
be made in two portions and dovetailed together over
the thick bars, as shown in Fig. 75. It is shown to
draw from the bass end, but could just as easily be
drawn from the treble by cutting a little piece out of
slider or bearer, just over the thick bar. I may,
however, state that in a small organ there is but little
objection to having the channels arranged for pipes
in regular consecutive order from the lowest to the
highest note. It simplifies the action somewhat, for no
roller action is required, but the plan of transferring
some of the larger tenor pipes to the treble end has
the advantages which I have pointed out, and which
appear to me to counterbalance the advantage gained
by the simplicity of action in the latter plan.

If you adopt the plan of planting the largest pipes
off the sound-board, you will require to do so by con-
ducting tubes, as shown in Fig. 82 ; and as I have
made the sounding-board of such a size as to obviate
as far as possible the necessity for grooving, you will
require little, if any, for the wood pipes, and none at
all for the paper ones.

Having completed the drawing-board, hang it up
in your workshop, so as to be convenient for reference
whenever you may require it.

We now proceed to the actual construction of the
sound-board, of which the setting-out of the drawing-
board will have already given you a pretty good idea.
First piepare a board of ^ inch Honduras mahogany,
5 feet long and i foot 10 inches wide, finished measure-
ment ; plane it perfectly true, and square the sides and
ends. If you are unable to get a thoroughly good

86 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

piece of mahogany, straight grained, free from knots,
and well seasoned, use yellow pine of the best quality ;
for though mahogany is the best, good pine is better
than bad mahogany.

Now set off on a rod all the bars and spaces marked
on the drawing-board and transfer them to the table,
and square them right across the board with a J
square, scoring all the divisions as shown in the
drawing-board, and from another rod mark the posi-
tions of the sliders and bearers.

Prepare the bars and divisions from perfectly sound
well seasoned yellow pine, making them of the requisite
thickness, and as long as the table is wide, that is
I foot lo inches, and they must all be exactly the same
depth, viz., not less than 3 inches. If you cut them
from a board 1 1 inches wide, divide it into three, and
after sawing, plane them all up to the size of the one
that happens to be the narrowest. Should there be
the least knot or shake in any of these bars, throw
it aside and prepare another one ; for it must be borne
in mind that if the wind is allowed to pass from one
channel to another it will probably be necessary to
pull the sound-board to pieces in order to remedy the
defect. The pieces thrown aside will not be wasted,
as they can be cut up to form the fillings-in hereafter
described, and the knots and bad places need then
be the only parts absolutely rejected. When you have
prepared all the partitions, etc., the grooves should be
made in the underside of the sound-board to receive
the two l^ inch bars forming the ends, and also for
the three thick divisions in the bass and treble portion,
as described a little later on. Then take the two i ^
inch bars forming the ends, and having made sure that
the edges are planed perfectly level and square, screw

SOUND-BOARD. 8/

them on to the top of the table at each end (not on
to the side which you have grooved out, which is the
underside), the screws being inserted through the
centre hne of the bearers, not through the sHders,
Then screw on over their proper positions the thick
bars dividing the bass from the treble, and also the
thick bar which co.nes in the centre of the treble por-
tion. These bars are only fixed here temporarily, in
order to keep the table rigid and flat during our next
operations, but it is very important that it should be
done. Then screw on to both ends of these bars a
longitudinal piece of the same depth, and as long as
the sound-board. The whole affair will then have the
appearance of a frame placed edgewise and secured to
the sound-board table. One or two small screws may
be driven through the sound-board into these longi-
tudinal pieces to firmly secure it to the board.

Without some such means being adopted to keep the
board rigid, the large quantity of hot glue used in
fixing the channel bars would cause the board to warp
and twist, and thus entirel}' spoil it. Turn the board
over again, and go to work on the under side, and
groove out all the scored bars to a depth of ^ inch,
using either a grooving plane or a chisel. You can
cut the groove at each side with a sharp-pointed knife,
or a tenon saw, using a straight-edge to guide it, and
after taking out the intervening wood, smooth the
bottom of the grooves with the tool called an " old
woman's tooth," and you will then secure a uniform
depth also. Now plane the bars and divisions so that
;hey just fit nicely into their proper grooves, but not so
tightly as to require forcing in, and be sure that they
a!l bed flat down into their places. Give every divi-
sion a coat of very thin hot glue on both sides to stop

88 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

all the pores, and set them up to dry. When dry you
may proceed to -glue them into their respective grooves,
working them backwards and forwards a little to secure
a good joint. I need hardly say that the grooves and
the edges of bars should both be glued. For all the
work connected with the organ use only the best
French or Russian glue, which is of a very light colour.
Thick black-looking glue, that is sold at about ^d. or
6d. a pound, is useless for any work that is intended to
last. The glue should be broken up and soaked in
cold water for ten or twelve hours, then placed in a
proper glue pot, and boiled down, it should be used
fresh, and boiling hot, as glue that has often been
remelted, or that has become cool, will not hold well.

After all the other bars have been glued in and
allowed to get dry — twenty-four hours at least should be
allowed — you can take off the top pieces and glue them
into their proper grooves ; then cut up a lot of pieces
of pine for fiUing-in pieces, and glue in a piece about
f inch thick between the ends of every bar, so as to
entirely fill up each end of the channels, as shown at b
in Figs. y6, yy, and 78. At a distance of 7^ inches from
the front edge of the table fill in a piece of f inch pine
to receive the pallet hinges ; these pieces may be about
4 inches long. Remember you are working on the
under side of the board, and that, therefore, if the bass
portion is on your left hand, the front of the board is
the edge farthest from you. These fillings-in are
shown at g on the diagrams.

While this is dr^'ing plane up two pieces of sound
pine I inch thick, and the total depth of the channels
including the thickness of the table, which will make
them about 3| or 4 inches wide, and as long as the
table. These pieces are for the front and back cheeks,

WIND-CHEST. 89

and when glued on as I shall describe, will make the
sound-board 2 feet wide. The gluing of the filling»-in
should be allowed at least two days to dry, and then
you may plane up both edges of the sound-board
perfectly true, and place the cheeks in position so that
their top edges are flush with the top of the table, and
the bottom edges flush with the edges of the divisions.
With a stock and bit drill two holes through the cheeks
into the ends of each of the thick bars, to receive a
screw 3 or 4 inches long. Take the cheeks off and
brush a copious supply of glue over the ends of the
bars and fiilings-in and also over the cheeks, working
the glue well in. Then place the cheeks in position,
and work them well down into their places the same as
you did in gluing in the divisions, insert the long
screws and screw them tightly up. When quite dry
take these screws out, and in their places drive in a
long peg of hard wood well glued, and the cheeks will
then hold on as long as the sound-board will last.

Prepare the ends of the wind-chest, making them
of I inch pine, the exact width of the sound-board,
viz., 2 feet, and 4^ inches deep, and then plane up the
back of the wind-chest, or wind-bar, as it is termed,
making it 4 feet lo| inches long, 4^ inches deep, and
at least i^ inch thick. In the centre of it cut a hole
12 inches long and 2 inches wide to admit the wind
from the bellows, and near each end cut a similar hole,
5 inches long and 2 inches wide, for the pedal wind
trunks, if you intend having a separate pedal organ ;
or these holes may be made one in each end of the
wind-chest. The sound-board should then be stood
aside for two or three days to get thoroughly dry.

Assuming that all the gluing is quite dry, you may
now plane down the whole of the under surface of the

90 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

channel bars and cheeks, testing it very carefully to
ensure its being perfectly true, then glue and screw
on the ends of the wind-chest so that they come flush
with the outside ends of the sound-board, thus leaving
^ inch of the thick end bars on the inside to allow
the pallets to bed on them. Tack some thin boards
all over the under surface to proteci; it from injury
during our subsequent operations, and then turn the
sound-board over so that the top is uppermost. Take
the smoothing plane and plane down the table till it
is as true and level as the surface of a mirror,
and then with your rod set out on it the positions
of the sliders and bearers. Plane up some § inch
mahogany of superfine quality and possessing the
straightest possible grain, cut it to the sizes of the
several sliders and bearers, and shoot all the edges
perfectly true. The sliders must be long enough to
project about 3 inches beyond the ends of the sound-
board to allow for the stop action. Screw the bearers
down in their places with thin f inch screws, sinking
the heads of the screws below the surface, but do not
place these screws over the thick bars. Place the
sliders in position so that they fit tightly between
the bearers, then plane up some good i^ inch pine
for the up[~er boards, of which you will require three
for the treble side, the one over the flageolet side may
lun right through the bass, and two short ones for the
bass portion. They are made of such a width that they
just come to the centres of the wide bearers, as shown
in the sections. Figs. 76 and jy. Plane up some good
I inch or ^ inch pine for the rack boards, making them
exactly the same sizes as the respective upper boards.
To avoid confusion I have only shown the rack boards
at the back in Fig. 82, but it will be understood that

WIND-CHEST. 91

they cover the whole top of the sound-board. Lay
these flat on the upper boards and screw them tightly
down on to the table, the screws passing through the
bearers and table into the several thick bars which
are made for the purpose of receiving them.

Now mark right across the top of the rack board
the centre line of every channel, then draw lines
showing the two rows of pipes over each slider, and
where these lines intersect the cross lines will be the
centre of each hole for the pipes to stand in. With
centre bits of the requisite size bore the holes right
through all these boards into the channels. Most
amateurs bore a little slanting, so the best way to
manage is to bore the holes partly through from one
side of the board, and then go round to the other side
and finish them, and you will thus neutralise this ten-
dency. The sizes of the holes are of course regulated
by the sizes of the pipe feet, and they will be about
■ff inch for CC, | inch for tenor C, and j-\ inch for top
G in the stopt diapason. Open diapason the same
size for the same notes. The flute will be about
I inch for CC, f inch for tenor C, and yg- inch for top
G. Keraulophon the same as the flute for the same
notes. Flageolet CC, i\ inch, tenor C, ^^ inch, top
G, I inch.

The six lowest notes of the largest pipes should
be made by boring two holes side by side, and then
taking out the intervening wood, thus forming one
oblong hole, as shown on the plan in Fig. 75. A piece
of i inch mahogany is then glued over each of these
holes on the top of the upper board, and a hole is bored
through it to receive the foot of the pipe, or for the
conveyance tube, as the case may be.

It will be noticed that I have placed an extra slider

92 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

at the back of the bass in continuation of th6 open
diapason. This space being there you may, if you
please, place a stop of twelve pipes upon it, as it will
give you more power and variety in the bass, which
will be very useful, especially if you do not have a
i6-feet pedal stop. The stop I recommend is termed
the Violoncello, and is made like a stopt diapason,
with a straight upper lip. It is shown in section on
the left-hand side of Fig. 82, and you will observe that
there is a diagonal line passing from the level of the
top edge of the bottom lip to the outside of the ears;
this represents a piece of thin wood, which just fits in
between the ears, and is glued in that position. Make
these twelve pipes exactly the same size as the tenor
octave of the open diapason, the mouth to be cut up
one-third the diameter, and the top of the pipes to be
covered with a cap the same as in the stopt diapason.
The size of the holes through the feet, and of the holes
to be bored through the sound-board, will be the same
as for the tenor octave of the open diapason ; and the
six lower holes to be enlarged as described for the other
bass stops. When all the holes have been bored for the
pipes, do those for the rack pillars — boring them in any
convenient position where they will not interfere with
the screws — carrying them about three parts through
the upper boards. You may then take off the rack
boards and enlarge the holes in them, so that the pipe
feet will fit them at the required height ; and also enlarge
the holes over the screws, so that a screwdriver can be
let down to ease or tighten the screws as may be re-
quired, in consequence of change of temperature causing
the sliders to stick or run loose, as the case may be.

The next proceeding will be to scorch all the holes
through the sound-board with a red-hot iron rod, to

WIND-CHEST. 93

clear out all roughness. The tops of the holes in the
upper boards should also be slightly countersunk, so
that the pipe feet may fit in perfectly airtight.

Take off the upper boards, sliders, and bearers, and
test the surface of the table to see that it is quite true ;
if not, make it so. Now look at Fig. 80, and you will
notice that three different sorts of grooves are there
shown as existing between all the holes. These are
the various methods adopted for preventing the accu-
mulation of waste wind between the table and the
sliders, or between the sliders and the upper boards,
which would otherwise cause a ciphering of the pipes.

You may adopt either or all of these methods, but
your first proceeding will be the same for each, viz., to
mark on the ends of the table and upper boards the
position of each slider, draw the lines along the under
side of the upper board, and then make a little channel
y^^ inch wide, and the same depth along each side,
where the edges of the sliders would come, and between
every hole run channels crosswise into the long ones.
This grooving may be done with a V tool, or a chisel,
or even with a red-hot wire. All waste wind will be
carried off by these little channels, and conducted to
the outside of the sound-board. The same thing must
be done on the table, under every slider. Now take
the block of wood with the cork on it, mentioned in
Chapter I., and stretch a piece of fine glass-paper over
the cork, then carefully rub down the burrs raised in
making the channels on the table and the under side of
the upper bar boards. Fix the sliders and bearers in
the proper places by means of a small brad at each end,
punching the head of the brad below the surface, and
then plane down the slides and bearers perfectly level.
Take them off again carefully, and draw out the brads,

94 Organ building for amateurs.

and cut a slot in each slider, as shown, over the thick
end bar, to allow the proper distance for the movement
of them. The bass may be drawn out an inch, and the
treble sliders f inch each. Drive a stout wire pin into
the end bars through each slot level with the top of
the sliders, and that will prevent them being drawn any
further, but they may be lifted off when required. A
piece of thin mahogany, cross-way of the grain, should
now be glued on the underside of each slider at the
end where it is to draw, and a square or round hole
made through to receive the ends of the levers, which
are shown in Fig. 82, but will be described in a subse-
quent chapter. Give the sliders, the top of the table
under them, and the under side of the upper boards over
them, a good dressing with the very best black lead, to
make the sliders work smoothly. Cut a strip of thick
cartridge paper and glue it smoothly on the top of
each bearer, and that will allow just sufficient play for
the sliders.

If there is any grooving off of the pipes, that should
be the next operation. Suppose you find there is not
room for a pipe to stand in its proper hole over the
channel, you place it as near to it as you conveniently
can, and cut a deep groove in the upper board from the
hole to where the pipe stands ; the grooves should be
at least an inch wide and made quite smooth. The
inside should be coated with thin glue to prevent shakes
opening, etc., and then a piece of ^ inch mahogany
should be glued over the top of the groove to close it
in, and a hole made in it for the foot of the pipe, where
it is intended that it should stand. By this method the
wind can be conveyed to any portion of the sound-board
where it may be desired to place the pipes ; the only
rules to be observed are that the grooves should be

WIND-CHEST. 95

large enough to convey plenty of wind, and tVili^; there
should be no sharp turns, but if the groove 13 deflected
from the straight line, it should be by a curve.

Another kind of grooving is shown in Fig. 8i, and
is termed a "borrowing groove." This would be
required in the small two-manual organ, mentioned in
Chapter I., as the compass of the swell organ only
extends down to tenor C, and the bass of the great
organ has to do duty for both the great and the swell.
This is a proceeding which has nothing whatever to
recommend it, when viewed from a strictly musical
standpoint, as it follows that the bass, which should be
nearly equal in power to the treble, is really very much
weaker ; but the plan is often adopted in small organs
simply to save expense and to keep down the height of
the instrument. The stopt diapason slider should be
placed at the back of the great sound-board, and the
upper board should extend over it and also over the
slider in the swell organ, as is shown by the dotted
line in Fig. "^T. A groove is then made in the upper
board, connecting each bass channel in the swell with
the corresponding channel in the great, and a hole
is bored through at each end into the channels just
the same as though a pipe stood at each end of the
groove. It will thus be understood that, although
there are no bass pipes in the swell, the sound-board
is made with fifty-six channels exactly corresponding
with those of the great sound-board. Over the holes
at each end of the grooves a leather valve is placed,
which opens upwards into the groove. These valves
are made by gluing two thicknesses of soft white
sheepskin together, with the soft side outwards, allow-
ing a single thickness only to form the hinge. Cover
the top of the groove with thin mahogany in the usual

g6 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

way, and bore the hole through it to receive the toot
of the pipe in any convenient place, so long as it does
not come immediately over either of the valves. Now
on pressing a key in the bass of the swell organ, the
little valve flies open and the air is admitted into the
groove and passes out through the pipe. The little
valve at the other end keeps closed, and thus prevents
the wind passing down into the channel of the great
and causing all the pipes to sound for which stops
might be drawn. The converse would be the case on
pressing a key on the great organ.

Where grooves cannot be used, tubes are convenient
for conveying wind to pipes when they are planted off
the sound-board, whether at the sides, back, or front of
the organ. These tubes are generally made of metal,
and are costly ; but the amateur, profiting by his ex-
perience in making paper pipes, can make these tubes
in just the same way, painting them inside and out to
preserve them. There should be no sharp angles, but
all turns must have a double joint, as shown in Fig. 82,
where one pipe is shown at a higher level, and the
other at a lower level than the sound-board. The wind
is conveyed to all speaking fronts in this way. The
conveyance tubes should always be as large as possible,
never less than l inch internal diameter. The pipes
can be stood on a board and the tubes can enter the
board at any convenient part. The rack pillars should
be 4 or 5 inches long in the bass, and about 3 inches
for the treble, and may be made either round or square ;
the top and bottom portions should fit tightly into their
respective holes (which may be made in any convenient
position), and should be black leaded, so as to be easy
to remove at any time that may be required.

Having completed the upper portion of the scund^*

PALLETS, ETC.

board, turn it over again and take off the thin boards
which were bradded on to protect the under side.
Shake and blow out all the chips and dust from the
channels, and after seeing that the surface is quite true,
glue a sheet of stout cartridge paper, allow it to
stretch, and then fasten it down over the entire surface
of the channel bars, rubbing it well to ensure its perfect
adhesion everywhere and be very careful to see that
there is no inequality in the surface, however slight, as
it would prevent the pallets closing properly. When
dry, cut out the paper where the pallets are to come,
using a sharp penknife.

The pallets must now be made by jointing up a board
of sound yellow pine 4 feet 10 inches long and rather
over 8 inches wide, the grain running across the board ;
plane it perfectly true on one side, and on the other
side plane it so that it is f inch thick at one end, and
only f inch at the other. Lay it over the pallet holes,
the thick end at the bass, mark the centre of every
channel bar on the board, square the lines over, and
then saw it up into separate pallets. When jointing it
up, see that the joint comes over a bar, and not over a
channel, and before sawing it, run a rebate | inch wide
all along the front edge, so as to leave the thin piece
on the level side. If this rebated edge is French
polished it will give the pallets a very neat appearance.
After separating the pallets plane them to shape, slope
off the tail end, and make a cut in the front end with a
tenon saw, to a depth of about f inch, as shown in
Figs. 83 and 84. At | inch from the front bore a small
hole right through the pallet, and enlarge it on the upper
side, pass a loop of thin whipcord through this and
gently drive a glued wedge in between the two ends of
the cord to hold it firmly, and th^n trim it off nice and

98 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

level with the top of the pallet. The pallets, when
finished, should be wide enough to lay at least ^ inch on
each channel bar. Now get a piece of strong, but very
common, calico that has been washed, and glue the
pallets on to it side by side, allowing the calico to project
3 inches at the tail end. Cut them apart when dry, and
then glue them on to a strip of stout felt in just the
same v^ay, but Hot allowing any felt to project at the
tail. Cut apart again, and then glue them on to a
piece of the best sheepskin leather, allowing 3 inches
extra for the hinge, the same as with the calico, which
should be neatly glued down against the end of
the felt and over the leather. Some use two thick-
nesses of leather instead of felt and leather, and if this
is done, both pieces of leather should overhang at the
tail end as shown in Fig. 83. The grain surface of
the leather must be well roughened with glass-paper,
or the glue will not hold. When dry, cut the pallets
apart with a sharp knife, and then sprinkle some whiting
on a sheet of glass-paper, and gently rub the soft
leather surface of the pallet on it until the whiting
is worked into it. The pallets may now be glued in
their places on the channel bars. The tail or hinge
piece is glued, and the glue allowed to touch about a
^ inch of the end of the pallet, and it is then rubbed
down on the filling-in piece at the back of the
pallet-hole. Be careful to get the fronts in a straight
line, and then give each pallet a tap with a hammer to
bed it on the channel bar so as to make it fit quite air-
tight. Now drive a stout pin or wire into the front
cheek through the little saw cut in the front of
each pallet. This is the guide pin, and it prevents
the pallet from shifting sideways, but allows it to move
easily downwards. The guide pins may project a little

PALLETS, ETC. 99

more than an inch from the channel bars. In many
organs a guide pin is put on each side of the pallet, but
it is obvious that, whilst it does no more than the front
pin in preventing lateral movement, it gives two chances
of the pallet sticking, in consequence of dampness, or
from the pins getting bent. Cut strips of leather 4 or 5
inches long, and glue one over the hinge of each pallet,
carrying it right up to the top of the sloping tail of the
pallet.

We now come to a disputed point in organ building,
viz., whether or not a fillet of wood should be screwed
tightly down over the leather hinge of the pallet, as
shown in the sketches. I have shown a fillet there,
that it may be adopted or not, but I myself prefer its
absence to its presence.

The springs of the pallets are made of No. 18 or 19
steel wire, as shown in the sketch, and the mt thod is as
follows : Drive two pieces of stout wire into a board about
5 inches apart, and forming the apex of an equilateral
triangle with the wires, insert a peg of hard wood about
I inch in diameter. Now take a piece of spring wire,
place it against the first wire peg, then carry it up to
the wood peg, and twist it twice round and continue
the wire down to the next wire peg, and bend it against
it. Cut it off with the nippers at the points where it
bends round the wire pegs, slip the spring off, and
make both the arms of it curve a little inwards, and it is
finished. Make all your springs on the same pegs and
they will all be alike. Now make a slip of wood rather
longer than the length of the interior of the wind-chest,
3 inches wide and about ^ inch thick, on the back edge
of this glue a slip of \ inch mahogany i^ inch wide,
and immediately under the centre line of each of the
pallets make a tenon saw cut | inch deep in this

100 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

mahogany slip. Place the springs in these saw cuts, and
bore a little hole in the pallet 4| inch from the front
edge, and a similar hole in the pine slip, and insert the
bent end'5 of the springs in the holes. The spring rail
may now be fastened in its place by screws or buttons.
The thumping rail is made of a slip of wood | inch
thick, and i^ inch deep. It is nearly as long as the
sound-board, and is let into a groove in each end of
the wind-chest, at about i inch below the fronts of
the pallets, so that it prevents them being pulled down
more than an inch. It should be covered with leather
or cloth on the top edge, and should be fastened in
position by a button or screw, so as to be easily taken
out, if required, to get at the pallets.

Now dovetail the back of the wind-chest into the ends,
so as to make a good joint of it, and screw it down
tightly on to the edges of the channel bars, but do not
glue it to them. In order to make it air-tight, j'ou
may glue a piece of paper all over the joint at the
back.

Now get some tinned iron wire (No. 19 gauge) and
cut 56 pieces, and make a neat little hook at one end
of each piece with a pair of round-nosed pliers, so
that it will hock on to the whipcord loop of the pallet
and hang down rather more than an inch below the
under side of the bottom board of the wind-chest. This
bottom board is merely a piece of inch pine, the size of
the wind-chest, to which it should be tightly screwed
when in position. Immediately under each of the loops
bore a hole in the bottom board fully J inch in diameter,
for the pull down wires to pass through. Now procure
a strip of stout sheet brass 5 feet long and i^ inch
wide, and drill a very small hole in it over the centre of
each of the holes in the bottom board. Enlarge these

PALLETS, ETC. 10 1

holes with a fine rymer, very carefully, so as to
make them just large enough for the pull down wires to
pass through without any wind escaping round them.
This plate of brass is now fastened down on to the
bottom of the wind-chest by a fillet of wood being
screwed on each side of it, as shown at j, in Figs. 75
and ^6. Unhook all the pull-downs, make a little loop
at the bottom end where it hangs below the brass plate,
and then hook them up again.

It now only remains to make the front of the wind-
chest, which is merely a \ board of pine or mahogany.
See that the front edges of the wind-chest are quite
level all round with the front cheek of the sound-board,
and then glue a strip of soft leather all round where the
front will come on. Screw the front on with long, thin
round-headed screws, with brass washers or shields, to
prevent the heads drawing into the wood, and be sure
that no air escapes round the joints.

The method 1 have described for making the sound-
board is the one I adopt myself and recommend, but
some builders merely glue the edges of the bars on to the
table without grooving them in. This plan, however,
is not so strong, and increases the danger of leakage
from one channel to another, especially in sound-boards
of amateur construction, and as it takes longer in
gluing, it does not really save much time. Another
method is to put the sides and ends together first, and
then groove the bars into the sides, putting the table on
last, which is a rather difficult job. This plan also
requires extreme accuracy in planing, but if a good board
cannot be procured, the table may be formed by gluing
slips of I inch pine in between each channel bar, and
thus forming a solid top.

The 2-manual sound-board may be made in two

102 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

distinct boards, and then glued together, or may be
made all in one, and divided by filling in pieces, as
shown at q, in Fig. 'j'j. One wind-chest will supply
both sound-boards, as it extends under the whole
surface of them. The great pallets open at the front
and the swell pallets at the back. The holes for the
wind- trunks must be made in the ends of the wind-
chest. The general instructions for making the single
manual will apply to the two-manual.

For a small organ, containing from i to not more
than 4 stops, a very compact arrangement is to make
the sound-board double, as shown in Fig. 79. The
front portion contains 44 channels, thus taking all the
pipes down to tenor C. The back portion has only
12 channels for the \2 bass pipes in each stop, and the
pipes will thus stand in a single row over each bass
slider. The divisions should be made double in the
bass sound-board, in order that the channels may not
be too large, about l;^ inch being wide enough for the
largest channel, and f inch for the smallest. The width
of the slider for the flute bass and also the width of the
bass portion of the sound-board may be considerably
reduced by grooving off the flute pipes so that they
stand opposite the space between each of the stopt
diapason pipes, as indicated in Fig. 79, and it would
only involve 2 or 3 inches of grooving for each of these
1 2 pif es. The length of the sound-boards may be from
3 feet 3 inches to 3 feet 9 inches, or longer if you like,
as the more room there is, the better the pipes will
sound. The bass pallets will open at the back and the
treble ones at the front, and the wind-chest will extend
under the two sound-boards in exactly the same way
as is shown in the section of the two-manual in Fig. 'jj.
The action will be described in due course. For a

PALLETS, ETC. IO3

I-stop organ, the treble and bass sound-boards should
be each about 5 inches in width (clear length of
channels), the channels being 2 inches deep. The
dimensions already given for widths of bearers and
sliders, depths of channels, etc., will apply to any organ
having more than one stop.

CHAPTER VI.

THE BELLOWS.

[E now take up the construction of the bellows,
upon the action of which depends in a
great measure whether the organ shall or
shall not be a pleasure to play upon. If
the bellows are too small, or the valves imperfect in
action, or the leather joints too tight, so as to cause
squeaking, they would be a never-ending source of
annoyance both to the performer and the audience.
By carefully following the instructions which will be
given herein, the amateur will, I hope, be enabled to
construct a perfectly reliable article.

A glance at Fig. lOi will give an idea of the general
appearance of a reservoir with two feeders, as seen
from the back. The upper portion consists of two
distinct folds or sets of ribs, the upper set folding
outwards and the lower set folding inwards. These
ribs are fastened to framings, or boards — the top one
m.arked a, being called the top board ; b, the floating
frame ; c, the middle board, and d, the trunk-band.
The feeder boards are marked e. In Fig. 102 you
have a section of the bellows across the feeder, and
this view being on a large scale, shows every detail
of the construction, both inside and out. You will
notice that there is a set of valves on the top of the

THE BELLOWS.

105

\ 00 00 1

1 00 00 1

'00 00 1

00 00 1

'__ o_g 00,1

1
1

1
\

('<

Fig. 86. — Plan of Feeder.
Scale, ^ inch to I foot.

feeder board, and another set on the top of the middle
board, both sets opening upwards. In its normal
position, the feeder would hang down, so that it would
be open to its iullest extent, and
filled with air. On pressing the
blower dour, the feeder would be
closed, and the air within it driven
into the reservoir, and, on allowing
the feeder again to descend, the
valves in the reservoir would close
and prevent the return of the air,
whilst, at the same time, the
valves of the feeder would open
and admit the air into it, to be driven into the reser-
voir at the next upstroke of the feeder.
In the top board of the reservoir a
safety-valve is placed, which, on the
folds rising to a certain height, is opened
by a string, and the surplus air escaping
at this valve, thus prevents any danger
of the bellows bursting from too much
air being forced into them. Weights
are placed on this top board, and these
give the necessary pressure to drive the
air out of the reservoir, through the
wind-trunks into the wind-chest of the
sound-board. The folds of the bellows
working opposite ways cause this pres-
sure to be equal, no matter whether
the bellows are wide open or nearly
closed. If the folds were both inside or both outside
folds, the pressure would be constantly varying. With
this brief introduction, I now go on with my instruc-
tions for making the bellows,

Fig. 87—

Method of Mak
ing Joints.

io6

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

First, then, prepare some | inch and i^ inch pine
for the framings, and cut it up into pieces about
5 inches wide. The top frame is 4 feet 6 inches long,
and 2 feet wide, and l| inch thick ; the next, or floating,
frame is exactly the same size, but this latter frame

Fig. 88. — Plan of Upper Board. Scale, ^ inch to I foot

need be only | inch stuff. The middle board frame is
4 feet 9 inches long, and 2 feet 3 inches wide, and
should be made of i^ inch stuff, as it bears all the

Fig. 89. — Plan of Floating Frame. Scale, ^ inch to i foot.

weight of the bellows. This frame has a bar of the
same thickness, and 4^ inches wide, across the centre
(mortised and tenoned in), as there are to be two
valve-boards.

All these frames are to be put together by mitring
the corners, and then cutting a groove in each, as
shown in Fig. 87. They are then glued together with

THIi BELLOWS.

107

a tongue of oak or mahogany, cross way of the grain,
in the grooves, and cramped tightly up, thus forming a
strong and air-tight joint. The tongues are shown by
the dotted Hnes at the corners of Fig. 89. Ordinary
mortise and tenon joints will not do, as they are not
sufficiently strong, and if the wood shrinks at all, they
are not air-tight.

Having completed these framings, now make the
trunk-band, which is made of i inch pine 3^ inches
wide, and forms a sort of tray when glued and screwed
in its place on the middle board. The outside measure

Fig. 90. — Plan of Valve Boaids.

of this band is 4 feet 6 inches long and 2 feet wide,
being exactly the same size as the floating frame. It
should be carefully dovetailed together at the corners,
the holes for the wind-trunks being cut in the back of
it before it is put together. The hole for the wind-
trunk for the sound-board is shown in the centre, and
those for the pedal wind-trunks on eacli side of it. It
must, however, be borne in mind that the wind-trunks
may be placed either at the back or at the ends of the
instrument, as may be most convenient.

In a two-manual instrument having separate wind-
trunks, the wind-trunk for the great sound-board is at
one end, and that for the swell sound-board at the

io8

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

Other. Only one trunk is, however, needed, if one
wind-chest supplies both sound-boards. Now prepare
two valve-boards 2 feet long, i foot J inches wide, and
I inch thick, plane them very true, and then bore four
sets of six holes in each, as shown in Fig. 90. The

Fig. 91. — Plan of Ribs for Upper Fold. Scale, \ inch to I foot.

holes may be about i^ inch diameter, and should be
made with a centre bit. The floating frame is left
just as it is, for it is nothing but a frame. The top

Fig. 92. — Plan of Ribs for Lower Fold. Scale, \ inch to I foot.

frame should have an inch board prepared for it about

4 feet long, and i foot 7 inches wide, with a hole about

5 inches by 3 inches cut through the centre of it, Rr
the safety valve. These boards will be screwed down
perfectly air-tight on to their respective frames, but
should not be fixed until the bellows is all complete, as
it is so much easier to glue the ribs into their places
when the framings only are there.

THE BELLOWS.

109

Now prepare sixteen pieces of pine ^ inch or § inch
thick and 3^ inches wide, for the ribs. You will
require eight long ones and eight short ones : those
for the top fold are shown in Fig. 93, and those for the
lower fold in Fig. 94, from which you will also get the
length required. Be careful in cutting the angles to
the slopes shown, or they will cut through the leather
gussets when in use.

When you have cut all the ribs bevel off the edges
of them as shown in the cross sections, Figs. 95 and 96.

Fig- 93- — Ribs for Upper Fold. Scale, ^ inch to i foot.

We will now go on with the leathering, etc., of the
reservoir, leaving the feeders till this is finished. It
must be understood that each joint in the ribs is made
by a strip of linen, or, what is better still, of Venetian

Fig. 94. — Ribs for Lower Fold. Scale, J inch to i foot

blind tape on the inside and a strip of leather on the
outside. You will commence by la5'ing each pair of
ribs together on a board, or on top of your bench, as
shown in Figs. 93, 94, and 95, leaving a space of ^ inch
between them, and fasten them down with a small
French nail at each end, so that they cannot shift.
Now glue a strip of blind-tape over the two ribs of each
set in the upper fold, and a strip of leather over each
set in the lower fold, for one will be the inside and the
other the outside. The glue must be used thin and

I lO

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

boiling hot, and the leather should be half-strained
white sheepskin, cut into strips about i^ inch wide,
and pared down at each edge on the soft side, so that
when the strips are glued down there will be no
perceptible ridges at the edges, and therefore little
risk of anything catching against the leather and
tearing it off. A very useful tool for rubbing the strips
down so as to squeeze out all superfluous glue can be
made by fitting a piece of thin ivory— such as is used
for covering the manual keys — into a saw cut in the
end of a piece of wood, about 6 inches long and 2
inches wide. The other end may be formed into a

Fig. 9v — Ribs Fastened on Board for Leathering or Tapinp. Half full size.

convenient handle. A bowl or can of nearly boiling
water should be kept at hand, and all superfluous glue
and smears wiped off the leather with a sponge.

The leather must be glued on the soft side, and
should have two or three coats. When you have glued
each pair of ribs together with th.e strips of tape and
leather, and they are quite dry, fold tl cm together as
shown in Fig. 96 (which is an endwise section), so
that the tape or leather comes inside the fold. It is a
good plan to place a strip of wood or cardboard about
^ inch thick between the lower edges of the ribs at c,
to keep them that distance' apart while the next opera-
tion is performed. Now glue a strip of leather over
the bevelled edges of all those that are already taped,

THE BELLOWS.

I II

and rub it well down on to the tape ; a-id glue a strip
of tape in a similar way on to the ribs that have
been leathered. This leathering and taping is shown
by the black line on the top of the bevels in Fig. 96.
You have now each pair of ribs joined all along the
centre by a piece of leather on the outside, and a piece
of tape on the inside, and as the two ribs are ^ inch
apart the hinge works very easily. Now
see that the inside edges of the top frame
and of the floating frame exactly correspond,
then take some strips of leather and fold
them lengthways down the centre, and glue
t!ie top half of them on to the under side of
the top frame, close to the inner edge, all
round, so that the other half of the strips
hang down, and proceed in the same way
with the top side of the floating frame, but
leaving the upper half of the leather stick-
ing up. Do exactly the same with the
under side of the floating frame, and close
to the outer edge, and also on the top of ^efhod ~^f
the trunk-band, but using tape instead of Joining the
leather for these. When this is dry, fix the p^^jj- ^^^jj
ribs into their places by gluing the other size.

halves of these strips of leather on to the
outside top and bottom edges of the upper folds, and
the halves of the tape strips on to the inside t^p and
bottom edges of the lower folds. Allow tliese to dry,
and then glue a strip of tape over the inside of the
top frame and the inner edge of the top ribs, and the
same with the bottom edge of the top ribs and the
inner edge of the floating frame. Proceed in a similar
way with the outer edges of the lower fold, only of
course using leather instead of tape.

^^"^

-^„

-^ ^

^y^

';,^

S? ■;,

1-^

I I 2 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

The section, Fig. 102, shows the positions of the tape
and leather for every joint, so I think a Httle study of
the diagram will make clear to the amateur, what it is
rather difficult to describe in writing. Care must be
taken not to let the edges of the ribs grind against the
woodwoi k of the frame, but the leather and tape should
touch each other about ^ inch. Leaving the reservoir
for the present, we will now take up the feeders.

The bottom board of each feeder is formed by a
framing the same as the other boards, and each
measures 2 feet 2 inches in length, and 2 feet in width.
The back piece is 6 inches wide, the front piece 8
inches, and each side is 6 inches wide ; thus leaving
an opening 14 inches long and 10 inches wide, which
is covered by a valve board 17 inches long and 13
inches wide, to be screwed on when all is complete in
the same manner as the other boards are. Each valve
board to have four sets of six holes i^ inch diameter,
to be covered by valves as described hereafter. The
ribs of the feeders are to be made of ^ inch pine, the
end ones being as shown in Fig. 97, 2 feet long on the
longest side, and I foot long on the shortest, and are
all 5^ inches wide. The side ribs are triangular, and
rather more difficult to set out ; they are shown in Fig.
98. First draw on a board two parallel lines, about 2
feet long and 5 inches apart. From a point at one
end, set off" a length of i foot 7^ inches on the top line,
now measure a length of i foot 11 inches from the
same point down to the lower line, and draw a line
joining the two points: thus obtaining the sloping
side. Join the I foot 7^ inch point to the I foot 1 1
inch point, and your shape will then be complete.
Make four ribs like this for each feeder, and then cut
off" about 3 inches from the pointed ends, for these

THE BELLOWS.

113

ribs must not extend right to the hinges of the feeders.
Proceed with the leathering and taping of each pair of
ribs in just the same way as you did with those for

Fig. 97. — End Ribs of Feeders. Scale, i J inch to i foot.

the reservoir. Now plane up two strips of | inch pine
2^ inches wide, and bevel them off, and glue and screw
them on to the inside of the feeder boards where the

Fig. 98.— Side Ribs of Feeders. Scale ij inch to 1 foot.

hinges are to come, and fix similar pieces on to the
middle board immediately over them. The feeder
boards may now be hinged on to the middle board by
four strips of stout webbing to each. Fasten the strips
with glue and tacks, the ends to be one inside and the

114 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

Other outside, in exactly the same way as the webbing
hinges are put on a clothes horse. Or you may bore
some holes through the feeder frame and middle board,
and draw some stout sash-line through and fray out
the ends and glue them down, driving wedges into the
holes to make a good strong job of it. In either form
of hinge it is necessary to glue a strip of leather both
inside and outside, along the edge of the feeder board.
The ribs may now be glued into their places with strips
of tape and leather, as described for the reservoir.
Fig. I02 will show exactly how the joints are arranged.
The next thing to be done is to close up the corners
of all the ribs by means of gusset pieces, both in the
reservoir and the feeders. To get the sizes and shapes
of the gussets, open the bellows until the holes at the
corners show their greatest possible size, both in height
and width, and cut a paper pattern to requisite shape,
which is of a diamond form, allowing it to be large
enough to lay on the wood at least an inch all round.
Having satisfied yourself that your pattern is the right
shape, cut out the requisite number of pieces in soft
leather and pare down the edges all round. Glue them
on very carefully, using boiling hot glue, or it will not
hold. Rub them well down with the ivory tool, and
sponge off the superfluous glue. Where the folds come
in the centres of the ribs you will have to pinch up a
piece of the gussets between your fingers, and when the
glue is dry cut the pinched-up pieces off with a pair of
sharp scissors. Then cut some strips of leather 4 inches
long, pare the edges, and glue them over the centre lines
of the ribs, so as to cover the part of the gusset that
has been cut. Proceed in the same way with the
gussets of the feeders. This gluing on of the gussets
needs much patience, for it is a most troublesome job,

THE BELLOWS.

115

>"' -Ci

t 'g- 99 — Method of
Forming Valve.

especially for the inexperienced. Cut out four small
triangular shaped pieces and glue in one on each side of
the feeder ribs over the gap at the hinge end, and the
leathering will now be com-
plete.

Now to form the valves,
take a good sized piece of
sheepskin leather, and glue
another piece on to it, so that
the soft sides are both out-
side. You must not forget
to scratch the grain side of
the leather with glass-paper
before gluing, or the glue will
not hold. Pass a warm iron
over this and place it between
two flat boards to dry. When dry rub it well on
both sides with a round stick to take out the stiffness,
and then cut it up into pieces just large enough to
cover a set of six holes with an
overlap of f inch all round. Now
cut some narrow strips of leather
and glue on to each corner of the
valve, and then tack the other corner
tightly down on to the valve-board,
allowing the valve just the least play.
This valve is shown in Fig. 99, and
it is my opinion the most efficient
valve in use, and it never curls up,
for it is held down at each corner. The ordinary
puff valve is shown in Fig. 1 00, and is made in much
the same way of two thicknesses of leather, but the
upper thickness does not cover the portion marked f,
which forms the hinge. This hinge is glued down

Fig. 100. — Puff

Valve.

Scale, I J ins. to 1 ft.

Il6 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

on to the valve-board, and a strip of thin wood is
bradded over it to prevent the valve from blowing right
over. This is a good valve, but it sometimes curls up,
and I much prefer that first described. Before fixing
the valves glue a nice smooth sheet of stout writing-
paper over the valve holes, and when dry cut the holes
through with a knife, and you will then have a good
smooth bed for the valves to lay on.

The valve-boards may now be screwed into their
respective places, using round-headed straight screws
with washers, and placing a strip of leather between the
joints to make all air-tight.

The safety valve is a piece of f inch pine | inch
larger all round than the hole which it covers, and it
should be lined with a double thickness of leather. The
leather should extend an inch or two over at the back
to form the hinge, which is glued down on to the under
side of the top board, and a fillet of wood bradded over
it. The valve is kept closed by a wire spring as shown
in Fig. 102, and is opened by means of a string, which is
fastened to a staple in the middle board, and brought
through the safety valve and knotted outside. If you
allow the bellows to rise 8 or 9 inches it will be ample.

You will now see that in consequence of the way in
which the bellows is made you have only to take out a
few screws in order to get at any part of the interior
should anything go wrong. In the old style of bellows
with solid boards instead of framings the only way to get
at the valves was by ripping up the bellows, and I well
remember my disgust when I had to perform that awful
operation on the first bellows which I made, and the
waste of time and material in repairing the damage
thus caused.

The only thing necessary to complete the interior of

VJ^JWJ^v"

\ ■>,,

CII--1

THE BELLOWS. 11/

the bellows is to put in six supports for the ribs. These
are simply pieces of wood shaped as in Fig. 105, covered
on the top with two thicknesses of leather, and fixed to
the inside of the trunk-band, two on each side and one
in the centre of each end.

In order to enable you to take out the valve-boards
when necessary, you must make some of these supports
movable, which will be easily accomplished by making
them in two parts ; the portion marked I in Fig. 105 to
be fixed to the trunk-band, and the part marked 2 to be
dovetailed into it, so that it can be slipped in or out
as required.

The wind-trunks are square, or rather oblong-shaped
tubes made of ^ inch pine, and mitred at the bends.
They are connected to the wind-chest or trunk-band by
means of a flange plate, which is a flat piece of mahog-
any, about 3 inches longer at each end than the length
of the opening, and about | inch wider on each side than
the width of it, and an opening the size of the interior
of the wind-trunk is cut in the flange plate. Thus, if
the outside size of the wind-trunk is 13 inches by 2|
inches, the flange plate would be about 19 inches by 4^
inches. The wind-trunk is halved into the flange plate,
as shown in Fig. 102. The plate is screwed to the
wind-chest or trunk-band, as the case may be, and :i
thickness of leather placed between the joints.

In order to secure the equal and parallel opening of
the bellows a pair of regulators will be required. One
of these is shown in Fig. lOI, and it consists of three
pieces of thin flat wood, or metal, jointed together.
The long piece is centred on the floating frames, the top
short piece on to the top frame, and the lower short
piece on to the trunk-band. All the centres work
loosely. The other regulator is placed at the front of

Il8 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

the bellows, but the long piece slopes in the opposite
direction.

The bellows, if a small one, may be made with only
one feeder, if preferred, extending the whole length of
the bellows, and hinged either at the front as described,
or at one end. For the two-manual it would be better
to make the bellows as wide as the combined width of
the sound-boards, as the larger they are the better. The
instructions already given will apply just the same, the
only alteration being in the dimensions.

The weighting for the bellows should, if possible,
be flat metal weighting, done up in flannel to prevent
damage to the woodwork.

Two views of a foot-blower are given in Figs. 102
and 103. It consists of a roller working on a pivot,
centred at each end into brackets, which may be fixed
to the building frame or screwed to the floor. An arm,
with a little wheel at the end of it, extends from the
back of the roller in such a position that the wheel
comes directly under the centre line of the feeder. The
wheel may be covered with an india-rubber tyre to
cause it to work silently, and a strip of brass should
be screwed on to the underside of the feeder frame for
the wheel to work on. On the front of the roller another
arm projects, sloping upwards, and it has a flat piece of
wood, shaped to receive the foot, on top of it. This arm 1
should be placed in the most convenient position for
pressing with the foot. When the foot is pressed on
this the other arm rises and closes the feeder, and when
the pressure is withdrawn the feeder falls again. It
is obvious that by altering the position of the arms the
blower can be made to work either right or left of the
performer.

Fig. 104 shows a hand-blower, which is required

THE BELLOWS. II9

where pedals are used. It is simply a flat bar of wood
or metal, centred on the building frame or other
convenient place, and cords hang down at equal distances
from the centre, and are hooked into staples projecting
from the centre of the feeder frame.

One end of the bar is extended and formed into
a convenient handle, or the handle may be made
separate and slipped into a pair of staples on the
top of the bar when in use, and unshipped when not
required. The cords should be of such a length that
when one feeder is up the other is down.

Carefully test the bellows to see that there is no
escape of wind, and remedy any defects that may show
themselves.

When complete the woodwork of the bellows may
be painted or covered with fancy paper, according to
taste, but the leather work should be left as it is.

CHAPTER VII.

THE BUILDING FRAME AND MANUAL ACTION.

|Y the building frame is meant the framework
which supports the sound-board and pipes,
the key-board, bellows, etc., and as these
portions of the instrument are of great
weight, it is very necessary that the building frame
should be well and substantially constructed. A glance
at Fig. 1 06 will show that no great ingenuity is required
in the construction of this framework, as it consists
merely of two posts and two cross rails at each end,
joined together by two longitudinal rails or bars, on
which rest two boards. The exact position of these
bars and rails is a matter of considerable importance,
and will vary according to the style of the instrument.
The building frame shown in the sketch is for the
organ described in Chapter I., Scheme i, but the
general method of construction will be the same for all
the schemes I have mentioned, the only alterations
being in the dimensions.

First prepare the four upright posts of yellow deal
or pine, 4 feet 3 inches long, 3^ inches, or more, wide,
and not less than i^ inch thick. If wood or metal
pipes are largely used, the posts should be 2 inches
thick at least. The cross rails are the same thickness
as the posts, and 6 inches deep, and should be tenoned

BUILDING FRAME AND MANUAL ACTION. 121

right through the posts, so that, when finished, the
outside width of the frames measures 2 feet 2 inches,

thus being a little wider than the sound-board. The
top rails are placed so that the top edges of them are
just level with the top of the posts. The top edges of
the lower rails should be just 14 inches from the

122 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

ground. On the inside of these lower rails another
rail, exactly the same size, and Ij inch thick, should
be strongly glued and screwed. On these inner rails
the ends of the middle board of the bellows will res'- ;
and if there are no wind-trunks at the ends of the
bellows, a similar rail 3 or 4 inches wide may be
screwed at a distance above the others, equal to the
thickness of the bellows-board, thus forming a groove
into which that board will just shde without allowing
any upward play. But if there should be a wind-trunk
at either end, this upper rail must be omitted, as it
would come in the way of such wind-trunk.

Having made the two end framings exactly similar
in every respect, they must now be joined together by
the two longitudinal rails which should each be 5 feet
long, 4| inches wide, and i^ inch thick. The back
rail is tenoned into the back posts so that the top edge
of it is 2 feet 8 inches from the ground ; the front one
is tenoned into the front posts so that its top edge is
2 feet 3 inches from the ground. This is on the
assumption that pedals are so attached. If these are
not required the rails will all be placed 4 or 5 inches
lower. The distance between the end frames should
be 4 feet 9 inches, so that it just allows the middle
board of the bellows to slide in between them and res
on the rails screwed on to support it. Now get out tw
pieces of deal 5 inches wide, i foot i^ inch long and
1 J thick, and glue them edgewise on to the top of the
front rail at each end, thus making the rail exactly the
same height as the top of the back rail, and leaving
an open space 2 feet 6^ inches wide. Now prepare
two boards of | inch pine, i foot i^ inch wide and
about 3 feet 3 inches long, and screw them down on tp
the front and back rails so that the front ed^es over-

BUILDING FRAME AND MANUAL ACTION. 1 2$

hang. On these boards the sides or cheeks of the
key-board will rest, and the keys themselves will have
a clear space under them for the necessary action to be
placed in connection with the pedals. The ends of
these two boards should be left square until the case
of the instrument is decided upon, when they may be
cut off to any shape or size that may be required, or as
suggested in the sketch by the dotted lines.

The sound-board will rest on the top of the posts,
and cross rails, and all that will be required to keep it
in its place will be two little dowells, or pegs of hard
wood, at each end as shown at d in Fig. io6. These
dowells fit into holes in the under side of the wind-
chest and cheeks of the sound-board, and the weight
of it, especially when loaded with pipes, will keep it
down firmly.

Fig. 107 shows the building frame complete with the
sound-board, key-board, bellows, etc., in position. The
middle board of the bellows must be secured to the
rails by screws or buttons, as the case may require.

Two coats of paint would make the frame look all
the nicer and preserve it from damage by damp, etc.

We must now consider what alterations would be
necessary in order to make a building frame suitable
for any of the other schemes which I have described.
For either of the two-manual organs the only difference
will be that it must be made 2 inches wider than the
total width of the two sound-boards, and about 4
inches extra height allowed for the posts above the
level of the boards supporting the key-board if octave
couplers are to be used.

If no octave couplers are to be placed in any of
these organs, either single or two-manual, 9 or 10
inches will be sufficient for the height of the under side

124

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

of the wind-chest above the top of the key-board ; but
if couplers are to be used, the height must not be less

than 1 5 inches, and for a two-manual this height must
be measured above the upper key-board.

In order to make these matters quite clear, I now
give a summary of the chief points to be attended to in
constructing a building frame for any small organ : —

BUILDING FRAME AND MANUAL ACTION. 12$

I. The outside measurement of it should be the
same length as the sound-board, and slightly wider.

2. The top of the key-board should be about 28
inches from the floor or above the pedals, if any, and the
under side of it would thus be about 25 inches from
either of these points.

126

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

3. The middle board of the bellows should rest on
rails not less than 1 1 inches above the floor, or above
the pedal action, if any.

4. The key-board should project about 10 inches
from the front of the under case or panelling, and the
length of the projection of the boards supporting the
key-board will depend on the existence or non-existence
of a swell-box.

5. If an octave coupler is required, the height of
the under side of the wind-chest above the key-board
should be 15 inches at least ; but if there is no octave

[ffi

T!^JW

Fig 109. —Action Below the Keyboard.

coupler, 9 or lo inches will be sufficient. Noie. — This
height may be reduced in extreme cases, where the
height of the room really demands it, but it renders it
difficult to get at the action.

6. In a two-manual this height should be taken from
the top of the upper key-board.

Where, however, the room is very low, or, for some
other reason, it is required to keep down the height of
the instrument as much as possible, the action can be
made to pass below the level of the key-board, as
shown in Fig. 109. The key-board may in this case
be 2 or 3 inches higher from the ground. The building

BUILDING FRAME AND MANUAL ACTION. \2J

frame would be very low, and thus effect a considerable
saving.

Where pipes are planted off, they may be supported
on a board placed on brackets screwed to the end posts.

We must now direct our attention to the manual
action, which is the mechanism by which, when a key
is depressed, the valve or pallet in the wind-chest

Fig. I lo. — Action for Single Manual Organ. Scale, i inch to I foot.

belonging to that note is opened, and all the pipes over
that channel, for which stops are drawn, caused to
sound. Many are the ways in which this is ac-
complished, but we need only concern ourselves v.'ith
two of them, namely, the fan-frame action, pure and
simple, and the fan-frame modified by the introduction
of a few rollers.

Fig. no shows a side view of both these actions,
the roller board being marked a. It will be seen that

t28

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

on the end of the key-tail is an upright rod of thin

wood, termed a
sticker, with a wire
in each end of it,
the lower wire pass-
ing through the key-
tail and the upper
one passing through
the end of a thin
piece of wood term-
ed a backfall. This
backfall works on a
centre wire, and in
a groove cut in a
square balk of wood
termed a backfall
rail, or bridge, and
the other end of it
is connected by a
tapped wire with
the pull-down of the
pallet. Thus, when
the front of the key
is pressed down, the
tail of it is raised,
and with it the
sticker and the back
end of the back-
fall. The front end
of the backfall con-
sequently descends,
and brings with it
the tapped wire and
the pull-down, and thus opens the pallet. When the

BUILDING FRAME AND MANUAL ACTION. 1 29

pressure on the key is taken off, the action returns
to its original position. A set of these is required
for every note on the key-board, and, as the back ends
of the backfalls are immediately over the key-tails, and
the front ends are immediately under their respective
valves, it follows that, as the sound-board is longer
than the key-board, the backfalls spread out in the
form of a fan, thus giving rise to the term fan-frame
action. A plan showing the radiation of the backfalls
is given in Fig. in. The action of the roller will be
better understood if described later on.

First make the stickers, which may be either square
or round. If square they may be cut off a plank of
good sound pine § inch thick, either with a saw or a
cutting gauge, and finished off with glass-paper, so
that they are rather less than | inch square. They
may be made in long pieces and cut up to the required
lengths afterwards. If round stickers are required,
take a | inch bead plane and run a bead all along one
edge of the f inch plank, turn the board over and run
a bead along the outer edge of the same side, as the
two quirks will nearly meet the bead will easily crack
off, and present the form of a round stick, which will
only require finishing off with glass-paper to make it
present a neat appearance.

When the stickers are cut to the required length
insert a piece of tolerably stout tinned iron, or phos-
phor bronze, wire in each end, allowing it to project
1^ inch. See Fig. 112.

The backfall rail should be next got out, it should
be nearly as long as the sound-board, and about 2^ or
3 inches square. It may be made of oak, mahogany,
or pine, but whatever material is used should be sound
and dry. The backfalls themselves should be i^ inch

130

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

wide and rather over ^ inch thick, mahogany being the
best material to use for them.

They should be cut to the shape shown in the
sketches, and the lengths will depend on the lengths
of the keys and the extent of the radiation. In order
to find the lengths of the backfalls and the exact
position of the grooves in the back-
fall rail in which they are to work
you must now proceed to set out
to full size the plan indicated in
Fig. III. Take a piece of smooth
oard just long enough to slide in
between the posts of the building
frame, and wide enough to extend
back an inch or two beyond the
key-tails, while the front edge is
an inch or two in front of the line
of the pull-downs of the pallets.
Now draw on it the line marked i i,
immediately over the holes for the
sticker wires in the key-tails, and
mark on this line the exact position
of every such hole, which is really
in the centre line of each key.
Keeping the board carefully in the
" same position draw the line 3 3
exactly under the line of the pull-
down wires, and mark on it the position of every
pull-down. These positions may be marked off on
a rod and then transferred to the line on the board.
Now join the points on the back line to the points
on the front line, and this will give you the exact
length of every backfall from the hole where the
sticker wire goes through to the hole where the puU^

Fig. 112.— I Fig. 113.-
Sticker. Tracker.

BUILDING FRAME AND MANUAL ACTION. I3I

down wire passes through, so you may cut them all
about an inch longer. In joining these points do not
forget that if the four tenor channels are transferred to
the treble end of the sound-board, you pass over the
13th, 14th, 15th, and i6th points over the key-tail line
and join the 17th point to the 13th point on the
pull-down line, and so on, as the backfalls for the
transferred channels are immediately under those chan-
nels and run square across the board, as shown at a a
on the plan. Fig. in. Now take the backfall rail and
make a deep gauge mark all along the centre line of it,
and make this mark correspond with the centre line of
the backfalls as marked on the board. Lay the back-
fall rail in this position — with the gauge mark down-
wards— on the board, as shown by the two lines on
the plan marked 2 2, and mark on both sides of it the
position of the backfall lines, take the rail up and join
these points, and you will then have the centre line of
every groove for the backfalls to work in. With a fine
tenon saw carefully saw down the grooves to a depth
of I J inch, allowing them to be just wide enough for
the backfalls to work freely in them; take out the
intervening wood with a ^ inch chisel, and smooth the
sides of the grooves with a flat file or a piece of glass-
paper placed over a thin flat piece of wood.

The backfalls are inserted in their proper position,
a stout wire run through the centres, and fastened
down in the gauge mark on the backfall rail by means
of narrow pieces of thin hard wood, or sheet brass
being screwed over it with small screws. This plan is
better than using staples, which are apt to split the
rail, and cannot easily be withdrawn if required.

The centre wire should only run through those
backfalls which run in a tolerably direct line across the

132 OkGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

rail, but, where they radiate much, a separate centre
wire should be used for each one, and fastened down
as before described, as it does not do to let the axis
pass obliquely through the backfalls.

The holes in the backfalls should all be made with a
drill, and the centre ones must be bushed ; that is,
lined with cloth, in order to secure silent action. As
this bushing of holes is necessary for many portions
of the actions, it will be convenient to describe it now.
And though it may seem rather a difficult and tedious
operation to line with cloth a hole | inch in diametur,
it will not be found so in practice. Cut some strips of
old woollen cloth — a piece of any old garment will do —
about f inch wide, and cut into lengths of i^ inch.
Cut them into a point at one end, and pass this point
through the hole to be bushed, draw the cloth a little
way through, and glue the outside of it and draw that
into the hole ; pass a bradawl or a wire through the cloth
to press it well down to the sides of the hole, and when
dry, trim off the cloth close to the wood on each side.

Having completed the backfalls, the stickers may
be put into their places by passing the top and bottom
wires through their proper holes, previously, however,
slipping a little disc of cloth or soft leather over the
wires, so that the ends of the sticker may not rattle
against the key-tail or backfall.

These cloths may be purchased for 6d. or 8</. a
hundred, or if you prefer to make them yourself, you
can do so with a f inch hollow punch, and then make
a hole in the centre of each for the wire to pass through.
The cloths are shown in the several sketches by the
thick line at the top and bottom of each sticker, but are
drawn rather larger than the real size in order to make
them conspicuous enough.

BUILDING FRAME AND MANUAL ACTION. 1 33

The front ends of the backfalls should come so that
the holes through them are directly under the pull-down
wires. A short length of wire tapped with a very
coarse thread at the lower end, and having a small
hook at the top end, is passed through the hole in the.
end of the backfall and hooked, in the manner which
will be described, on to the pull-down of the pallet, and
a leather button is screwed on to the tapped wire close
up to the under side of
the backfall. These
leather buttons can be
purchased very cheaply,
or made by the amateur
in the same way as
described for the cloths.
The hooked end of the
wire does not hook on
to the pull-down wire
itself, but on to a small
disc or oval of soft
leather, as shown in Fig. 1 14.— Leather I Fig. 115. — Pull-
Figs. 1 14 and 1 15, and Connection. | Downs Hooked

° ~ -^' into Leatnci

the leather is then | Connection.

hooked on to the pull-
down, thus securing silent action. This is most essential,
as nothing is more annoying, when playing on the in-
strument, than to hear grating and rattling of the
mechanism. The hooks of the handblower of the
bellows should be hooked into a stout leather looped
on the staple in a similar way, otherwise the hooks
would be apt to slip out on the descent of the feeder,
besides being noisy. Or you may use wood connec-
tions instead of rope.

The next thing will be the roller board for those

134

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

channels which are transferred to the treble end of the
sound-board.

This may be made of ^ inch mahogany about 3 feet
6 inches long and 6 inches wide ; the rollers themselves
are of mahogan}', and must be thoroughly seasoned.
They are made about an inch wide and | or | inch

Fig.

116. — Front View of Roller Board.
Scale, I inch to i foot.

Fig. 117. — End View
of Roller Board.

thick, rounded off on the top and bottom edges. They
work on a centre wire which is driven into each end,
and passes through a stud tenoned into the board, and
these wires should project an inch beyond the studs,

Fig. 1 18.— Enlarged View of Roller

to allow them to be drawn out by means of a pair of
pliers if it should be required.

The rollers are shown in Figs. 116 to 119. Fig. 120
shows the studs, which can be expeditiously made in
the following manner : — Cut a piece about if inch wide
off the end of a | inch board of mahogany ; run a rebate
along the top and bottom edges to form the tenon, and
then round off the front edges. Drill a hole right

BUILDING FRAME AND MANUAL ACTION. 1 3$

through, then cut the sHp into separate studs about
f inch thick, bush the holes in which the centre wires
of the rollers are to work, and then smooth all off with
glass-paper. We have now only to make the roller
arms, which may be either of metal or wood. If of
metal, make them of stout wire flattened out at one
end, and having a hole drilled in it as shown in Figs.

Fig. 119.— Plan of Roller Board. Scale, i inch to I foot.

118 and 1 19. Bore a hole in the roller slightly smaller
than the wire of the arms, and then drive them into
their proper places. The roller arms should project
about i^ inch from the roller, and the holes in them
must be bushed. There are only four of these rollers,
so, if you like, you may make
them all the same length ; and
a strip of wood with four
holes in it might be screwed
on to each end of the roller
board to receive the centre
wires, instead of having

separate studs. This method, however, would not
do where many rollers were required, as it would so
greatly increase the weight and bulk of the roller board.
In some actions there is a roller for every key. Rollers
may also be made of § inch iron gas piping by cutting it
to the requisite length and inserting a wood plug in each
end to receive the centre wires and the arms. A hole
is drilled through, and the arm is then driven through

Fig. 120.— Roller Stud.

136 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

and riveted at the back. These iron rollers and arms
should be painted over with Brunswick black to prevent
rust. As it is very necessary that the rollers should
be placed close together and occupy as little space as
possible, the gas piping is preferable to wood, and
besides does not warp. The exact positions of the
roller arms must be obtained by actual measurement,
the left-hand arm being immediately over the tail of the
key to which it belongs, and the right-hand arm im-
mediately under the end of its own backfall. The four
transferred backfalls are shown at a a in Fig. in, and
the action of the roller is as follows : When the key
is pressed down it pushes up a sticker as in the ordinary
action, the top wire of the sticker, however, passes
through the left-hand arm of the roller, instead of
through a backfall. The right-hand arm of the roller is
connected to the back end of its own backfall by means
of a short sticker, and consequently that end is pushed
up and the front end brought down as in the ordinary
action. It is thus evident that, when a roller is used,
the action can be transferred to any position right or
left of the key pressed down.

For a two-manual instrument the lower manual is
for the great organ and the upper manual for the swell,
though the respective positions of the manuals are
sometimes reversed. The great organ action is exactly
similar to that described above, the stickers pass behind
the swell keys, which is much better than making them
pass through a mortise in those keys, as it then becomes
impossible to alter one manual without interfering with
the other. The backfalls of the swell organ rest at the
front ends on the tails of the keys and should be thinned
down where the stickers of the great organ pass between
them (see Fig. 108). The key-tails of the swell manual

BUILDING FRAME AND MANUAL ACTION. 1 37

should have a disc of leather glued on them, where the
backfalls touch, to prevent noise.

Sometimes a tapped wire is passed through the ends
of the backfalls and key-tails, but this is not absolutely
necessary. The valves of the swell sound-board pull
down from the back, and instead of using
a sticker for that purpose as for a thrust
or push action, we use what is termed
a tracker, which is always adopted
where a pull action is required. These
trackers are made either round or flat ;
if flat they are about jg inch thick, and
f inch wide ; if round they are ^ inch
in diameter, and made with a bead plane
the same as stickers. In either case the
ends are cut pointed and a groove cut
in them with a tenon saw. In this
groove a tapped wire is placed, with the
lower end bent and passed through a
hole at the bottom of the groove (see
Fig. 121); a piece of thin twine is
then bound tightly round the ends of the
trackers to hold the wire firmly, and is
afterwards coated with thin glue. The
wires are formed into a hook at the
other end when required to hook on to
a pull-down, or other connection. The
backfalls are placed on a backfall rail the
same as in the great organ, and the positions of the
grooves in it are obtained in the same way as described
for that one.

If any channels are transferred on the great sound-
board the same must be done on the swell, and a roller
board made in exactly the same way.

Fig. 121.— Top
of Tracker
and Tapped
Wire.

138

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

In the small organ with the twelve channels for the
bass placed at the back a roller board may be used for
most of those channels. It is, however, quite possible
to use long radiating backfalls, fixed at a slightly lower
level than the treble backfalls, so as to pass beneath
them, and in this case each backfall in the bass must be
separately centred.

The action of the organ with the sound-board below
the key-board (shown in Fig. IC9) is simply a tracker

'////////////■ ///, /y y- V V '.

Fig. 122.— Sliding Key-Beard.

and backfall action, the pallets being at the back instead
of at the front, and needs no further description. The
backfall rails of either of the organs are screwed on to
the underside of the wind-chest, or to pieces connected
with the building frame, according to the position
required.

Fig. 122 shows an action for a single manual with a
sliding key-board. In this Case there is no wire at the

BUILDING FRAME AND MANUAL ACTION. 1 39

bottom of the sticker, but the stickers rest on a sloping
ridge about f inch high, which is made on the top of
•the key-tail and covered with soft leather. The stickers
pass through holes in a rail, which is called a register,
and are pre\'ented from falling too low when the key-
board is pushed in by having a little piece of wood
glued on them. This arrangement permits the key-
board to slide in like a drawer when not in use, and so
prevents waste of space in the apartment. In Fig. 122
B is the register, c the piece of wood glued on to the
sticker, and d the sloping piece on the key-tail.

A sliding key-board is also shown in Fig. 125,
page 143-

CHAPTER VIII.

THE KEY-BOARD.

[HE delicately-poised and accurately-con-
structed keys in a modern instrument
present a great contrast to those in organs
built in the Middle Ages, the keys of
which were several inches wide, and so heavy that
they required beating with the fist in order to move
them, from which circumstance a performer on the
instrument was termed an organ-beater. The physical
exertions required to play on such a key-board must
almost have equalled those of Gulliver when enter-
taining the court of Brobdignag with a musical
performance, and of which he remarks that " it was the
most violent exercise I ever underwent." The descrip-
tion of an ancient key-board may have furnished Dean
Swift with his idea in this case.

In the key-board at present in use the natural notes
of the chromatic scale are generally shown by white
keys, while the sharps and flats are indicated by raised
black ones. Even this is a reversal of the ancient
practice, for the natural notes were black, and the
sharps and flats were white. In some instruments of
the present day, especially in those of Gothic design,
the old order of the colours has been revived. I may

»4o

142

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

mention that in the fine old organ at Exeter the old
key-board is still preserved,

Man}'^ amateurs who are engaged in building the
small organ described in these pages would no doubt
wish to be supplied with instructions for making the
key-board, so that the instrument may be truly described
as being " all their own work." To enable them to
gratify this laudable ambition, I will now endeavour to
explain how the key-board can be satisfactorily made ;

Fig. 124. -Full-size Section of Mid-rail, showing the shape of the Mortise.

but I must here impress upon all who intend to
attempt this task, that every part of the work must
be most accurately and carefully executed, or the keys
will be a source of annoyance instead of pleasure.

To those who do not intend to make their own key-
board, but who are not blessed with a long purse, I
may hint that the key-board of an old piano may often
be obtained for a few shillings, and can be easily
•converted into a suitable manual for the organ.

Before starting on the keys themselves, it is necessary

THE KEY-BOARD.

143

to construct the frame, of \Vhi(?h a general idea will at
once be gained on an inspection of the plan in Fig. 123.
It consists of two sides, called the cheeks, and three
rails, termed the front, middle, and back rails respec-
tively, and a eross rail in the centre, to add strength.
All the wood to be either oak or mahogany.

First prepare the cheeks, which are i foot 6^- inches
long; 32 inches high, and i| inch thick. The front and
back rails are 2 feet 9^ inches long, 3^ inches wide,
and I inch thick. The middle rail is the same length
and width, but is i^ inch finished thickness, worked to

Fig. 125. — Section of Key- Frame and Keys, on scale of 2 ins. to i ft.

the shape shown in the section. Fig. 124, and the top
of it stands f inch higher than the top of the front or
back rails. The cross rail is | inch thick, and supports
the other three. All the rails are dovetailed together
and secured with screws, this plan being better suited
for the purpose than mortises and tenons. The cheeks
are 2 feet 7 inches apart in the clear.

The front and back rails should now be covered on
the top with thick green baize, to secure silent action,
The appearance of the key-board will be much im-
proved if the front portion of the cheeks is cut out, as
shown in Fig. 125, and the front edge should project

144 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

^ inch beyond the front rail to receive the bead, which
runs along the front of the keys, to hide the gap
between them and the key-rail. This bead should be
1^ inch high, and ^ inch thick. Having now com-
pleted the key-frame, the keys themselves should be
commenced. They may be made of good mahogany
or lime. Good yellow pine may be used, provided the
mortises hereafter to be described are cut in hard wood,
and let into the keys at the proper places. Joint up a
board of | inch stuff — mahogany, lime, or pine, which-
ever you intend to use — with the grain running across
it, plane both sides very truly, and square all the
edges. The finished size of it is to be 2 feet 7 inches
long, and i foot 6 inches wide. With a compass,
pencil, and J-square, set out the keys, as shown in Fig.
126. First draw the lines a, b, c, d, e, and f, at the
following distances from the front edge of the board :
— A, f inch; b, if inch; c, 2^ inches; d, 5^ inches;
E, 9 inches ; and f, 9I inches. The lines a and c show
the position of the front pins in the white and black
keys, E and f the mid pins, and b and d the front and
back edges of the combs or raised black keys. After
drawing these lines, set out the white key lines, each
of which is exactly ^ inch apart. The compass of
this kej^-board is to be from C C to G in the alto, but if
a smaller or larger compass is required, the board must
be proportionately reduced or extended in length.
There are thirty-three white keys, and the size above
given allows xV inch to spare. Then mark out the
black keys, taking notice that they do not come in the
centre of the white ones, but to the left or right of the
centre as required, the object being to get as much room
as possible on the white keys between each black one.
The blacks are arranged in alternate groups of two and

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146

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

three. Fig. 127 shows more plainly how the groups
of three black keys are arranged with regard to the
white ones. It will be as well to score across the
black keys with a lead pencil, to distinguish them, or
3^ou may make a mistake in boring the pin mortises.
When you have marked this all out, glue a slip of the

Fig. 1 27.- -Full-size plan of front portion of Keys.

same wood as the board all along the front edge. This
slip need only be ^ inch thick, and it should be secured
to the end of each key, as marked out, w^lth two little
pins or brads as well as with glue. Over this slip glue
another of chestnut ^ inch thick, and if you intend to
have the fronts of the keys moulded, run the moulding
on this slip (see Fig. i2Sj. This moulding, though not

THE KEY-BOARD.

147

much used at the present time, forms an easy way of
finishing the key fronts, is cheaper than ivory, and
looks better than plain flat wood.

The board now being prepared, fasten it down on
the key-frame, with its front edgs level with the edge
of the front rail, and with a centre-bit the exact size
of the key-pins, bore the holes for the key-pins right
through each key into the rails of the frame. You will
thus have no difficulty in getting the pins exactly in

fig. 128.— Full-size Section of front end cf Keys.

their right places. Take the board off again, and cut
the mortises, which should be done with a proper tool,
viz., a chisel punch. If you cannot get this, use a
small mortise chisel, the same width as the key-pins.
The under side of the holes for the mid pins should be
left untouched, but the top part is formed into a
mortise, or slot, about l inch long, and the width of
the key-pin, the pin being in the centre. The mortises
must then be cleared with the clearing tool if you can
possibly get one, or if not, you must do the best you
can with the mortise chisel. The clearing tool— a

148 ORGAN BUILDIKG FOR AMATEURS.

small centre-bit, the centre of which is as thick as the
key-pin — is inserted through the top mortise, and, on
turning it, the wood is cleared away all except about
I inch at the top and bottom. The shape of the hole,
when finished, is shown in Fig. 124. The object of
this internal enlargement is to prevent unnecessary
friction of the key on the pin, and the liability of
sticking. The holes for the front pins have the slot
or mortise at the bottom, and the top is bored out with
a centre-bit, about ^% diameter. In the white keys
this hole is covered with a slip of thin wood which runs
right across the key, and is let into it, as shown at a in
Fig. 128. The black keys will not require this slip as
the holes are covered by the thick ebony. Having
completed the mortises, go over the tops of the keys
(where the ivory platings are to come) with a fine
toothing plane, and then give them a coat of size and
flake white, to prevent the wood showing dark through
the ivory. Lay out your ivory platings, match the
fronts and tails, and number them, keeping the whitest
ones for the treble kej's, and then shoot the edges for
the joints with a finely-set steel plane. Glue the fronts
in their places with white Russian glue, and when they
are all on, clamp a strip of heated hard wood over
them, and leave them to dry. The tail-pieces are what
is termed sprung on, which is done as follows : drive a
small French nail into the key, just a little within the
distance to which the back of the ivory would reach,
and you will have to slightly bend the ivory plating to
get into its place when gluing it on. Be careful not
to let any glue get into llie joint between the two
ivories, or it will show as a dark line, but if the joint
is properly nir.de, it should be scarcely visible. Rub
the ivory well down, and clamp a strip of wood on it

THE KEY BOARD. 1 49

the same as with the front pieces. When you draw
out the nails, fill in the holes with some stopping
coloured to match the wood. If you intend to face
the nosings of the keys with ivory veneer, instead of
having a moulding, that should now be done, but if
you have circular nosings, as shown in Fig. 127, they
must be formed after the keys are cut apart.

When the glue is thoroughly dry and hard, you may
scrape the key platings with a steel scraper, taking care
to keep the scraper in a diagonal position across the
keys to prevent the joints working up. Rub them
down with fine worn glass-paper, and then polish them
well with a damp linen pad and finely-powdered pumice
stone, and finish off with whiting and water, which may
be placed on a flat felt pad and the keys held flat on it,
rubbing lightly. This finishing off may be done after
the keys are separated. Take great pains with this
part of the work, or the keys will not look nice. The
keys may be separated by sawing down the lines with
a thin fine toothed saw, and the black kej's may be cut
from the white with a stout fret saw, or a thin mortise
chisel. The white keys must be sloped back where they
butt on the end of the black ones, as shown in Fig. 128,
and the black keys are hollowed out on the under side
where they cross the mid-rail. The sides of the keys may
then be gone over with a fine set plane to take just the
roughness of the saw marks off, finishing off with the
scraper, and fine glass-paper, but be careful to take off
no more than absolutely necessary. Now drive your
key-pins into the holes already bored for them in the rails
of the key-frame, and be careful to have them upright ;
the sections will show how high they project above the
rails. The mid-pins should have a small disc of soft
leather, or felt, fitted on to them for the keys 10 rest on,

150 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

in order that wood may not rattle against wood. Place
the keys in position, and fit on the ebonies so as to
leave the least possible gap between them and the
white keys. The ebonies are generally sloped at the
sides and front edge, but the latest improvement is to
make them quite square at the sides, and circular on
plan at the front. The extra width at the top is a great
acquisition, and there is less liability to catch the finger-
tip against the end of the black key when playing rapid
passages of music.

The upper row of kej^s in a two-manual instrument
is now generally made to overhang the front row as
much as possible without interfering with free access
to every key. The two rows are also placed as close
together as is consistent with free action and removal of
keys for repairs, etc.

Each key in the upper row must come exactly over
the same key in the lower row.

Should the keys require any loading to balance them
properly, a hole should be bored through the side of the
key with a centre-bit, and the lead forced into it, as
shown by the round dots near the tail end of key in
Fig. 125. Lead for the purpose may be purchased in
small round sticks.

Immediately behind the combs or ebonies there is
placed a bar of hard heavy wood, about | inch thick,
lined at the bottom with a piece of thick red baize.
This bar, which is called the thumper, rests on the
keys, and runs loosely in a vertical groove in the key
cheeks at each end. Its use is to prevent the keys
rebounding, and so causing a ciphering of the notes
when playing rapid chords.

The section, Fig. 125, shows the connection with the
key action where the key-board is made to slide in,

THE KEY-BOARD. I5I

This is a convenient arrangement, as the key-board
can be shut up like a drawer when not in use, thus
keeping it out of harm's way, as well as giving more
room in the apartment. A disc of thick cloth is glued
on the end of the key-tail, and over this is glued a
piece of soft leather, thus forming a circular lump,
highest in the centre. On this the lower end of the
sticker rests, the sticker being prevented from shifting
laterally by being cut oblong in shape, and passed
through a hole in a rail termed a register. The rail, or
register, need not be more than f inch thick, and l^
inch wide, and the sticker is prevented from dropping
any lower when the key-board is pushed in, by a piece
of wood glued on it. The top of the register should be
covered with soft leather to prevent noise.

I have endeavoured to make these instructions as
clear as possible, but an inspection of a key-board
would be a great assistance to the atnateur.

CHAPTER IX.

THE STOP ACTION AND COUPLERS.

[HE next requisite for our organ will be the
mechanism by which the sliders of the
various stops are shifted in or out as may
be required. This mechanism is of an ex-
tremely simple character, as will be seen by an inspection
of Fig. 129, which is a plan, or view looking directly
down, of the actioh known as the wooden trundle stop-
action; and in Fig. 130 we have an isometrical elevation
of this action, showing its connection with the slidei.
The most convenient arrangement for the stop knobs
is, in the majority of cases, to place the bass stops
on the left-hand side of the key-board, and the treble
stops on the right-hand side of it. It is this kind of
arrangement that the stop action now being described
is especially adapted for. The letters marked on the
diagrams refer to the same portions of both plan and
elevation, a is the draw stop, the knob of which pro-
jects on the outside of the case of the instrument, and
the other end of this stop rod is, for the sake of economy,
generally mortised into a square rod of commoner wood,
as shown at b. An upright roller, or trundle as it is
termed, marked d, having an arm c, to which b is con-
nected by a centre-pin, and another similar arm e at

15a

THE STOP ACTION AND COUPLERS.

153

right angles to the first one, is connected in the same
manner to the trace f, in the lower end of which the
lever g is fixed, and the upper end of the lever passes
through a square or round hole in the end of the slider.
The trundle d works on centres in a strip of wood both
top and bottom, as more clearly shown in Figs. 131 and
132. When the stop knob is drawn out the arm c is
pulled backwards, which thus causes the trundle to turn
partly round; the arm e is drawn backwards and carries
with it the trace and the lower end of tha lever g ; the

Fig. 129.— Plan of Stop Action (Wooden Trundle).

upper end of the lever thus moves to the right and
draws out the slider. When the stop knob is pushed
in this action is, of course, reversed, and the slider
closed.

The rod a is of | inch round mahogany ; b, d, and f
are about i| inch square, and may be of any hard wood
that will not warp. The rollers, or trundles, d, are
about 8 inches long, and placed in a direct line one
behind the other, about 6 inches apart, as shown in Fig.
1 3 1 and 1 32. The arm c and e are each about 4 inches
long and ^ inch thick, thinned down at the ends where

154

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

they are connected to the stop rod, or trace, as the case
may be. The arm c is placed exactly opposite to the
stop knob, but the arm e is generally nearer ^o the top

of the trundle, but its exact position depends on the
length of the lever g. If the rollers are made very
short in consequence of the height above the key-board
being less than 15 inches, the arms e may be much

THE STOP ACTION AND COUPLERS.

155

lower down, as it is obvious that it may be in any posi-
tion in the length of the trundle that may be most
convenient. The arms are both tenoned into the
trundles, and the pins on which the trundles work
should be stout and strong, and driven tightly in.
The strip of hard wood, h, in which the top centres
work may be about 3 inches wide and | inch thick, and

H -

I -

Fig. 131.— End view of Wind Chest and Stop Action. Two-manual.

should be firmly secured to the framework of the instru-
ment. A similar strip may be placed for the bottom
pins to work in, or they may work in holes bored
through the board on which the key-board rests. All
these pivot holes must be bushed with woollen cloth to
secure silent action. The trace f must be long enough
to reach from the arm e to the lever when the stop is
pushed in, and will, of course, vary in length according

156 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

to the length of the sound-board of the instrument.
The lever g is 2| inches wide and f inch thick, made of
hard wood and shaped as shown in Fig. 1 30. The
upper end of the lever works in the slot in the end of
the slider, and the lower end passes through a mortise
in the end of the trace, and is secured by wire pins.
A still better way is round the lower end of the lever

H-

Fig. 132. — End view of Wind-Chest and Stop Action. Two-manuai.

and pass it through a round hole in the trace, and drive
a pin through the lever below the trace to prevent it
slipping out, but allowing it to turn when the arm is
drawn back. A rail two or three inches square is screwed
on to the end of the sound-board, and grooves cut in it,
the same as in a backfall rail, to receive the levers
which are centred on a stout wire similar to backfalls.

THE STOP ACTION AND COUPLERS. 15/

The levers may be sloped forwards as shown in Figs.
131 and 132, or they may all be perpendicular, according
to the space you have at your disposal. The levers are
generally centred so that the lower part is twice as long
as the upper part ; thus, if the stop knob is made
to draw about i^ inch, the slider will move | inch,
which will be a very convenient length for both move-
ments. The stop knoks are turned something like
drawer knobs, and generally have a plate of porcelain
or ivory let into them with the name of the stop on it.
These can be purchased for a small sum, but if you
prefer to make your own and save the expense, you can
make the labels of paper and print the names on them,
and glue them on to the stop knobs, giving them a coat
of varnish to protect them from dirt. The label should
show both the name of the stop and also its foot-tone,
thus "Open Diapason, 8 feet," " Flute, 4 feet," etc.

Fig. 131 shows the stop action at the bass end of the
single manual for scheme i, the top knob being for the
principal, the next for the stopt diapason, and the
lower one for the violoncello. The order of the stops at
the treble end would be — reckoning from the top down-
wards— as follows: i. Flageolet, 2. Stopt Diapason, 3.
Keraulophon, 4. Open Diapason. In order to show
that it does not matter whether the upper or lower knob
is connected to the fuithest slider, I have given, in Fig.
132, a view of the bass end of the two-manual with
stops arranged in the opposite way to those in Fig. 131.
Here the top stop draws the Lieblich Gedacht on the
swell organ, the next the keraulophon, the third one
the stopt diapason bass of the great organ, and fourtli
the flageolet. The keraulophon might be made to
draw from the treble end if you so desire.

The iron trurdle action is still simpler than the

I5S

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

wooden trundle just described. The trundle d, Fig. 133,
works on a pivot at the lower end and in a collar at the
upper end. The arm c is connected to the stop knob
rod as in the other action, and a bent arm at the top
of the trundle forms both the trace and lever. The
trundle may be made of a piece of inch gas tubing, and
the arms may be made of -j| inch iron rod passed
through holes drilled in the trundle, and riveted at the
back, the front end of the arm c being flattened out, and

Fig. 133. - Stf.p Action (Imn Trundle).

having a hole drilled through for the centre wire to
pass. A piece of hard wood should be driven into the
bottom of the tubing, and the iron pivot fixed firmly
into it. If the trundle is made of solid iron, the top
arm is merely a continuation of it, being bent over to
the requisite shape.

Another style ot stop action, v;hich is well suited
for a small single manual organ with few stops — and
especially where there is not sufficient height above the
key-board for a trundle action — is shown in Fig. 134.

THE STOP ACTION AND COUPLERS. 159

A board about the same length as the sound-board, and
nearly as wide, is placed just above the key-board,
leaving just sufficient room for the keys to work. The
draw stops are placed in a horizontal line over the key-

n fLi f=i rsi

s - :2

board, and are connected at the back end to what is
termed a square. This square, see Fig. 135, is made
of f inch mahogany, mitred together as shown in the
sketch, so that the grain runs parallel with both edges ;

100 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS;

a saw cut is made in the thickness of it — starting from
the sharp corner — down as far as the dotted line, and a
piece of veneer is then glued into it, thus making the
joint very strong. If the square were cut out of a
single piece, it would be very liable to break when in
use. A centre hole is made near the sharp corner and
bushed with cloth, and a small hole is made through
near each of the other angles. The sides of the square
are each about 4 inches long, the article, when com-
plete, answering the same purpose, and being also very
similar to a bell crank. Large bell cranks might,
indeed, be used instead of wood squares. The cranks
are screwed down to the board by a screw passing
through the bushed hole, and through a little block of
wood placed underneath the square to raise
it the requisite height, and to prevent un-
necessary friction. The rods marked f are
the traces, which are connected at one end
'square.~ ^o ^^e levers just the same as m the trundle
action, the other end being connected by
a screw or pin to the vacant corner of the square
belonging to its proper stop rod. The stops shown
are those for Scheme I., the principal being drawn out.
In all these stop actions, the holes in the case through
which the stop knobs pass should be lined with scarlet
or some other coloured cloth, and a washer of the same
material should be slipped over the stop rod close up
to the back of the knob.

The centre wires shown for the different joints in the
trundle actions, should be screwed at one end, and a
leather button put on to prevent the wires falling out.
All parts that rub together should be well black-leaded
so t'":at they may work smoothly.

The effect of an octave coupler is practically to

THE STOP ACTION AND COUPLERS.

I6l

largely increase the number of stops. Thus, with the
coupler, an open diapason would sound like an open
diapason and a principal drawn together. The principal
would sound like a principal and fifteenth, and so on
with every stop. With two or three couplers an almost
endless variety can be obtained from a comparatively
small number of pipes.

The octave coupler, or diaocton, as it is sometimes
termed, is shown in Fig. 136, and consists of a bridge
with a set of backfalls and stickers immediately under

Fig. 136.— Octave Coupler out of Action.

the manual backfalls. The stickers of the coupler are
placed as close to the manual stickers as they can be,
without interfering with their action. The back ends of
the coupler backfalls rest on these stickers directly over
their own keys, but it must be distinctly understood
that though in the diagram the front end of this back-
fall appear to be connected to the front end of the
manual backfalls of the same key, it is not so in reality,
but it is connected to the front end of the thirteenth
backfall higher up the scale. Thus, if we assume the
key shown to be the CC note, the back end of the
coupler backfall will be connected to its own sticker on

1 1

1 62 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

that key, but the front end of it will be connected by the
tapped wire shown to the front end of tenor C backfall
of the manual action, and when the CC key is pressed
down, and the coupler is in action, it will cause the CC
note and the tenor C note to sound together. So on
all through, the coupler backfalls, each being connected
to the note an octave higher up the scale than that over
which the tail end rests. The coupler backfalls will
therefore slope to the right hand, whilst the bass back-
falls of the manual will slope to the left. If a roller
board is used to transfer the first four notes of the
tenor octave on the manual to the treble side, a similar
roller board must be used to transfer the first four notes
in the bass of the coupler to those four notes in the
tenor at the treble end. This roller board will be
placed before the front ends of the backfalls.

As mentioned in a previous chapter, the organ will
undoubtedly be much more perfect if there are twelve
extra channels in the treble portion of the sound-board,
so that the octave coupler can be carried right up to the
top G in treble. It is obvious that without this arrange-
ment, the highest octave in the treb'e would not be
coupled to any other notes, so that when using the
coupler, it would be limited to the first 3| octaves on
the key-board. If these additional channels are made,
however, it will add six inches to the length of the
sound-board, and necessitate the carrying of each stop
in the treble, an octave higher, that is twelve more pipes
will be required for each of those stops. These pipes
will, of course, only be brought into use when the
octave coupler is in action. Amateurs, therefore, must
decide for themselves whether they wnll go to the
trouble of making sixty tiny pipes, with the necessary
channels, pallets, etc., for use with the octave coupler

THE STOP ACTION ANb COUPLERS.

163

only. Very many organs are constructed without them ;
but I think it only right to mention it again here when
treating on the coupler action, so that those amateurs
who wish their organs to be as perfect as possible,
may be able to carry out their wishes.

The coupler is shown in the sketch as being out of
action. When the stop knob is drawn out it causes
the coupler bridge with its backfalls to drop about

Fig. 137. — Coupler Movement, No. i.

^ inch, and it will then be in the position shown by
the dotted lines, the front end of the backfall resting on
the leather nut which is screwed on the lower end of
the tapped wire, and the back end resting on the top
of its own sticker. The holes in these backfalls are
made rather elongated so as to allow them to slip up
and down on the wires of the stickers, and the tapped
wires connecting them to the manual backfalls. The
manner in which the draw stop accomplishes the

164

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

requisite movement is as follows, viz., the back end of
the stop rod is connected to the arm c, on the under
side of a long roller running the whole length of the

Fig. ijS. — Enlarged View of Octave Coupler Movement.

sound-board (see Fig. 137). Opposite each end of the
coupler bridge there is another arm on this roller or
trundle, which is connected to a jointed rod carrying a
little inclined plane passing under a wheel on the end

^^?^##>^^^^v^Ww

BACK- TALL RAiL OR Bfi'DCE:

Fig. 138A.- -Section of Octave Coupler Movement

of the backfall rail. Fig. 138 gives a view of one end

THE STOP ACTION AND COUPLERS. 1 65

of the backfall rail or bridge belonging to the coupler.
It will be observed that it is cut to a shoulder, and runs
between two upright pieces of wood. The wheel pro-
jects from the end, and two similar wheels are fixed to
the cross piece underneath, and on these wheels the
rod carrying the inclined plane works. When the stop
is pushed in the inclined planes are drawn backwards,
thus causing both ends of the bridge to rise at the same
time, and the wheels then rest on the little squares at
the ends of the inclines. The coupler is then out of
action, as the coupler backfalls are out of gear with the
stickers and nuts on the tapped wires. On pulling out
the stop, the inclined planes are pushed forward, and
the bridge itself then rests firmly on the cross pieces at
each end, and the coupler can be brought into use.
The position in which the coupler trundle is placed, is
shown on Fig. 136 at b, and it would thus be just
behind the roller board, and quite out of the way of any
part of the action. The upright guides for the ends of
the bridge, and the pieces in which the centres of the
trundle work can be fixed to the building frame where
required. The arm connected with the stop rod may
be placed in any portion of the under side of the trundle,
so that it is exactly opposite the stop knob.

The roller or trundle must be stuut and strong, but
need not necessarily be round. If of wood it should
be about ih inch diameter, and of well-seasoned
material, the arms being mortised into it. If made of
iron, '{ inch gas tubing would do very well, making
them up in a similar way to the iron rollers for tlie
roller board. The arm or connecting rod, which passes
between the stickers, must be of very thin hard wood,
or stout sheet brass. This arm is marked d on Fig.
137. The rods carrying the inclined plane? should b©

1 66 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

tolerably stout so as not to bend at all, and should run
between flat pieces of wood in order to keep them
horizontal. The wheels may be of hard wood turned
specially for the purpose, or may be formed of stout
reels, such as those on which sewing-machine cotton
has been wound, and should be covered with leather to
secure silent action. The holes through the centres
should be bushed with cloth ; the centre wires must be
very strong, and the ends tapped to admit of a nut
being screwed on to keep the wheels in position.

The inclined planes may be 2 inches or 3 inches
long, and should rise about ^ inch, being just suffi-
cient to allow the action to be out of gear when the

coupler stop is closed.
These inclined planes
should also be covered
with soft leather, and
all parts well black-
leaded where they rub.
Fig. 139. -Coupler Movement, No. 2. j^ ^^is action is made

to work the reverse way — that is, as it would appear
if you hold the page up to the light, and look through
the paper at the di awing, or as it would be seen re-
flected if held before a mirror — it could be placed
under the backfalls instead of behind the stickers,
which, however, I consider the best place for it.

Another kind of movement for effecting the shifting
up and down of the coupler bridge is shown in Fig.
139. This is merely a roller with two cams on it
which is fixed directly under the bridge (see No. 2,
Fig. 136), the cams working against two little wheels
fixed on the under side of the bridge. The cams can
easily be made as follows : — Take a piece of | inch
piahogany, and with the compasses strike two segments

THE STOP ACTION AND COUPLERS. 1 6/

with a radius of 4 inches each, and about l^ inch below

the centre cut a hole in each for the roller to pass

through, and then cut the segment out as shown in the

enla ged view, Fig. 140. The top left hand corner

should be flat, as this part supports the bridge when

the coupler is out of action, and the whole of the top

edge should be covered with soft leather. The cams

should be securely fixed on to the trundle, and the

draw-stop rod may be fixed either to the further side

of one of the cams or to a separate arm according as it

may be most convenient. The cams being fixed to a

trundle at a point below their centre causes the front

ends to be higher than the back

ends are when brought to the same

position by drawing out the stop

knob, and this causes the bridge

to rise or fall according as the stop

knob is pushed in or drawn out.

It will be understood that the ends

of the bridge rest firmly on the

^ -^ , . . Fig. HO.-Cam.

cross pieces when the coupler is in

action, but when it is out of action the bridge is sup-
ported by the little wheels resting on the square part of
the inclined planes, or of the cams, as the case may be.
The directions for the octave coupler apply to either
a single or two-manual instrument, but the coupler now
to be described will only be applicable to instruments
of the latter class. It is called " the swell to great
unison coupler," because when it is in action it couples
the swell organ to the great organ, so that both organs
can then be played from the great organ key-beard, and
when you press a key on the great organ it pushes up
the tail end of the same key on the swell. This coupler
is shown in position at a^ Fig. 141, and an enlarged

1 68 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

view of it with the action also connected with it is given
in Fig. 142. A bar, or rail, of wood, see Fig. 143, is
placed between the two rows of keys, near the tail
end, and the ends of the rail run in a slot in each cheek
of the key-board. A short round sticker, termed a
tumbler, see Fig 144, runs loosely in a hole directly
under the centre of each swell key. A groove is cut
in each key, both upper and lower, as shown in the
sketch, and when the coupler is in action the tumbler is
in tlie position shown in Fig. 142. A tapped wire, with
a wooden or thick leather nut covered with soft leather
on the under side, runs through every swell key in the
position shown, and by screwing this wire up or down

Fig. 141.— Swell to Great and Great to Swell Coupler.

the action of each tumbler may be regulated to the
utmost nicety. When the tumbler is out of action it
is in the position shown by the dotted lines, and is out
of gear with the keys. If the coupler were placed as
shown at b on Fig. 141, it would couple the great organ
to the swell, so that both the organs would be played
from the upper manual, and it would then be called
"the great to swell unison coupler." There are man}'
different c .uplers in use, but these are the simplest;
others are described later on in this chapter. The
tumbler rail should be of oak or mahogany 2\ inches
or 3 inches wide, and about i\ inch thick. It is shown
in Fig. 143, and you will observe that a shoulder, or
tenon, is formed at each end of it ; the length of the

THE STOP ACTION AND COUPLERS.

169

rail up to iheze
shoulders being
the exact width
between the two
cheeks of the
key-board, which
will be about 2
feet 6^ inches.
The tenons work
in a mortise, or
slot, in the key
cheeks, which
slots must be
made about 5
inches long so
as to allow suth-
cient travel for
the rail. Bore
a hole about ^
inch diameter di-
rectly over the
centre line of
each key on the
great organ, the
positions of the
holes being ob-
tained by remov-
ing the upper
row of keys and
marking in pencil
over the centre
of each one of
the lower row.
Carefully bush

I/O

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

^^f3i

all these holes with soft woollen cloth ; and 'then, wiht
a small bead plane, strike off sufficient lengths of
mahogany beading to make the tumblers,
and cut them to the requisite length,
viz., the exact distance between the
upper flat surface of the great ke}s and
the flat underside of the swell keys.
^ Smootli the tumblers well so that they
> slide ea-sily in tlie bushed holes prepared
if to receive them, then round them at
~ each end with a piece of glass-paper;
^ but be careful not to make them too
g short, and cut a strip of soft leather and
^ glue a piece of it round each tumbler
^ near the top, as shown, in order to
o prevent it slipping too low when out of
^ action, see Fig. 144. A small pin may
J) be driven through the lower portion
J when the tumbler is in position. The
^ surface of the grooves in the lower
L. manual keys must also be covered with
^ leather, black-leaded, so that the tum-
H biers will glide easily up the incline when
^.i drawn back by the itop action.
- 7'he draw-stop action for the swell to
■^ great coupler is very similar to that
belonging to the octave coupler. A
1 oiler, or trundle, b, shown in section
on Fig 142, is made exactly similar to
that shown in Fig. 137, with two arms
on the under side, and a tlat rod, c,
connecting each arm to the short arms shown on the
back of the tumbler rail in Fig. 143. The arm, d,
connecting it to the stop rod, is, however, on the upper

THE STOP ACTION AND COUPLERS.

171

side of the roller, and, as will be seen, the angle at which
it inclines is the same as that of the lower arms. The
movement is shown in action, but when the ^^b^
stop is pushed in the arms will be in the position
shown by dotted lines. The arms, c, and the con-
necting rods, A, must be thin so as to allow them
respectively to pass between the swell backfalls
or the stickers on the great organ keys.

Great care must be taken in fixing the
trundles for any of these coupler actions, in
order to secure their perfectly level and
parallel working. The octave coupler swell to
great will be easily understood from the in-
structions given with regard to the other Fig. 144-
couplers. It would be connected with the tails ""^ ^'^'
of the keys on the great organ by means of backfalls and
stickers the same as the octave on the great organ, but

u>^

Fig. 145.— Swell to Great Unison CoupLr.

The small cut to right shows front view of Sticker.

A, Swell Key; B, Great Key; C, Great Sticker; D, Block
on Great Sticker , E, Coupler Backfall ; F, Coupler
Sticker ; G, Coupler Sticker Register.

the other end of each backfall would pull down a valve
in the swell sound-board an octave higher up than that
on the great organ. This is a very useful coupler.

In Fig. 145 will be found another mode of coupling
the swell to the great organ in unison ; and its con-

1/2 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

struction is as follows : — A little block of wood, covered
with leather on the top, is glued on to the side of the
great sticker, as shown in the sketch, and when in
action, the coupler backfalls rests on this block. A
sticker connects the front end of this backfall with the
swell key, and presses on the key just behind the comb.
These stickers are kept in their places by passing
through holes in a strip of wood, or register, as it ic
termed, maiked c in the sketch. To put the coupler
out of action, rai^c the bridge of the backfalls about
I inch.

Fig. 146 shows a coupler that may be useful to some
of my readers who wish to couple an upper manual to

HEY

Y\'i- 146. — Great to Swell Coupler.

a lower one, as for instance, great to swell, or, if as is
sometimes the case, the great organ manual forms the
upper row of keys it would become the swell to great
coupler. This action can be applied to keys of any
length, and it does not matter which overhangs. The
tail of the swell key a raises the front end of the top
backfall e, and presses down the back end and the
sticker d. The lower end of the sticker conseqivently
pi esses down the back end of the lower backf 11, the
front end of which then raises the key-tail on the great
manual, b. To put the coupler out of action either raise
the top bridge with its backfalls, or lowgr the upder
one, but the former is the best mode,

CHAPTER >L

THE PEDAL ORGAN: SOUND-BOARD. AND PEDAL
KEY-BOARD.

|E now approach the consideration of a portion
of the instrument which, in many w'orks
purporting to instruct the amateur, is either
treated in a vague manner or omitted al-
together. I allude to the arrangement of the pedal
organ and the action connected therewith ; and I trust
that the instructions that I now give, and the copious
illustrations with which they are accompanied, will
enable amateurs to select the arrangement that happens
to be best suited to the means and space at their dis-
posal, and that they may be enabled, by the help oi
instructions and illustrations combined, to carry out
the work in a satisfactory manner.

The first point to be considered, is, how do we wish
the pedal pipes to be arranged ? In many cases the
answer to this question must depend on the space at
the disposal of the amateur. It may be that we have
plenty of room to spare both at the sides and at the
back of the organ ; and, if so, we may very effectively
bring the six largest pedal pipes to the front, and
arrange three on each side of the key-board, and the
remainder would be placed at the sides, and, also, at

«7a

174

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

the back of tlie organ, if necessary, as shown in Fig.
147. In the case of the two-manual instrument none
would need to be placed at the back, as there would be
plenty of room at the sides. In Fig. 148 all the larger
pipes are shown arranged at the back, and the smaller
ones at the sides, none being brought to the front, thus
saving a little in the depth of the instrument. Fig. 149
shows all the pipes arranged on a single sound-board at
the back of the organ ; and, as I anticipate that this plan

Fig. 147. — Plan of Pedal Action, No. I. Scale, ^ inch to I foot.

will be adopted by many of m}' readers on account of its
ompactness and simplicity of action, I have set it out
on a larger scale, so that a study of this plan will also
enable the amateur to more readily understand the
other systems mentioned. Another good arrangement
which, moreover, is so simple that I have not thought
it necessary to give an illustration of it, is to suppose
this last sound-board to be cut in half, crosswise, plac-
ing one-half on each side of the organ, having twelve
pipes on one side and thirteen pipes on the other.

THE PEDAL ORGAN.

175

This arrangement, as will be readily seen by any one
who will take the trouble to put it on paper, is a very
good one for the two-manual, as the depth of the organ
IS sufficient to allow the pipes to be all placed at the
sides.

The pedal sound-boards are made much in the same
way as the manual sound-boards, but are much simpler,
as in our small organs there will be only one stop on the
pedals ; consequently no sliders, or upper-boards will

)C)Cl)QXXx^UO

Fig. 148.— Plan of Pedal Action, No. 2. Scale, ^ inch to i foot.

be required. Fig. 150 shows the ordinary style of
pedal sound-board, the channels being made 6 or 7
inches long in the clear, and 2 inches deep. The widths
of the channels vary from about i ^ inch for CCC, to about
I inch for C. The wind-chest should be 4 inches deep.
The top board, or table of the sound-board, should be
about an inch thick, if no grooves are required, but
if any of the pipes are grooved off, either a separate
grooving-board must be used, or the table must be
made thicker, in order that the grooves may be cut deep
enough to convey the requisite supply of wind. As a

iyS ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

rule separate grooving-boards are the best for this
purpose. The amateur organ-builder must bear in
mind that one of the sides of the wind-chest must be
made movable in the same manner as in the manual
sound-board, in order to get at the pallets if required.
The pallets should be made exactly the same as the
others, but a rather stouter spring should be used, and
the pull-downs should pass through holes in a strip of
brass.

The holes for the pipes to stand over should be bored
in the same way as described for the bass pipes, viz.,
by boring two holes side by side, and cutting away the
intervening wood to form one oblong hole. The pipe
feet do not stand in these holes, but in a speaking block,
which is merely a circular piece of wood about i^ or 2
inches thick, having a circular hole at the top to receive
the pipe foot, the hole being sloped out on the under
side to correspond with the shape of the hole in the
sound-board ; this block should be glued on to the table.
The action works under the wind-chest, so care must
be taken that the sound-board be raised sufficiently from
the floor to admit of this.

Another method of making the sound-board is shown
in Fig. 151, which is very much the same as the preced-
ing one turned on its side. This sound-board stands on
the floor, and thus saves a few inches in the height of
the instrument, and, as either side of it may be turned
towards the action, a pull or a push action may be used,
according to the movement that may be required. In
the plan. Fig. 147, the sound-boards are shown as
being returned both at the back and at the front ; but
this is not really necessary, as they may be simply
straight sound-boards extending the whole depth of the
sides, and those pipes which are placed at the back and

—Pedal Ac

e I in. to I

Fig. 1 50. -Pedal Wind-Chest and Sound-Board.

li^. 153. — Sharp Fcdal Key. Scale 1 in. to I foot.

Fig. 151.— Pedal Sound-Board, etc. Scale, i in. to 1 fo'*'_

THE PEDAL ORGAN. 1 7/

front may stand on a grooving-board instead of being
exactly over their channels. If this method is adopted
the sound-boards will be much easier to make, and the
action will be much simpler, as only one kind would
be required. The same course might be followed in
carrying out the arrangements shown in Fig. 148,
where the sound-board might extend only along the
back, the pipes at the sides being planted off. The
sound-board would then be divided into twenty-five
channels, as in Fig. 149, or thirty channels if a full pedal
organ is required (the largest pipes being placed near
to the back edge, and the front part left clear for the
grooves, or conveyance tubes. I may say that if this
plan be not adopted it will still be necessary to put
double divisions to all the channels unless very thick
wood is used for the purpose, which is not by any
means advisable, so that in reality there would be no
extra labour involved by making use of the channels
thus formed.

I have allowed fully for the size of the pipes on these
sound-boards, but it is very probable, especially in
the case of the style in Fig. 149, that you may not
require them quite so long. The pipes may be placed
so that the sides come close together, but should not
touch each other. Make your pipes before you make
the sound-board, and, if they are circular pipes, all you
will have to do will be to strike circles the size of the
extreme outside diameter of the pipes, and mark them
on the sound-board table side by side, and you will
then see exactly how much space you require for them
to stand in. With wood pipes you should cut out a
square of paper or card the exact size of each pipe, and
place it on the sound-board table, and mark round it
in pencil. The sound-board in Fig. 149 should be 12

178

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

inches wide, and I have shown it 6 feet 3 inches long ;
but, as stated above, it may not be necessary to make it
quite so long. If the pipes are placed near the edges,
as I have shown in the illustration, and with the mouths
of the two rows facing towards each other, there will be
plenty of speaking room, as there will be no danger of
the wind from the pipes in one row impinging on the
lips of those in the other row.
A

Fig. 155. — Pedal Wind-Trunk.

Having completed the sound-boards, the wind-trunks
may be next prepared ; they should be of ^ inch stuff,
and measure about 5 inches by 2^ inches internal
diameter. As stated in a previous chapter, they may
be placed either at the ends or at the back of the
bellows, as may be most convenient ; but in most in-
struments the best plan is to place them at the back,
and to allow the wind to enter the pedal wind-chest at
the extreme end. A section of the wind-trunk is given

THE PEDAL KEY-BOARU. 1 79

in Fig 155, from which it will be seen that the wind
enters from the bellows at the upper part b, and passes
into the wind-chest at the lower part c, a flange plate
being used at either end to connect the wind-trunk to
the bellows and to the wind-chest.

In order to save unnecessary labour in blowing when
the pedals are not required, it is usual to have a valve,
worked by a stop-knob, to shut off the wind from the
pedal wind-chest. This valve is shown in the section,
and is opened or closed by the stop-knob acting on the
upper arm of the roller — the arms marked a at each end
being connected by a tracker to the pallet or valve in
the wind-trunks, if there are two ; but, of course, if
there is only one wind-trunk, only one arm and tracker
will be required.

Nov^ to construct the pedal key-board. First prepare
the front and back sills, each 3 feet long and 3^ inches
wide ; the front one 2^ inches thick, and the back one
i^ inch thick. These may be of oak or pine; the
sides may be of | inch pine, 2 feet long and 5 inches
deep, cut out as shown in Fig. 156, the sills being
firmly mortised into them. Draw a line, or gauge
mark, along the centre of the whole length of each sill,
and divide each line into thirty equal parts with the
compasses, starting from the outside edge of the frame,
thus making each division rather more than lA inch.
Some prefer the divisions to he rather more than this,
so if you like, you may make the sills a trifle over
3 feet long, and divide accordingly. Now dravv^ a line
across the sills through each point, and drire a stout
wire pin into all the points except the 6th, 14th, 20th
and 28th. These blank spaces arc those shown be-
tween E and F and between B and C in each octave,
there being no sharp keys between those notes. The

l8o

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

front row of pins should show i^ inch above the sill,
and the back row 4 inches. I may say that I term the
sill farthest from the organ the front, and that which

is nearest the casing the back one, as I think this
nomenclature is less likel}' to confuse the amateur than
the ordinary one, in which the order is reversed.

THE PEDAL KEY-BOARD. l8l

Now get out twenty-five pieces of good sound pine,
fully I inch deep, about | inch thick, and 2 feet long,
for the pedal keys. Bore a vertical hole carefully
through one end of each bar, so that it will just slip
easily on to the front row of pins, and mark where the
back pin comes, and bore holes in the bars for them,
elongating them on the under side ; these holes must
be bushed with cloth. Now get out twenty-five pieces
of mahogany or birch about i^ inch long and | inch
thick, and glue and screw one over the front hole in
each bar, as shown at a in Figs. 152 and 153. When
dry, bore a hole | inch diameter through the side of
the key, so that it passes through the vertical hole,
and the top of it just touching the under side of the
piece A ; the object being to prevent unnecessary
friction on the pin. The pin may pass right through
the piece a, the hole being elongated to about f inch
to allow the necessary movement, or the key may be
supported by the piece a resting on the top of the pin.
Next prepare fifteen pieces of mahogany or birch
14 inches long, i inch deep, and | inch thick, and glue
one on to each natural key, as shown at b in Fig. 152,
slightly rounding them on the top and front edge.
Next prepare ten pieces of similar wood, 4I inches
long, 3 inches deep, and | inch thick, and glue them
on to the sharp keys, as shown at d in Fig. 153,
slightly rounding them on the top and front edge.
Some prefer these pieces to slope upwards a little from
the front to the back. You may now insert a wire
spring under each pedal, as shown in the illustration,
in Fig. 154, fixing one end into the back sill, and
allowing the other to run free in a groove mark on the
under side of the keys.

The front board may then be prepared of i inch

I82

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

Stuff, 5 inches high, and screwed on to the front sill.
The front cover board, or heel rest, may be of the
same thickness, and screwed on to the top of the board'
as shown. The back cover board may also be of i inch
stuff, and should have holes bored through for the tops
of the pins to pass through, but the pins should not
fit tightly into these holes, as the cover board may
have to be removed at some future time to get at the
pedal keys. The top of the sills, and also the under

rrnn rrrrrr.n rnnnn rnnnrnn n

rrmm

:1b

tid ma

I ' : I ' ' I I

Fig. 157. — Plan of Straight Pedals. Scale, i inch to i foot.

side of the back cover board should be lined with three
or four thicknesses of carpet felt to secure perfectly
silent action.

This completes the pedal-board as shown in Figs.
156 and 157. If, however, it is desired to make a
radiating concave pedal key-board, you proceed accord-
ing to the plan shown in Fig. 158. The back sill will
be 3 feet long, or rather more, and the front one
2 feet 6 inches long, each one being divided into thirty
spaces, as described for the straight key-board. The

THE PEDAL KEY-BOARD.

183

pedal keys at the sides are slightly longer than the
inside ones, in order to bring them level at the ends,
and the raised slips of the natural and sharp keys are
arranged so that the front ends form a concave curve,
and the front and back cover boards follow the lines of
these curves, as shown by the dotted lines in the plan
given in Fig. 158.

Instead of making the keys to work on a pin at the
back end, as previously described, they may be made

Fig. 158. — Plan of Radiating Pedals. Scale, i inch to i foot.

to pass through a sort of rack formed by fixing a stout
pin of oak in the back sill between each key, as shown
by the small circles marked on the drawing. The oak
pins must be covered with cloth to prevent rattling.
Of course this plan is equally applicable to either kind
of key-board, but I consider the pin movement better
than the rack.

I must leave it to the amateur to decide for himself
whether he will have a straight or a radiating key-board,
as there is much difference of opinion among musicians

1 84 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

as to the relative merits of the two varieties. The
keys in modern radiating key-boards, however, do
not spread out so much as those made years ago.

In my next chapter the action connecting the
pedal keys with the pallets will be described, and
the mj^steries of the rollers, etc., shown in the draw-
ing accompanying this chapter will be explained.

CHAPTER XI.

PEDAL ACTION: COUPLER GREAT TO PEDALS.

|N considering the question of the mechanism
necessary to connect the pedal keys with
the valves of the sound-board, we shall
find that different arrangements of rollers,
squares, trackers, or stickers, will furnish us with the
means of transmitting the motion of the keys in any
direction that may be required.

Rollers are needed in the pedal action for the same
reasons that they are needed on the manual — viz., in
consequence of the pipes being arranged alternately on
each side of the organ, and being situated beyond the
range of the key-board, and in some cases brought in
front of it. It may be asked, " Why should we place
the pipes alternately at the sides ; why not have them
in consecutive order and have a backfall fan frame
action as for the ordinary manual action?" The
answer is that the organ is better balanced by placing
the pipes in alternate order, and that it prevents the
speech of the pipes being interfered with by what is
termed sympathy, which large pipes are specially
subject to when placed in chromatic order.

The rollers are fixed on a board laid flat, which, in
such case is termed a roller frame, not a roller board.

.85

i86

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

This board should be framed at the ends to prevent it
warping ; the rollers themselves should be of | inch
gas tubing, and made exactly as described in the
chapter on the manual action. In order to prevent

Fig. 159. — Section of Roller Frame.

confusion, I have drawn the rollers much wider apart
than they need actually be placed, for if they are ^ inch
apart, it will allow ample room for working, so they
may be arranged on a board much narrower than that
shown. They are arranged in pairs as in Fig. 159, and
work in studs as previously described : the arms need
not be more than ^ inch above the rollers, so that the
total height occupied by the roller frame is less than
3 inches. The holes in the roller studs and arms
should be bushed with cloth to prevent rattling noises
when in action.

Squares are required somewhat similar to those used
in the stop action in Fig. 134; but in order to get the
necessary depth of action without taking up too much
height, we make them with one arm about twice as
long as the other, as in Fig. 160, and according to the
way the long arm is placed, so the action which is
transmitted by the square is increased or reduced in

extent. These squares
may be made of f inch
mahogany in two sepa-
rate pieces which are
Fig. 160.— Square with Long Top. mitred together, as
shown ; a saw cut being made from the angle down
to the dotted line, and a piece of thin veneer glued into
this cut, thus making a strong joint. The long arm

PEDAL ACTION.

187

may be about 5 inches long, and the short one 2^
inches. The hole for the centre to work on should be
bushed with cloth ; and holes must also be bored
through near the end of each arm for
the wires to pass through. The ordi-
nary equal sided square which will be
required in some portions of the actions
is shown in Fig. 161, and is made in
a similar manner to the others. Fig. 161.— Square.

We will assume that we are going to adopt the
sticker and roller action shown in Figs. 149 and 162.
The squares are arranged in grooves cut in a balk of
timber similar to a backfall rail, so that the ends of the
long arms come under the respective pedal keys. A
sticker runs from the short arm to the roller arm, and
another sticker runs from the arm on the other end of

Fig. 162. — Pedal Movement (Sticker) Working to the Right.

the roller to a square placed under the valve of the
proper channel in the pedal wind-chest, the pull-down
being connected to the long top arm of this square.
The action will thus be that when the pedal key is
pressed down, the lower arm of the front square is
pushed forward, and carries the sticker with it, and
the other end of the sticker presses against the roller

i88

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

arm and causes the roller to partially revolve on its
axis. This, of course, presses the other arm against
the back sticker, the further end of which pushes the
lower arm of the back square, bringing down the top
arm, and with it the pull-down and valve. Fig. 163
shows the same action working towards the left, instead

Fig. 163. — Pedal Movement (Sticker) Working to the Left.

of to the right, of the pedal key. In order to prevent
any waste in the height of the pedal key-board, a piece
of hard wood marked c in the several figures is glued

TRACKER

Fig. 164. — Pedal Movement (Tracker) Working to the Right.

and screwed on to the top of the end of each key. This
piece presses on the long arm of the front square, and
thus saves rather more than an inch in the height of
the key-board, which is a great acquisition.

If a pull action is required, the front square is
inverted, and a short sticker glued on the long arm as

PEDAL ACTION.

189

shown at s in Figs. 164, 165, and 166, so that it comes
under the end of the pedal key, which would not in this
case require the piece c. A tracker instead of a sticker
would extend from this square to the roller arm, and

Fig. 165. — Pedal Movement (Square) Working at Right Angles.

a similar tracker would connect the other arm of the
roller to the back square, which is turned in the
opposite direction to that in the previous action. The
trackers must be secured in their places by means of

Fig. 166.— Pedal Movement (Tracker) Working to the Left.

leather nuts screwed on to the tapped wires on the ends.
Thus it will be seen that for a push action we use
stickers, and for a pull action we use trackers, and
either of these may be adopted as the action for
Fig. 149 arrangement. In order to bring the action

190 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

out clearly, I have shown on these plans all the stickers
or trackers in the first octave by thick lines, and those
in the second octave by thinner ones.

If the sound-board shown in Fig. 151 is adopted,
the back square is not needed, as the wire in the
sticker passes through a hole in a brass plate, and
pushes the valve open ; or if a pull action is required,
the sound-board faces the other way, and the hooks on
the end of the trackers would be hooked on to the
pulls of the valves.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 147 we have three
different actions — viz., the direct sticker or tracker
actions just described ; a backward action for the pipes
which are brought to the front on each side of the key-

Fig. 167.— Pedal Movement Working Backwards.

board ; and the right-angled action for the pipes at the
sides of the organ. The second of these actions is
shown in Fig. 167, and will be readily understood.
A tracker or a sticker connects the square with the
roller, and a sticker or a tracker connects the other
arm of the roller to the square under the pull-down if
the first style of sound-board is used, or is connected
directly to the valve if the second style is adopted.
If a pull action is required, the sticker would be first
and the tracker second ; if a push action, then the
tracker would be first and the sticker second, and the
front square would, of course, be inverted.

The right-angled or square action is shown in
Fig. 165, and requires only squares with stickers or

PEDAL ACTION. I9I

trackers according as to -whether a push or a pull
action is required. It will, of course, be understood
that this action will work either to the right or to the
left, according to the way the central square, which lays
flat, is placed ; and, like the other actions, it may be
used for either style of sound-board. Where it is used
in conjunction with the roller action, the front square
should be inverted as shown in Fig. 165, in order
that the trackers may pass above the rollers and not
interfere with them. The roller action and the square
action is arranged alternately in Fig. 147 ; the rollers
at the back, which are shown by dotted lines, would
not be required if the back pipes were only planted oft'
from the side sound-boards, as the square action would
then be used for those notes. In fact, if, as I have
before suggested, the sound-boards were not returned
either at the front or back, a square action would be
the only kind required for all the pipes as arranged in
Fig. 147. If the side pipes in Fig. 148 were only
planted off" on a grooving board, a roller action would
be all that would be required for that arrangement.
In the case of any channel that comes opposite to its
own pedal key, the action may be carried direct across
to it without the intervention of a roller, and v/here it
is not very much out of the direct line, the wires of the
stickers or trackers may be slightly bent so as to
admit of their being carried direct across in a similar
manner. A case in point is shown in the GGG
sharp in Fig. 149, and it also occurs in the other
arrangements.

I have now described several different methods of
connecting the pedal keys to their proper valves or
channels, and a careful study of the instructions and
accompanying diagrams will, I think, enable the amateur

192 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

to select or devise an action suitable for any position
required. When the main ideas are once thoroughly
grasped and understood, it is easy to make modifica-
tions to suit any requirement.

We have now only to make the coupler action con-
necting the great organ manual keys to the pedals,
so that when the pedal keys are pressed down, their
action is transmitted to the manual as well as to the
pedals. This is an extremely simple piece of mechanism,
and is shown in the general view in Fig. i68. A set
of backfalls marked b is placed just under the key-
board of the manual. A small sticker marked s con-
nects the back end of the backfall to the manual
key-tail, and a tracker connects the front end of the
backfall to the front square under the pedal key-tail.
This tracker is hooked on to a small loop of whipcord
fixed into the square. This loop must be only just
large enough for the wire to pass through. The coupler
may be made either as an octave coupler or unison
coupler; thus, if the CCC pedal key is connected to
the CC manual key, and so on all through, the effect of
the coupler will be to bring on to the pedals as many
stops as may be drawn on the manual, the 8-feet stops
would sound an octave above the pedal bourdon, the
4-feet 2 octaves, and the 2-feet stop 3 octaves above
the same. If, however, the CC pedal key is connected
to the CC manual key, and so on from that note up to
the top C in the pedals, the notes of the pedals and the
manual would be in unison.

The coupler is shown in Fig. 168 as being in action,
and the stop knob is drawn out. When the stop is
pushed in, it causes the backfall rail or bridge of the
coupler to drop about | inch, and thus puts the back-
falls B and the sticker s out of gear with the keys.

194 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

The wires of the trackers and stickers are made long
enough to allow of this drop, and the holes which they
pass through in backfalls and key-tails are elongated
so that the wires may work freely when the bridge is
raised or depressed.

Fig. 169 shows more clearly the manner in which

Fig. 169 — Shifting Action Coupler Great to Pedal.

the stop action raises or depresses the coupler bridge
and backfalls. The ends of the bridge are cut to form
a shoulder or tenon, which runs between two uprights
in the same manner as described for the bridge of the
manual couplers. A pivot or wheel is fastened on the
end of the bridge, and a roller having two arms, marked
A and B, raises or depresses the bridge by acting on

ir-OAL ACTION. 195

these wheels according as the stop is pulled out or
pushed in. The stop knob rod is connected to a lever
E, which works on a pivot at the bottom, and a rod d
is connected to the lever and the upright arm of the
roller. This sketch also shows the stop knob drawn
out ; when pushed in, it would, of course, push the
lever e backwards, drawing with it the arm c, thus
causing the arms a and b to be lowered, and the back-
fall rail is thus allowed to sink down until it rests on
the cross pieces at the bottom of the uprights. The
roller must of course be placed sufficiently low to
allow of the movement of the backfalls.

A coupler from the swell organ manual to the pedals
would be made in just the same way, and, if in addition
to the one just described, it would be placed below it.
Of course, if the swell to pedal coupler is required,
additional height must be allowed between the floor
and the manual keys.

Another mode of coupling the pedals to the manuals
is by means of a tumbler action similar to that shown
in Fig. 143, for swell to great coupler. Instead of
being made to slide, the tumbler rail is placed near the
ends of the key-tails, with a centre wire at each end, so
that it will turn round. It is made to give a quarter of a
revolution when the stop knob is drawn out, which then
brings the tumbler vertically in connection with the
backfalls and key-tails. When the stop knob is pushed
in, the tumblers are inclined at an angle, and conse-
quently do not act on the keys.

The backfalls must be centred so that the back ends
which push up the stickers do not rise more than f inch
when in action, or they will force the manual keys too
high. If the centre pins pass through a point about
J from the front ends, they will be about right. The

196 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

depth of the pedal action is | inch as before inti-
mated, and that of the manuals only f inch, hence
the necessity for the pins of the coupler backfalls being
placed out of the centre.

If full compass pedals of thirty notes are required
(running up to F instead of only to C) they may of
course, be made by allowing a proportionate increase
in the width of the pedal key-board, but two octaves
will be found quite sufficient for all ordinary purposes
and they do not take up so much room.

It is, of course, quite possible to have pedals without
having a separate pedal organ, by merely making the
pedal key-board and the coupler backfalls, so that the
pedal keys act on the manual keys only. This arrange-
ment, whilst taking up less room and being less expen-
sive than the other, still enables the performer to have
the advantage of pedal practice, and he can use both
hands on the upper part of the manual whilst playing
the bass with the pedals.

The pedal key- board is placed so that the centre C
key is immediately under the middle C of the manual,
consequently the pedal board is slightly to the left of
the centre of the instrument. It need not be fixed in
any way to the instrument, as the pedal keys may
readily be placed so that they rest on the arms of
their proper squares. A small mark or mortise on the
front of the case would indicate the exact position which
the key-board should occupy, and thus, when not in use,
or when the housemaid's services are called into requisi-
tion, it could be removed and placed out of the way.

A small bar of wood fixed above the front squares,
and lined with cloth or baize on the under side which
touches the top of them, would prevent any tendency
to rising, and keep all squares in their proper place

PEDAL ACTION. 1 97

when the pedal key-board is removed (see h, in Fig
1 68).

It will, of course, be understood that the stickers and
trackers in the pedal action should be made rather
stouter than those in the manual action.

If any of my readers propose placing more than one
stop on the pedal sound-board, it will be necessary for
them to use sliders and upper boards similar to those
on the manual sound-board, and to allow the channels
to be sufficiently long to supply all the stops, thus the
width of the pedal sound-board would be increased.
One stop on the pedals would give sufficient bass for
any of the organs for which I have given specifications,
but some amateurs might build organs of larger scope
than those, in which cases an additional pedal stop
would be an improvement.

CHAPTER XII.

THE SWELL, ETC.— VENETIAN SWELL— GRIDIRON
SWELL— BOX SWELL.— TKEM ULAN r.

[CCOMPANYING this chapter are two sections
of organs, from a study of which the
amateur will obtain some idea of the genera!
arrangement of the several parts. Fig. 170
is a longitudinal section of the one-manual organ
described in Scheme I., and is really a view of the
instrument as it would appear without a front casing.
Of course, it will be understood that, as the pipes of
the several stops are arranged in rows one behind the
other, it is not possible, in a sectional view, to show all
the pipes, as those in front hide those which are behind
them. As the two-manual instrument would present a
nearly identical appearance when looked at from the
front, I have in Fig. 171 given a transverse section of
it instead, as that will also give an idea of the appear-
ance of the single manual when viewed from the side.
In the two-manual, the swell shutters and swell box
enclose only the pipes on the back sound-board, but in
a single manual they would enclose all the manual
pipes, and the shutters would therefore be placed im-
mediately behind the show pipes in the front of the
organ.

198

-t

a H CO

THE SWELL. 199

It will, of course, be understood that the pedal
pipes are not enclosed in the swell box. They ma}'
stand either behind it or at the sides of it, according
to the desire of the amateur; their position being
determined in a great measure by the space at his
disposal. I may also say that if you wish some of
the manual pipes to be brought to the front or sides,
so as to form show pipes, they should only be some of
the lowest notes of the stopt pipes, unless you place
the whole stop outside the swell box, which may be
done. Thus it would not do to place the largest pipes
of the open diapason outside the swell box, and leave
the remainder of that stop inside, as, when you were
playing, one note would sound loud and clear, whilst
the next one might be soft and subdued. But in the
case of the lower notes of the stopt pipes, as they
form the base of the open diapason, they might with
advantage be placed outside the swell, so that their
full power might be available, and the break in the
power would not be very marked.

The swell forms a most valuable addition to any
organ — even -when the instrument has only one stop
of pipes— as it is almost the only method available
for obtaining expression. By the aid of a properly
constructed swell, we may play so softly that, not-
withstanding the fact that several stops may be in
use, the musical sounds proceeding from them can
scarcely be heard, but by gradually opening the swell
shutters, we can cause those sounds to gradually in-
crease in power, until at last the harmonious thunders
of the full organ peal forth in all their grandeur, and
the majestic volume of sound may then be caused to
gradually diminish or die away into the merest
whisper. What a difference there is between playing

200 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

all the notes of a movement at full power, and in
playing the same notes with varying powers, according
to the sense of the words accompanying the music !
I cannot but join issue on this point with a recent
writer, when he deprecates the introduction of the
swell in small organs, whether used for private enter-
tainment or for public worship. Surely the fact that
novices are given to using the swell unnecessarily is
no reason why a valuable accessory should be excluded
from the instrument. Practice, we are told, makes
perfect ; but if, as is often the case, the organ in a
village church or schoolroom is the only instrument
accessible to the youthful musician, and that be
deficient in the matter of the swell, how is it possible
for him to learn to use it ? Again, many village organs
are played by the sons or daughters of the neighbour-
ing gentry who are fully acquainted with the use and
musical value of the swell, and would be sorely dis-
appointed if the instrument were without one. Under
these circumstances, I would strongly advise the
amateur not to omit this important and inexpensive
accessory from his instrument. I say inexpensive,
because if it is intended to have a case over the whole
organ, so as to exclude dust, etc., all that will be
necessary will be to add the shutters to the front of
the casing, and a pedal to open and close the same,
and your casing will be transformed into a swell
box.

The sides and ends of the swell box are formed of
framings of deal or pine at least an inch thick, and
about 3 inches wide, and the end and back framings
should be filled in with doors, so that ready access
may be obtained to any portion of the interior. It is
a great mistake to make the swell box of thin material.

)UQ JO ami

THE SWELL. 201

as is often done in the case of chamber organs, for
a little consideration will demonstrate that it is ne-
cessary to have thicker material in a chamber organ
than in a church organ. The church organ being
situated at a considerable distance from the audience,
the sound loses a portion of its fulness before it
reaches their ears, but in a room the audience are
necessarily close to the instrument, and the sound
reaches them with undiminished power. A more effi-
cient swell box is made by having two thicknesses
of stout wood with a space between them filled in with
sawdust, millboard, or coarse felt, or other non-
conductor of sound. In any case the whole of the
interior of the swell box should have two or three
thicknesses of brown paper pasted over it, and then
be given two or three coats of oil paint, and that
will make it more impervious to the sound of the pipes.
A coat of varnish over the inside will tend also to
reflect the sound when the swell shutters are opened.
The directions for making the swell box will apply
equally to either of the three kinds of swell which
I shall describe. If for a single manual instrument
with a general swell over the whole, the swell box
should be made about the same width as the sound-
board, so that it may be supported on the two outside
bearers of it ; or it may be to rest on the posts
of the building frame by carrying the end frames of
the swell box down sufficiently low. If any pipes are
planted off the sound-board across the ends, as shown
in the section, Fig. 170, the ends of swell box should be
brought down so as to enclose these pipes also, as
shown at c, c, on Fig. 175, so that all the pipes may
be enclosed in the swell. A couple of strong wood
brackets under the board on which these pipes stand

202 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

will be sufficient to give it the requisite strength to
support the weight of the swell box, but the weight
should be partly supported by the sound-board as
well.

The same thing will be done under similar circum-
stances with the swell box of the two-manual organ ;
but of course the depth of the swell box will only be
equal to the width of the swell sound-board. It would
be supported in the front by the wide bearer between
the two sound-boards — not on the upper boards — and
at the back would rest on the outside bearer, or on the
building frame in the manner before suggested.

The height of the swell box will depend on the
height of your room and on the height of the longest
pipe standing on the sound-board. As already stated
in a former chapter, the height of the organ may be
considerably reduced by planting some of the longest
pipes off the sound-board, and by mitring some of
those which are allowed to stand on it. The pipes
may be planted off to any convenient position either
at the back, ends, or front of the sound-board, and
the wind conveyed to them with paper or metal tubes
from I inch to i^ inch diameter internally, according
to the size of the pipes.

It must, however, be distinctly understood that
there must, in all cases, be a space of at least 6 inches
in height between the top of the longest pipe and the
underside of the top of the swell box, otherwise you
will not have room to lift your pipes out of the rack
board when required. But if you have plenty of space
to spare you should make this height above the top of
your tallest pipe as much as two feet, if possible, and
you will find that the pipes will sound very much
better, being less mulTled.

THE VENETIAN SWELL. 203

The Venetian Swell being the best and most
effective, we will give it our first consideration. The
box itself is made with framings and doors, as above
described, and the front is filled in with louvres, or
shutters, as shown in Figs. 171, 175, and 176. These
shutters should be of i inch or i^ inch deal or pine,
well seasoned. They are just long enough to fit in
easily between the two end framings of the swell box,
and are about 5 inches in w'idth, and are splayed on
the top and bottom edges, as shown in Fig. 177. The
top edge of each shutter should be covered with two
thicknesses of cloth, so that they do not rattle together
when opened or closed, and the framings round the
doors should, for a similar reason, be also lined with
cloth. A stout "centre " wire is inserted at one end of
each shutter about one-third down from the top ; at
the other end a groove is made leading up to a hole
the same distance down as the first centre wire (see
Fig. 177). This groove is to receive the other centre
wire, which is fixed in the framing of the swell box
instead of into the shutter itself, and the shutters can
thus be lifted up and taken out if required. An arm
of I inch mahogany is then fixed on to each shutter.
If the swell is for a two-manual with the two sound-
boards in one, the arms on the swell shutter must be
at one end, but if there is a space between the two
sound-boards the arms may be in any convenient
position. In the case of the single manual they may
be directly over the swell pedal, as shown in Fig. 175.

A hole is made in the end of each arm to receive
the wire pins fixed in the push-up rod. The push-up
rod is made of inch stuff about i^ inch wide, and
the pins are only just long enough to pass through
the holes in shutter arms. The rod may be extended

204 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

SO as to push up the top of the swell box like a lid,
and you will then secure the fullest openness of tone
possible. In Fig. 178, is shown the manner in which
the swell shutters are opened and closed by means of
the foot pedal, when the swell is situated at some dis-
tance from the front of the organ. The pedal a
projects beyond the framing of the organ in a convenient
position to be pressed by the foot, and is centred to a
portion of the framing.

On the back end of this pedal is a rod b, or stout
sticker, as it may be termed, connected to another rod
c, placed at right angles to it, and centred to any con-
venient piece of wood. The further end of this rod
pulls down the end of the rod d, which is centred like
a backfall, and the tail end of it pushes up the rod
connected to the arms of the shutters, and thus opens
the swell, or pushes up the top of the swell box, if
required. If the swell comes right to the front of the
organ, you will only require the pedal a and the rod
B, which latter will form the push-up rod opening the
shutters. In order that you may be enabled to fix the
shutters partially or wide open, the slit in the case
through which the pedal projects is cut in step-like
stages, so that by pressing the pedal slightly sideways
it catches in one or other of these notches, and is thus
held down, but can easily be released when required by
merely pressing it back with the foot. As the combined
weight of all the swell shutters is something considerable,
it is desirable that a balance weight should be introduced
to lessen it. This weight is shown at d on Fig. 176
and at f on Fig. 178, and it slides on a rod centred to a
block under the swell box, and secured by a wire pin to
the push-up rod. By shifting this weight along the rod
you can arrange it so that it nearly balances the weight

Fig. i8o. — Back Plate of Tremulant

|_Ci_

Fig. 175.— Front View of Swell

(Venetian).

Scale, § inch to I foot.

Fig. 17S.- Box Swell Action, showing
the Swell PedaL

THE VENETIAN SWELL. 205

of the shutters, leaving a little in their favour so as
to secure that the shutters will close of their own
accord. A spring may also be placed under the front
end of the pedal, to cause it to return after being
pressed down. You will find that this balance weight
makes a very great difference in the pressure required
on the pedal in order to open the swell.

Where there are reed pipes, the lower portion of
the front of the swell box is made to open on hinges,
in order to get at the tuning wire of the reeds, and
this door can be secured by buttons when closed (see
E in Fig. 175). You can, if you so desire, fill in the
portions marked c on the same figure with small
shutters, which will open themselves if a short rod
is attached to them, and connected to an arm on the
lowest long shutter, as shown at the left-hand side in
the sketch. It is not really necessary to do this, as
these portions of the swell box may be quite closed
in, the tendency of sound being to find its way out
at the nearest opening. In Fig. 171 the shutters are
shown open, and it will be seen that they open similar
to the laths of a Venetian blind, or like the louvres at
a brewery or tannery. But when closed, they do not
lap over at the edges like these, but form one unbroken
surface as shown in Fig. 176.

You will now see that a very wide bearer is placed
between the sliders of the great and swell sound-
boards, to secure sufficient room for the swell shutters
to open. It is much the best for them to open at the
front of the box, but it is sometimes convenient to make
them open at the back of it, in which case the extra
6 inches in the width of the sound-board will be
saved.

Where space in depth is very limited, the swell

206 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

may be merely a box with the sides formed as doors,
and the top of it opening Hke an ordinary box lid,
as shown in Fig. 178. Where this is done, the lid or
top should project over the front sufficient to allow
it to still rest on the top of the push-up rod when
open. A slit may be made in the lid, and a wire
passed through it, and fixed into the top of the rod,
which will then keep in position ; but a round hole
would not answer the purpose, as there is a lateral
movement of the rod when the lid opens. Of course,
it will be understood that this is at best but a make-
shift swell, and not nearly equal to a Venetian swell,
but it is certainly better than none, and can be added
where the Venetian is excluded by reason of want of
space. I may state that, instead of having a box lid,
the top of the swell box might be fitted with horizontal
Venetian shutters.

Another variety of swell — which only requires a
space of abcut 2^ inches to work in — is that termed
the Gridiron Swell. It consists of a framing as shown
at Fig. 172, which fills up the front of the swell box,
and is, so to speak, a fixture, though it should be made
so as to be readily taken out if required. A second
frame, shown in Fig. 173, is made in such a manner
that the bars in it correspond with the spaces in the
other framing or "gridiron." This second framing is
placed in front of the first one and secured up against
it by means of a f inch bead, similar to the manner in
which ordinary window sashes are kept in their places.
It further resembles a sash by its being capable of
being lifted up, which is done by means of the rod and
pedal. A reference to the section in Fig. 174, will
show that when the swell is closed, the bars of the
front frame cover the ?rr.ccs in the back one ; anc'

THE TREMULANT. 207

when open, the bars and spaces of both frames coin-
cide with each other. The surfaces of the frames
where they touch each other should be well black-
leaded to secure easy and smooth action. The pedal
movement for the several swells will be much the
same as those described, according to whether the
swells are situated at the front or at the back of the
instrument.

We now come to a useful little apparatus termed a
"Tremulant." When this is in operation it causes all
the notes played to have a waver or trill, somewhat
similar to the sound of the Voix Celeste stop. The
same remark which I made with regard to the swell
applies to the Tremulant — viz., that the indiscreet use
made of it by novices is no argument for its exclusion
from the instrument. When it is not overdone, but
used with discretion, it gives beauty and variety of
effect to certain passages in a movement, and I see no
reason why it should not be introduced into small
instruments as well as large ones. It consists, as
shown in Fig. 179, of a wind-chest (marked c) having
a hole cut through the top of it into a little bellows b.
This hole is covered on the under side by a pallet or
valve similar to those in the wind-chest of the manual
sound-board, and is kept in its place by a guide pin
and spring. On the top of the little bellows b, is a
large hole covered by a pallet or valve d, which is
kept from rising beyond a certain distance by means
of the regulating screw wire s, which works through
a strip of wood h, fixed on supports screwed to the
side of the bellows. A spring e keeps the bellows
closed. A slider k, with a hole through it the same
size as the hole in the top of the wind-chest, by being
drawn out, will regulate the size of that aperture as

208 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

required. On the top of the bellows is fixed a thin
flat wire or steel spring about 8 or lO inches long,
with a sliding weight m on the end of it, which can
be fixed at any point of the wire by means of an
adjusting screw. The back of the wind-chest, which
is shown in Fig. i8o, has a hole about 2 inches long
by I inch wide in the centre of it to admit the wind
into the wind-chest. The front is supposed to be
removed in the sketch, but it is merely a flat piece of
wood closing the wind-chest right up.

The tremulant acts as follows : A hole correspond-
ing in size to the hole in the back plate is made in
any convenient position of the wind-trunk of the
manual sound-board, or in the back of the sound-board
wind-chest, and the tremulant screwed over it. A
stop knob — or, what is better still, a pedal placed in
a convenient position to be pressed by the foot or knee
— is connected to the pull-down wire r of the tremu-
lant ; and on the pallet being opened the little bellows
B is filled with compressed air, which forces the pallet
D open, and the air escapes. The pallet d, however,
rises but a little way before it is stopped by the screw
s, whilst the spring e forces the bellows to close again.
This causes the flat wire l, with the weight on it, to
vibrate up and down, thus alternately opening and
closing the bellows and pallet, and imparting a tremu-
lous or wavy sound to the pipes. The quickness of the
vibrations of the rod are regulated by means of the
weight on the flat wire ; the nearer it is placed to the
bellows the quicker are the vibrations. A piece of
stout felt is glued along the front edge of the bellows,
as shown at n, to prevent it making a tapping noise.
If the tremulant should make an unpleasant noise it
may be prevented from being heard by enclosing the

COMPOSITION PEDALS. 209

whole affair in a box lined with thick felt ; or it may
be placed right away from the instrument, say in a
cupboard in the next room, and if the wind is con-
veyed to it by a pipe about i^ inch diameter, it will
act just as well as though it were attached to the
instrument.

" Combination pedals " or " composition pedals " are
arranged so as to operate on several stops at once,
by merely pressing the foot on a pedal. This is
managed by connecting the pedal rod with a roller
having several arms each of which acts on a stop-slider,
so that when the pedal is pressed it either opens or
closes several sliders at the same time. These actions
are generally connected to the opposite end of the
sliders to that acted upon by the ordinary stop action,
but by causing the roller arms to operate on a rod
connected with the arm of the draw-stop action it can
be fitted at that end. By means of these pedals a set
of loud stops or soft stops can be brought into use
as required by the necessities of the case.

CHAPTER XIII.

VOICING AND TONING— DEFECTS AND THEIR
REMEDIES.

|E have now completed the structural portion
of the organ proper, as the case may be
considered a separate matter, and may
therefore proceed to prepare for the more
delicate, and, I must admit, more tedious operation, of
voicing and tuning the pipes.. Before actually starting
on this work, however, it will be advisable to give the
constructive work a thorough inspection, v;itli the view
of ascertaining whether there are any defects which
need removing. See that all the various parts are in
their proper places, and act properly, and, above all,
look to the building frame, and see if there is any
indication that it is giving in any way, for the weight
it has to support is something considerable, and any
defect here would prove very disastrous. To make
" assurance doubly sure," it would be as vvell if a
longitudinal bar were screwed on near the top and
bottom, both on the back and front of the frame, taking
care that they come in such positions that they do not
interfere with the working of any portion of the instru-
ment, or with the means of access to it. If the work
has been properly executed, these strengthening pieces

VOICING AND TONING.

21 I

if^

should not be needed, but amateurs often fail to make

a strong mortise and tenon joint. The swell box should

next, be looked to, and care taken that

it is properly secured to the building

frame, or to whatever supports it, and

that no rattling takes place when several

large pipes are sounded at the same

time.

We may then proceed to adjust the
pressure of wind, and for this we shall
require a little instrument, termed a
wind-pressure gauge, or "anemo-
meter." This can easily be made by
the amateur for himself, and a glance
at Fig. i8i will show how it is con-
structed. At the chemist's, or at a
glass warehouse, procure a piece of
glass tubing about 2 feet 6 inches or
3 feet long, and about f inch bore, and
bend it very gradually over the gas
flame, or over the flame of a methylated
spirit lamp, to the form shown in the
sketch, making the arm that goes into
the foot about I2 inches long, and each
of the others about 8 inches long. Insert
the bottom of the long arm into the
foot of a wood pipe, or into a piece of
wood similarly shaped, and fill in all
round the top of the foot with red lead
or putty, so that there may be no escape
of wind, except through the tube. Then
make a slip of wood about lo inches ^'■^''"'"' ^^"^^•
long, and just wide enough to fit in between the two
short arms of the tube, and slightly hollow out the

Fig. i8i.

2 12 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

edges, so that it will keep in its position. Divide the
lower portion of this slip into inches and parts of inches,
as shown in the sketch, working from the bottom.
Now colour a little water with a drop of red ink, aniline
dye, or even tea, and with a small spouted jug or with
a syringe, inject it mto the top of the tube until it
reaches 3 or 3^ inches up both arms of it. If any
bubbles of air appear in the tube, the water must be
ejected by forcibly blowing through the foot, and the
tube filled again.

Take one of your largest pipes off the sound-board,
and, in its place, substitute the tube, taking care that
the foot fits quite air-tight into the hole in the upper
board, so that the air can only escape by passing up
the tube. Place a little weight on the proper key to
keep it down, then blow the bellows, and place weights
on the top of it, until the water in the tube indicates
the required pressure — 2 inches is about the proper
pressure for any of our organs, but it may be a little
more or a little less, according to the volume of sound
which you require to produce. Too high a pressure
will produce a screamy sound from the pipes, which is
very objeciionable, but if it is too low the tone is weak
and unsatisfactory. The pressure is indicated in the
following manner : — The water in the two arms, when
in its normal state, is perfectly level ; but on blowing
the bellows, the air presses on the top of the water in
the middle arm, and thus causes it to rise in the third
arm, and the distance between the two surfaces indicates
the pressure in inches. This distance can be measured
by adjusting the graduated slip of wood, so that the
zero corresponds with the surface of the water in the
middle arm. In the sketch a pressure of 2 inches is"
shown, and that is the pressure which I recommend my

VOICING AND TONING.

213

readers to adopt. On large organs, some
of the loud reed stops are placed on a
pressure of 12, 15, or even 20 inches.

The weighting on the bellows should
consist of pieces of flat iron, sheet lead, or
stout slate, and, in any case, should be
covered with two or three thicknesses of
stout paper, or be wrapped up in baize, to
prevent the top board of the bellows being
dented by the sharp corners of the weighting.

Having now adjusted the pressure, we
take the pipes in hand for voicing. I will
deal with wood pipes first, as they are the
simplest to voice. The voicing nicks are
sloping nicks or grooves made on the face
of the block of the pipe, deepest at the top,
and dying away altogether before they reach
the throat. For pipes required to give a full
round tone the nicks are wide apart and
rather coarse, but for fine and delicate toned
pipes the nicks are close together and very
fine. The nicks are made with tuning-files
(shown in Fig. 182), which can be procured
in several sizes ; two or three of the smaller
sizes will be all that the amateur will require.
They are very slightly rounded on one side,
and rather more so on the other, and the
edges are sharp. It is the edge which is
used to make the nicks or grooves. For
bevelling the edge of the block, cutting up
the mouths and rounding the upper lips, a
flat iron file will be required, or better still,
make half-a-dozen of the handy little tools
shown in the sketch, Fig. 183. They consist of slips

214 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

thin wood shaped as shown, one end being wider than
the other, the end a being covered with very fine
glass-paper, and the end b covered with glass-paper of
rather a coarser nature, and covered in the same way
on the under side, but reversing the order of the glass-
paper. You have thus four tools in one, viz., two
sizes and two degrees of fineness. The smallest
ones should be simply veneer, and narrow enough to
pass into the mouth of the smallest pipe.

I have often been asked whether I could give some
rule for regulating the sizes and distance apart of the
nicks according to the size of the pipe, and as this is a
w^ork which requires the utmost care and patience (for,
in order to secure good results the nicks must be

Fig. 1S3. — Home Made Tool for Bevelling, etc.

perfectly regular, gradually decreasing in width, depth,
and distance apart as the pipes run smaller), I have
thought it w'ell to place at the disposal of the amateur
a little mechanical appliance for the purpose. It is
made in the following manner : Take a piece of thin
card and draw on it a line corresponding in length to
the width of the mouth of your largest pipe of the stop
you wish to voice. Now divide this line into as many
parts as you wish to have nicks ; for the tenor C, open
diapason wood pipes, the nicks should be rather less
than i inch apart from centre to centre. With your
compasses, take the depth of the pipe and set it off
immediately over the centre of the line showing width
of the mouth (see Fig. 184). Up to this centre point

VOICING AND TONING.

215

draw a line from each end of the mouth, thus forming
a triangle, and then draw Hnes from each division up
to the same point. If you wish to find the size of the
nicking for any other pipe, all you have to do is to take
the width of the mouth of that pipe in your compasses,
and set it off on this triangle, so that the points of the
compasses just touch the two outside lines of the

Q < .^ >

Fig. 184. -Method of Regulating Size of Voicing Nicks.

A, Front Edge of Tenor C Languid. Full Size. B, Section of
Front Edge of Wood Languid.

triangle. Draw a horizontal line through these points,
and you will find it divided equally into small divisions
by the sloping lines running through it. In the sketch
in Fig. 184 all this is set out (though it is there shown
for a circular pipe), and the width of the mouths of the
2-foot C and i-foot C are marked to show the application
of the rule. If you draw this out on the card, as directed,

2l6 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

and by drawing horizontal lines at the proper places,
show the widths of the mouths of every fourth pipe,
you can then proceed to cut the card along the line of
the largest pipe, and hold it against the top of the face
of the block, and mark the position of the nicks with
the point of a pencil. Cut the card down to the next
line, and mark the pipe corresponding to it in a similar
way, and so on until you reach the sma'il pipes, in which
the nicking will be merely scratches close together,
requiring no setting out.

If you make one of these cards for each stop, I think
you will have no difficulty in regu-ating your nicks.
The depths of the nicks may be regulated by drawing a
line on the top of the block the requisite distance in
from the face of it. Of course, experienced workmen
need no such mechanical aid as this, as they can regulate
their nicking with the utmost accuracy by the aid of
their eyes alone, and would probably look with great
contempt upon any mechanical aid. I am not, however,
writing for experienced hands, but for novices in the
work, and this little appliance may save them spoiling
many of their pipes. As the art of nicking nicely can
only be acquired by practice, I recommend my readers
to practise on spare pieces of wood before attempting
to voice a pipe.

Fig. 185 shows the nicks full size on the block of the
tenor C pipe of the wood open diapason stop. They
are nearly ^ inch apart and yV inch deep at the top,
and die quite away before reaching the throat. Before
making the nicks, see that the top edge of the block is
perfectly square with the sides of the pipe, if not, make
it so by chiseUing ; and, after nicking the block slightly
chamfer the top edge of it, as shown in the sketch.
This chamfer should be made without sliarp edges, and

VOICING AND TONING.

2 1/

must be reduced as the pipes run smaller until in the
top octave it merely takes the sharpness oflf the edge of
the block.

The windway of the tenor C should be filed to about

Fig. 185. — Block of Wood Tenor C Pipe, Open Diapason, showing
Voicing Nicks. Full Size.

y\^ inch deep, and should be very gradually lessened in
each successive pipe to top octave having a windway
of only —^ inch deep. The mouth should then be cut
up to very slightly more than one-fourth of its diameter,
and the edge of the upper lip should have the sharpness

21 8 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

just taken oft with the glass-paper file. It will be
remembered that the mouths of all the pipes were left
slightly under the prescribed height in order to allow
for finishing off when voicing and toning. I prefer
using a file made of glass-paper, instead of a knife, for
this purpose, as there is no danger of spoiling the lip
with the file.

Having completed the voicing of the whole of the
open diapason, and examined them to see that the voicing
is clean, and no sawdust or chips remaining in any part,
you may place the pipes in their proper position on the
sound-board. They must fit well into the holes in the
rack-board and upper-boards — especially the latter, as
there must be no escape of wind there — or it will not
only cause an unpleasant hissing, but will weaken the
tone of the pipes. By the aid of a pitch-pipe, tuning
fork, or an instrument in good tune, you may now
proceed to test the sound of the pipes, in order to see
if they give anything like the right note. The pro-
bability is that they will all sound very much too flat,
as in making them we always allow them to run longer
than the actual tone length. We must therefore cut
them down until they sound the least bit too sharp, and
this is done with a fine tenon saw, cutting very thin
strips off until the right note is given. Be very careful
not to cut too much off" at a time, and begin with the
middle octave, and you will soon be able to tell how
much is required to be taken off" in each pipe. Roughly
speaking, each pipe from 4 feet to 2 feet long is 2
inches shorter than the preceding one ; each one from
2 feet to I foot long, i inch shorter than the preceding ;
each one in the next octave I- inch shorter, and so
on, the diff'erence decreasing by half in each octave
higher. This work being satisfactorily completed, we

VOICING AND TONING. 219

next insert the tuning shades, which are simply hds of
soft tin or zinc, bent and inserted in a saw-cut made in
the thickness of the back-board of the pipe, as shown
in Fig. 33, Chapter II. It should be the same width as
the pipe, but about half an inch longer than the depth
of it. Raising it sharpens the tone, and depressing
flattens it, but the lid must never be quite closed. We
must test the pipes to see if they are equal in timbre or
loudness, and of the same character of tone. Some,
perhaps, may sound too soft, others too loud, and this
difference will most probably be caused by the difference
in the amount of wind which they respectively receive.
If too loud, insert a wedge or two of wood in the bottom
of the foot, so as to make the hole smaller ; if too soft,
possibly, either the mouth is too low, or the windway
too small, or the nicking not deep enough ; so carefully
inspect the pipe in order to determine where the defect
is most likely to be, and file the upper lip a little higher,
or enlarge the windway the least bit possible, or deepen
the nicking, as the case may require ; sometimes all three
operations will have to be gone through with the same
pipe. Above all things, do not be too impetuous in
any of these operations, or you may spoil your pipes
altogether ; better do it two or three times over than
have to remake a pipe. The top edge of the cap should
be exactly level v/ith the chamfer of the block; if it is
not so it may cause weakness, or total absence of tone,
in consequence of the wind not being directed properly
on to the edge of the upper lip. The front edge of the
upper lip of the open diapason pipes should have the
sharp edge just taken of with a touch of the glass-paper
file, but must not be actually rounded.

As to the means of regulating the thickness of the
upper lips of all the wood pipes, I may mention that

220 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

the chamfer should be made as high as it is wide,
and made so that if the lip were extended right down
to the top of the block it would run off to a sharp
edge. It will therefore follow, that the higher the
mouth is cut up the thicker the lip will become, and
this rule applies to all the pipes, unless it is especially-
stated that they are to have thin hps, and then the
same rule may be made to answer by cutting a chamfer
a little sharper. It must, however, be understood that
when I refer to the upper lips being left sharp or rather
sharp, I refer to the absence of any rounding on the
front edge, not to the thickness of the edge. The edges
of the upper lips are not left square, but very slightly
chamfered upwards.

The Principal or F/ufc stop may now be treated
in the same way as the open diapason, only making
the nicks rather finer and closer together than in the
pipes of the same length in that stop. This stop, viz.,
the Fliiie, has two caps, an inner and an outer one.
The face of the inner one must be exactly level with
the face of the pipe, and the top edge of it should just
have the sharpness taken off. The mouth is cut up
one-fifth of its diameter and the outside edge of the
upper lip left square, as, being an inverted mouth the
roundness and chamfer of the lip is on the inside.
The windway is very slightly less than that of the open
diapason, and the pipes must not sound quite so loud.

The Genishorn is voiced in a similar manner to the
flute, the windway being the same size. The mouth
is cut up one-third of its diameter, and the edge of
the upper lip left sharp. This stop is not quite so full
toned as the flute, being rather more reedy.

The Flageolet is voiced still finer than the flute, and
must not be so loud. The height of the mouth is only

STOPT WOOD PIPES. 221

slightly over one-sixth of its diameter, and the holes
in the feet are very small, being made as directed in
page 41, Chapter II.

Stopt Wood Pipes.

The Bourdon should have the top edge of the block
or languid slightly bevelled and nicked rather lightly for
the size of the pipe. These nicks may be rather over
\ inch apart on the CCC, and \ inch apart on the
smallest pipe, making them only the same depth as
those of the first two octaves of the open diapason :
upper lip of largest pipe ^ inch thick. The windway
should be j^ inch wide for the largest, and rather over
■^^ inch for the smallest. Do not expect too loud a
sound when close to the pipe, as you hear this stop best
at a distance.

The Stopt Diapason really requires no nicking if
made with block shaped as I have described ; but it
can be nicked if you like, making it rather lighter than
the open diapason. Mouth cut up one-third of the
diameter, windway rather larger than the open
diapason, and allow plenty of wind at the foot. Lips
about ^ inch thick for CC, and slightly rounded on
front edge.

The Lieblich Gedacht is voiced similar to the open
diapason of same size. Mouth cut up one-third of
the diameter or rather less, the upper lip fully \ inch
thick for CC pipe, and slightly rounded on front
edge. The windway to be the same size as that of
the stopt diapason, and the cap to be slightly below
the top edge of the block — viz., about -i- inch for largest
pipe and about ^^ inch for smallest.

It is useless trying to get a loud tone from stopt
pipes, as if blown too strongly and cut up too high the

222 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

tone .is harsh and very disagreeable. The proper tone
is soft, s\veet, and moderately full and humming. The
stoppers, or tompions, must fit perfectly, and must be
perfectly square with the pipe.

Having all the pipes completed, so far as voicing
is concerned, you now place them in position, and
cut them to the proper length, slightly chamfering
round the top to make them look neat (if they are
very much longer than necessary the stopt pipes may
be trimmed down a bit) ; then proceed to tone them as
described for the open diapason. In order to enable
you to overcome all difficulties it may be well that I
should point out the defects to which wood pipes arc
liable, and the w^ay to remedy them.

I. IVrndiness. — Where this defect exists the pipe
appears to take all the wind \'ou can give it, and yet it
all seems wasted as it does not produce much tone.
This is often caused by the wind not being properly
directed on to the upper lip, and the location of the
defect may be determined as follows : Blow the pipe
and hold your hand close to the mouth of it, and if the
tone is improved it shows that the wind is directed out-
side the lip ; so to rem.edy this raise the cap slightly,
and that will direct the wind more inwards. If, however,
holding the hand over the mouth effects no improve-
ment, but rather makes matters worse, it shows that
the wind is directed inside the pipe, and to cure it
we must lower the cap a little. If we require a full
fluty tone, the wind is directed more inwards than
outwards ; if a thin or reedy tone, it must be directed
more to the outside of the pipe. Windiness may also
be caused by the windway being too wide, the nicks too
deep, or by the pipes or conveyances not fitting, properly
into the holes in the sound-board. If the former is the

STOPT WOOD PIPES. 223

case plane down the inner face of the cap and so
reduce the windway ; if the nicking is very much too
coarse the only remedy will be to face the block afresh
with mahogany, but unless this is very carefully done
it will not answer.

2. Over-blowing, or Soiaidvig the Octave, caused
by too much wind for the size of the mouth. Cut the
mouth a little higher, or enlarge the windway if really
needful ; but the generality of cases will simply re-
quire some of the wind stopping off at the foot by
means of wedges inserted in foot.

3. Hollowness, caused by the mouth having been
cut too high. Try giving more wind, but if the pipe
then sounds too loud, and the defect is so bad as to
spoil your stop, the only remedy is to saw off the
upper lip just above the chamfer and tenon a nev/ lip
on. This is an awkward piece of work, and very
vexatious, so bev.'are of overcutting.

4. Weakness of Tone, caused by too low mouth,
too thin a lip, too narrow a windway, or shallow nicks.
Try allowing more wind at the foot first, and if not
successful, deepen the nicking very slightly, or deepen
the windway. If the lip is too thin it must be cut up
a little higher, which operation in the case of a weak-
toned pipe generally necessitates miore wind at the
foot and a larger windway. Bourdon pipes sometimes
require a foot with a larger bore to be inserted in place
of the one already fixed.

5. Chijfing or Barking. — This is a scraping noise
heard with the sound of the pipes, or an uncertain
•sound given by the pipe before the proper note is
heard. It is caused by the nicking being too shallow,
or by want of parallelism between the edges of lips,
or between the lips and the block. The block should

224 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

be square with the sides of the pipe, the lower lip
perfectly parallel both with the face and with the
edge of the block, and the upper lip parallel with both.
A very little dust on the mouth of a small pipe will
often cause it to sound very strangely, or not at all, so
see to this before altering a pipe in any way.

Paper Pipes.

Open Diapason. — In this stop both the upper and lower
edges of the languid are slightly bevelled, the lower edge,
however, but very slightly. The voicing nicks on the
tenor C languid should be about twelve to the inch,
and nearly -j\- inch deep, and so cut that they are
widest near the top of the flat edge, and die away on
both bevels. These voicing nicks may be cut quite
perpendicular, or may be slightly converging inwards
towards the centre of the upper lip, so that the tendenc}'
is to prevent the wind impinging on the sides of the
mouth. The rule which I have referred to for regu-
lating the distance apart of the voicing nicks in wood
pipes applies equally well in the case of paper or metal
pipes. To set the card out for either of these describe
a circle the same diameter as the internal diameter
of the largest pipe of each stop v.hich you propose
to voice, and set off the width of the mouth, whatever
it may be, at the lower part of the circle, and then
divide it into spaces equal to the distance apart from
centre to centre of the nicking for that particular pipe,
and draw sloping lines from each divison up to the
centre of the top of the circle (see Fig. 184). The
width of the mouth of any pipe of the stop being taken
in the compasses and set off, so that the points of the
compasses just touch the two outside sloping lines,
draw a horizontal line through these points, and you

PAPER PIPES.

225

will find it divided in exactly the same proportion as
the larger one, as already explained in regard to pipes
made of wood.

It will be observed that the edge of the languid,
when nicked, will resemble the edge of a thick saw
with the points or teeth blunt, but as the pipes run
smaller, the nicks get finer and closer together, and the
teeth then become sharper. If the pipes are voiced

Fig. 186. — Penknife-Biade for Nicking Paper Pipes.

before they are put together, the nicks can be made with
a fine tuning file ; but if the voicing is left till the
pipes are completed, the nicks will be made with the
tools shown in Figs. 186 to 189, which are conveniently
shaped for getting at the edge of the languid, not-
withstanding the smallness of the winiway. Fig. 186
is a penknife blade, ground very fine, and fixed in
a straight thin handle, like a penholder. FiJ?. 187

Fig. 187. — Bradawl Ground to Triangular Shape. A, Section.

is a bradawl ground to a triangular shape, and drawn
to a point, the lower edge being sharp like a knife,
and this tool is also fixed in a thin handle, and all
of them are held in exactly the same way as one
would hold a pen when writing. Fig. 188 is a
triangular-shaped piece of steel, running off" to a point,
and having a sharp edge, which will be found very
useful for the larger pipes. For the very small pipes,
tools similar to Figs. 186 and 187, but ground very

226

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

much thinner at the point ends, will be necessary.
Fig. 189 is a similar tool, but ground to a sharp edge
on both sides of the sloping end. This last tool is
used to make nicks on the inside edge of the lower

Pointed Triangular-Shaped Steel. A, Section.

lip of the pipes, corresponding to, but very much finer
than, those on the edge of the languid. The upper
octaves of the pipes will not require the lip nicked in
this way, and it should not be done to any of the
pipes until it has been ascertained that they sound
properly, and that the wind is properly directed on to
the upper lip, for if this is not the case, it may be
necessary to take a little off the inner edge of the lip
as described later on, when dealing with defects. In
fact, this nicking of the lip should be the final operation,
and should be done very lightly.

The mouth of the open diapason should be cut
up one-fourth of its diameter, and the upper lip left
rather sharp on its outside edge. Windway barely
i\y inch wide for tenor C, and decreasing to less than

half this for the smallest

aM .-- : pipe.

The Flute is voiced
in exactly the same way
as the previous stop
(the nicks are rather finer and closer together), but
rather softer than the open diapason. Mouth cut up
one-fifth of its diameter, and the windway a scale
or two smaller than the diapason, say tenor C of flute
made the same size as the D of the open diapason.

0 "

Fig. 189. — Nicking Tool for Inside of
Lip. A, Section.

PAPER PIPESv

227

Flageoiei. — Nicks and windway still finer than those
of the flute pipes of the same length. Mouth cut up
rather more than one-sixth of the diameter ; upper lip
very slightly rounded on front edge. The holes in the
feet should be coned very small. These pipes should be
softer in sound than the flute, and care must be taken
to secure this result, especially in the top octave, which
always has a tendency to sound screamy.

Keraulophon. — The nicking and windway of this
stop should be almost as fine as that of the flageolet,
and the mouth cut up barely one-third of its diameter,
the edge of the upper lip rather thin and not rounded
on the outside edge. The holes through the sliding
caps at the top of the pipes have already been referred
to in a previous chapter. The proper tone of this stop
is rather soft and stringy, and somewhat pungent.

Gcmshorn. — Nicking and windway about the same
as in the flute ; mouth cut up about one-third of its
diameter, and edge of upper lip left sharp and rather
thin.

Slopt Diapason. — Nicking rather wider apart, but
the same depth as in open diapason of same length,
windway rather wider. Mouth cut up barely one-third
of its diameter ; upper lip thick and rounded on front
edge, if a full round tone is required. If what is
termed the quintaten or harmonic tone is preferred,
the mouths should be cut up rather higher, and the
lips made thinner and sharper on the outside edge.
The upper lips of this stop are slightly arched, as
described in instructions for making.

Licblich Gcdacht. — Very similar to the stopt diapason,
but voiced rather softer. The mouth should be cut up
barely one-third of it« diameter ; upper lip may be
either straight or arched, according to taste, and slightly

228 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

rounded on front edge. A full supply of wind should
be allowed. The original Lieblich Gedacht was made
of metal with an arched opening for the mouth, and no
flattening or bay-leaf^ as it is termed, to form the upper

lip.

Violoncello. — The nicking of this stop must be as
fine as that of the flute, the mouth cut up barely one-
third of the diameter, and the upper lip left rather
sharp on the outside edge. The windway should be the
same as that of the flute. This stop, as well as all
stops intended to give a crisp stringy tone, should be
coated with white hard varnish either over the oil
paint, or used instead of it, both inside and outside the
pipes. If paint only is used it gives the tone sweet-
ness and fulness, but not crispness, which latter quality,
in stops like the keraulophon and violoncello, is the
great desideratum.

Paper pipes are subject to the same defects as
other pipes, but the treatment for the cure of some of
them will be rather different to that of wood pipes.

Windiness, caused by the wind not being properly
directed on to the upper lip, may be detected in the
same way as described for the wood pipes, viz., by
holding the hand over the mouth of the pipe while it is
sounding. If the wind is directed outside the pipe it
may be cured by introducing a slip of fine glass-paper
mto the windway, and taking the least bit off the edge
of the languid by gently working the glass-paper up
and down two or three times. If, however, the wind
is directed too much inside the pipe, introduce a very
thin knife blade, or strip of thin metal, into the wind-
way, so that merel}' by pressure the slope of the edge
of the languid is slightly altered, and this will often be
sufficient to cause the wind to be properlj' directed to

PAPER PIPES. 229

the edge of the upper hp. If this does not effect a cure,
recourse must be had to the shp of glass-paper, and a
little taken off the inside edge of the lower lip, so as
to widen the windway. If a windway should happen
to be too wide, it may often be remedied by simply
pressing the lower lip a little inwards with a flat piece
of wood, taking care to proceed very cautiously, so as
to avoid cracking the foot of the pipe. If the upper lip
projects too much, that may be pressed in in the same
way, or if it does not project enough, the sides of the
pipe may be gently pressed with the finger, so as to
throw the lip forward, taking care not to damage the
pipe. If the defects cannot be remedied by these means,
the lip may be cut, or rather, prised off with a flat
bladed knife ; and if it is required to be further in, rub
down the surface of the pipe with glass-paper, and then
glue on a new lip, after testing it in its position on the
pipe. If the lip is required to project more, cut a false
lip of cardboard of the requisite thickness (cutting a
V-shaped piece out of it), and glue it on to the pipe, and
then glue on the wood lip over the card.

Overblowing may be prevented by coning in the hole
in the foot so as to make it smaller ; and this hole can
be enlarged at any time by merely inserting the pointed
end of a stick.

Weakness of Tone, Chiffing or Barking. — The remarks
under these heads in the part dealing with voicing of
wood pipes will apply to paper pipes. The tuning caps
of the open pipes should fit moderately tight, so that,
although they can easily be shifted by hand, they may
have no tendency to shift of themselves when vibrating.
The stopt caps of the stopt pipes must fit perfectly
air-tight, and be square with the pipes, or you will not
get a good tone ; and the leather lining should be rubbed

230 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

with tallow or black-lead so as to ensure smoothness of
action.

Metal PiT'ES.

Metal pipes are treated somewhat similarly to the
paper ones in voicing, but are not voiced until they are
completely put together. The purchase of metal pipes
un-voiced will effect a saving of about 20 per cent, on
the cost of each stop. The tuning nicks are cut on the
thin sloping edge of the languid, so as to cause the edge
to resemble the edge of a saw with the teeth rather
blunt. The tools used are those shown in Figs. 186 to
189, and the inside of the lower lips must be nicked
finely as described for paper pipes. The nicks in tenor
C open diapason are -^^ inch deep and yV inch apart,
and are reduced gradually as the pipes run smaller,
ur.til for the smallest pipes they become mere scratches.
Follow the instructions given for the voicing of paper
pipes as regards the relative sizes of the nicking of
various stops as compared with the metal open diapason,
the heights of the mouths and the cutting of the upper
lips. As I recommended in the case of wood pipes that
the amateur should practise nicking on spare pieces of
wood, so I would even more strongly urge that the
novice should practise on spare pieces of metal before
attempting to voice a metal pipe. These pipes require
very careful handling or they will soon be ruined. It
would be advisabe to have a few small blocks of wood
with semi-circular hollows cut in their upper surface,
and of different sizes, so that two of them laid a little
distance apart would form a firm support for a pipe
when laid down for voicing, or for painting and
decorating.

It very often happens that the lips of metal pipes

METAL PIPES.

231

get pressed inwards, and if this is tlie case with any of
your pipes the defect can be remedied by drawing the
lip forward, by carefully inserting a flat strip of thin
metal bent thus, r~". If at any time you require to
press the lips inwards in order to reduce the windway,
or to reduce the convexity of tlie upper lip, on no

Fig. 190.

Pipe with Languid

too Low.

Fig. 191.
Pipe with Languid
too High.

Fig. 192.
Pipe with Languid
in Proper Position.

account give way to the impulse to do it by pressing
your .thumb on the lip, as the probability is that if you
do the pipe may be spoilt. Take a flat piece of thin
wood, or the flat blade of a table knife, and gently press
the lip with that. Another common occurrence is that
the languid is either too low or too high. Fig. 190

232 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

shows it too low, and it will be seen that the wind shoots
into the pipe instead of on to the upper lip, and the
pipe consequently does not sound or only in a very
modified way. To remedy this, take a stout wire with
a smooth and slightly rounded end to it, pass it up
through the foot of the pipe, and gently press the
languid upwards ; taking care not to press it near the
bevelled edge. If the languid is too high, as in Fig.
191, the wind is shot out of the pipe, and to cure this,
gently press the languid downwards with the flat of a
table knife, or thin flat piece of wood introduced at
the mouth of the pipe. Fig. 192 shows the languid in
its proper position, when the edge of the lower lip is
exactly level with the notched edge of the languid.
But it must be borne in mind that different stops require
slightly different treatment as regards the height of the
languid. For full fluty tones the languid should be
rather low, so that the wind may be directed on to the
inside edge of the upper lip, and shoot off up into the
pipe, but for thin, reedy, or stringy tones it should be
rather high so as to direct the wind more on to the
outside edge of the upper lip.

For cutting up the mouths and making the very
narrow bevel on the outside edge of the upper lip, a
small penknife should be used ground to a flat edge —
that is, there must be no bevel at the edge, as is often
the case with penknives, but the blade should slope from
the back right down to the cutting edge — and the knife
itself should be held nearly flatwise.

For coning in the feet of metal pipes so as to reduce
the windhole, stout metal or boxwood cups are used,
and these are termed knocking-up cups.

The voicing and tuning of reed pipes have been dealt
with in Chapter IV.

PIPES GENERALLY.

233

Fig. 193.
Tuning Cone.

Pipes Generally.

It must be understood that all the pipes, when voiced
and toned — that is, when they all give the requisite
volume and character of tone throughout the respective
stops — must be cut down to the length
required to cause them to sound the
proper note, as described for the open
diapason wood pipes. Metal or paper
pipes are trimmed down with a pair of
scissors, which are more convenient for
the purpose if made with cranked handles.
The metal pipes are mostly tuned by
means of a tuning cone, such as is shown in Fig. 193.
The pipe having been trimmed down with the scissors
so as to give almost the exact sound required, the cone
is pressed on the top of it like putting an extinguisher
on a candle, and then worked gently round.
This causes the top edge of the pipe to be
slightly coned inwards, which should be
the normal condition of all open cylindrical
metal pipes when in the organ. Pipes with
the tops spreading outwards indicate bad
workmanship. If it is required to flatten the
tone of a pipe the cone is pressed on it a
little as above described, but, to sharpen the
note, the pointed end of the cone is inserted
in the top of the pipe and the coning thus
slightly lessened. Fig. 194 shows a tuning
horn, which is merely a handle with a cone
on each end in inverted order, so that it Tuning Horn,
can be used either to open or close in a pipe, and being
long it can be pushed down in among taller pipes when
they are in their places on the sound-board. Care

2 34 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

should be taken, when tuning, that the cones are not
used in such a manner as to spHt the pipes.

Some metal pipes, such as the horn diapason, and all
show pipes, are tuned by means of a tongue cut out
near the top of the pipe. It is necessary that most
show pipes should be much longer than the tone
length, and in order that they may give the proper
note a tongue is cut out at the proper place. This
tongue is cut so that it is three or four times as long
as it is wide, and is only attached to the pipe at its
lower extremity. The free end is then curled back-
wards by means of a pair of round nosed pliers, and
by curling it up tighter the slot is brouglit lower down
and the tone is sharpened, but if it is uncurled a little

Fig. 195. — Tuning Knife for Reeds.

the lower end of the slot is closed a trifle, and the
tone of the pipe is thus flattened. Paper pipes could
be tuned in this way by cutting a slot clean out, say
3 inches long by f inch wide for a 4-foot pipe, and
inserting a tongue of soft tin or zinc in the bottom end
of the slot. Paper pipes could also be tuned by shades
in the same way as wood pipes, by making the bent
part narrow and inserting it in the thickness of the
pipe, but I prefer the sliding caps. Some delicate toned
pipes are tuned by means of long ears at the sides of
the mouths.

Fig. 195 is a tuning knife, which is used for tuning
reed pipes. A little hooked wire projects from the top
of the boot of the pipe, and if this wire is raised a
little the tone is flattened, if depressed the tone is

PIPES GENERALLY. 235

sharpened, and this is done by hooking the sloping
blade of the knife in the wire.

Fig. 196 shows a mop made of a bunch of wool tied
on a wire handle, and is used when tuning mixtures.
None of the organs which I have described possess
a mixture, which consists of three or more -.

rows of pipes on one slide ; but some of my \V

readers may have an organ in their posses-
sion in which there is such a stop. In
order to tune these pipes it is necessary to
silence all except the one that you are
engaged on, and this may be done by insert-
ing a mop in each of the other pipes affected
by touching the same key.

It will be seen from the foregoing that
voicing and toning, though not in itself very
difficult, requires an immense stock of Fig. 196.
patience and tact, and it may be necessary Tuning Mop.
to go over each stop many times before a satisfactory
result is obtained. I would, however, urge the amateur
not to be disheartened if he finds that some of his pipes
prove very obstinate, for even with professional hands
it is a tedious job to get all into order, and it is no
uncommon thing for them to have to throw aside a
pipe altogether, and substitute a fresh one.

CHAPTER XIV.

TUMNG.

T may be of service to many if I give a list of
the several pipes in an organ which sound
the musical note known as C, and also the
lengths of those pipes. The lengths given
are all for open pipes, and it must be understood that
stopt pipes to sound the same notes would be only half
as long. As I have little doubt that many of my
readers are Solfaists, I have given the nomenclature
of the pipes in the new notation also : —

Approximate or
Tone Length of Pipe.

32 feet (longest mrde) . C4

16 feet C3

8 feet C,

4 feet C,

2 feet C

I foot C

6 inches C'

3 inches C''

1^ inch . . . . C*

\ inch C*

f inch (shortest made) C*

(Name of the note sounded.)
New Notation. Old Notation.

CCCC, or 4 C.

CCC, or 3 C.

CC, or 2 C.

C, or Tenor C.

C Middle C.

C^ Treble C.

C* Altissimo.

^^ »i

The whole subject of the theory of tuning has often
been fully discussed by other writers, and I therefore

»36

TUNING. 237

do not propose to go into that matter, but will merely
state that in order to tune any instrument having the
ordinary key-board, so that music may sound agreeable
whatever key it may be played in, it is necessary that
the natural scale should be slightly altered. The
natural scale, as sung by a good musician, consists of
a series of tones and semitones at irregular intervals
from each other ; and this is not the only difficulty, for
when we look at the chromatic scale, as accurately set
out, we find that the sharp of one note is quite
a different sound to the flat of the next note ; but on
key-board instruments we are obliged to make one
sound do for both. If we gave all the notes in the
natural or diatonic scale their correct sound there
would still remain the difficulty in respect to the
sharps and flats, and it is therefore necessary that
instead of having irregular intervals we should split
the chromatic scale up into twelve equal semitones,
or, as it is termed, "temper'* the scale. Until the
method of tuning by equal temperament was intro-
duced, it was impossible to play music in several of
the keys which are now great favourites, as the discord
was so great as to render those keys unbearable.

There are many methods by which tuning may be
accomplished, but as I presume most of my readers
are tyros in the art, I propose to describe the method
of tuning by ascending fifths and octaves, that being
the simplest method, and the one in which novices
are most likely to succeed.

In Fig. 197 there is a musical scale set out, showing
the order in which the several pipes or notes are tuned
when laying the bearings, by which term is meant that
the middle notes of the instrument are tuned so as
to serve as a base or bearing from which to tune all

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2 <

Q _i

S Q

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5-S

CO <^

= X

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</> o

^ 4

1 ^)

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«5

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TUNING. 239

the othef notes, both above and below them. In this
diagram all the black notes are supposed to be tuned
and the open notes are the ones to be done, in the
order in which they are shown. The Sol-fa names
are also given.

It will be advisable that the novice should experi-
ment a little first, in order to accustom his eat to the
sounds desired to be obtained. Let him take two
pip)es which give exactly the same note, and shift the
sliding-piece so that they no longer sound the same
note. (I am assuming that the}' are paper pipes : if
metal, sliding pieces made of paper should be put on
for the purpose of this experiment. Wood pipes can
be brought to the same pitch by raising or depressing
the shades.) If the sliding piece or the shade of one of
them is now gradually shifted — whilst both p pes are
blown — and brought nearer and nearer to the same
length or tone, it will be found that we can hear along
with the sound of the p'pes distinct beats, then waves,
and that the nearer the sounds approach to unison, the
longer are the beats or waves between each other, until,
when perfect unison is obtained, we hear only con-
tinuous sound, as though only a single pipe were
sounding. Exactly the same thing will be found to
occur in tuning pipes giving notes a third or a fifth
from each other. We first get quick, distinct beats,
then slower and slower beats, then slight waves, and
at last one clear, continuous note or chord. Now, the
rule to be adopted in tuning for laying the bearing is
to tune all notes an octave apart exactly perfect, so
that they sound like one note. All notes a fifth apart
are tuned so that they are two beats flat ; that is, two
beats are heard in a second of time. It may serve as
a useful guide to amateurs if I mention that the small

240 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

American case-clocks, now found in most homes,
generally tick about twice to a second, so that with
one of these clocks near him, the novice will soon be
able to determine the correct beat, as each beat should
correspond with the tick of the clock. Having thus
cleared the ground, we will now proceed with our
tuning.

In tuning the organ, we always tune the Principal
first ; and, as in our little instruments the flute con-
stitutes the principal, we commence with that stop.
First take the i-foot C pipe, and tune it so that it
sounds exactly in unison with the sound of a C tuning-
fork, and having made sure that it is absolutely cor-
rect— no beating or wavering being heard when the
fork and the pipe are sounding together — you may
then proceed to tune the C immediately below that
pipe ; this will be the 2-feet C, which must be made
to give exactly the same sound — only, of course, it
must be an octave lower in pitch. It will need some
care to obtain perfect accuracy, as there is always a
tendency to make one of the p'pes rather sharper than
the other. Having accomplished this satisfactorily,
you will see that the next note on our scale which is to
be tuned is the G pipe between these two C pipes ;
and this G is a fifth above the 2-foot C, so it must
be tuned a perfect fifth first, and then lowered till it is
two beats flat to the C pipe. The G being correct, we
find from our scale that the next note to be tuned is
the G an octave below it, and this is tuned perfect, and
left so. We then ascend from this G a fifth, and tune
the D two beats flat to the G. It will be understood
that all notes which are to be flattened should be
tuned perfect first and then flattened. From D we
ascend to the next fifth, which is A, and tune it two

TUNING. 241

teats flat to the D, and then drop to the A below,
which will, of course be tuned a perfect octave. From
the A last tuned we ascend a fifth to E, and tune that
note two beats flat to the A. Before proceeding further
with our tuning, it will be well to try a chord or so in
order to test the accuracy of the work already done.
The chords indicated in the tuning scale are C, E, G,
and A, C, E. If the result is satisfactory, the chords
sounding neither too harsh nor too sweet, we proceed
to tune the B, which is a fifth above the E last tuned,
and make it two beats flat to the latter note. We then
drop to the B below, and tune a perfect octave ; and
from that note ascend a fifth to F sharp, and tune that
note two beats flat to the B, From F sharp we drop
to the F sharp below, and tune a perfect octave, and
from the lower F sharp we ascend a fifth to C sharp
and tune it two beats flat. We now proceed to test by
chords again, using the chords A, C sharp, E, and
D, F sharp, A. These being found satisfactory, from
the C sharp last tuned, ascend to the C sharp above,
and tune a perfect octave ; then from the lower C sharp
ascend a fifth to G sharp, and tune it two beats flat
to the lower note. From G sharp we then drop to G
sharp below, and tune a perfect octave, and from that
note ascend to the fifth above, which is D sharp, and
tune it two beats flat ; then from D sharp ascend a
fifth to A sharp, and tune that two beats flat. From
A sharp we drop to A sharp below, and tune a perfect
octave, and then from the lower note ascend a fifth to
F, and then try the chords F sharp, A sharp, C sharp,
and, if you like, the F sharp above. Then try D sharp,
F sharp, and A sharp. If all is right, the next fifth
from F to C"^ should work in all right : if it does not do
so, yo'i may be sure there is something wrong in your

242 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

tempering of the notes. The chord F, A, C, may also
be tried. Amateurs will hardly expect to get the
bearings right at the first or even the second time
of trying, as tuning is an operation which requires
a considerable amount of practice to become at all
proficient in. Accuracy in the bearings must, however,
be obtained before proceeding to tune any other notes
from them. I think it will be as well if I recapitulate
the notes and the order of tuning in a condensed form :
— C down to C ; lower C up to G ; G down to G ; lower
G up to D ; D up to A ; A down to A ; lower A up to
E (chords C, E, G, and A, C, E) ; E up to B ; B down
to B ; lower B up to F sharp ; F sharp down to F
sharp ; lower F sharp up to C sharp (chords A, C sharp,
E ; and D, F sharp, A) ; C sharp up to C sharp; lower
C sharp up to G sharp; G sharp down to G sharp;
iov/er G sharp up to D sharp ; D sharp up to A sharp ;
A sharp down to A sharp; lower A sharp up to F
(chords F sharp, A sharp, and C sharp ; and D sharp,
F sharp, and A sharp, and F, A, and C) ; F up
to C.

Having completed the bearings satisfactorily, you
will have tuned all the notes comprised in the i-|
octaves, from F sharp up to C sharp, and may now
proceed to tune all the rest of the notes, both above
and below these bearings by octaves only, and after-
wards test the whole compass b}' means of the same
chords as those previously used, and by double octaves
with the addition of any other which you may think fit.
Test every note in the treble with its octave and
fifteenth below, and every note in the bass by its octave
and fifteenth above ; the result in every case should be
perfect unison. All major thirds should now sound
slightly sharp ; minor thirds slightly flat ; fourths

TUNING. 243

slightly sharp, and fifths flat in the degree already
mentioned.

Having got the principal thoroughly well tuned,
tune each of the other stops perfect to the principal ;
taking notice, however, that the pipes of the 8-feet
stops are tuned to sound an octave lower than the
pipes of the principal, which stand over the same
channels ; and also that the flageolet, being a 2-feet
stop, sounds an octave above the principal. The
bourdon may, if you like, be tuned from the stopt
diapason, as it sounds two octaves belov/ the principal.
The keraulophon also, being a delicate toned stop,
should be tuned from either the stopt diapason or
Lieblich Gedacht. It is best, when tuning, after laying
the bearings, etc., to tune the stop furthest away from
you, which, if you tune from the front of the organ,
will be the open diapason ; then tune the next stop to
it, and so on, leaving the flageolet till the last. By
following this plan you avoid having to reach over
stops already tuned, a proceeding which might result
in putting some of the pipes out of tune again.

As a final caution, I would warn the amateur not to
handle the pipes more than necessary, as the warmth
of the hands communicates itself to the pipes, and when
they have cooled down, the notes will be found to have
flattened considerably, although when left they may
have been perfectly correct in pitch.

CHAPTER XV.

THE CASE-PIPE DECORATIONS.

^E amateur must now decide upon the style
oi the casing with which he intends to
enclose his instrument ; and with the view
of assisting him in the matter, I have
prepared three designs, with details, which will give
some idea of what is requisite. If the organ is intended
to stand in a recess it may not require much more than
a front casing. A recess, however, considered from a
musical point of view, is about the worst possible
position in which to place the instrument, as the pipes,
being so much enclosed, sound dull and mufQed. In
many houses it is simply Hobson's choice — a recess or
nothing ; but wherever room can be spared for the
instrument to stand in such a position that there is a
clear space at both sides as well as at the front, it
should by all means be appropriated for the organ.

Design No. i, Figs. 198 and 199, is for a case in
the Tudor style, as it will work in harmoniousl}' with
the furniture of many modern houses ; and it may be
carried out either in oak, mahogany, American black
walnut, or stained pine. In the matter of design, my
own idea is, that an organ should look like what it is,
and not be got up to imitate a cupboard or a bookcase

244

THE CA-E. 245

with all the pipes carefully concealed from view
Therefore, in all my designs, it will be seen that the
cases are arranged to show as many pipes as possible,
and, although presenting a substantial appearance, do
not involve a very large amount of work in their con-
struction. Any one who is handy enough with his
tools to turn out a good sound-board can make a ca-e
of this description. The show-pipes should, as far as
practicable, be speaking-pipes, not dummies ; not only
because of the natural antipathy which cultured persons
have towards anything that is a sham, but because of
the amount of space and clearness of tone gained by
bringing the pipes into the op^n. In Fig. 198 is given
a front view of the casing, and Fig. 199 shows the ends
or sides, both sides being alike. Although drawn as a
two-manual instrument, about 6 feet 6 inches wide, and
10 feet 6 inches high, the design is of course equally
applicable to single-manual organs much smaller in
size, or for one of three or four manuals, much larger
The only thing necessary is to keep to the same
general proportions in the different parts. If for a
narrow instrument, the case could be made with the
towers placed corner-wise instead of facing to the
front.

Fig. 200 gives a general view of the skeleton or
framework of the casing, which consists of six upright
posts nearly as high as the top of the casing, joined
together by cross bracings where necessary for fixing
the panels, etc. These posts may be of deal 3 inches
or so deep, and li or 2 inches thick, and the front
ones should be placed immediately behind the shafts
or columns shown in the elevations ; the position of
these shafts being indicated at the left-hand side of
Fig. 200,

Fig. 200.- Sketch View of Framework of Casing. Scale | inch to i foot.

THE CASE. 247

Cross-pieces about 4 inches deep are tenoned into
the front posts near the top, where they will be con-
cealed by the ornamental canopies, and similar pieces
are tenoned into the lower part at such a height that
the supports of the large front pipes will rest on them,
one of the supports in question being also indicated on
the left-hand side of the sketch. The rail across the
lower part of the centre portion should be placed in
such a position that it does not prevent free access to
the buttons or backfalls of the pedal coupler; but at
the same time it must not be placed too low down, as it
is intended to form a backing "for the panelling to be
screwed to. The back bracings may be placed diagonally
as shown, but if the bellows is intended to draw out
from the back, the bracings should be merely screwed
on, or they may be simply longitudinal bars placed so
as not to prevent the bellows being taken out. All the
tenons may be merely secured in the mortises by means
of hardwood pins driven tightly into holes drilled
through both mortises and tenon, and the framing can
then at any time be taken to pieces by merely punching
the pins out again. In making a pinned mortise joint
there is a proper method to be followed in order to
secure a strong close joint. The tenons should fit
tightly into the mortises, and care must be taken that
they are not cut at all rounding at the shoulders, or a
close fit at the posts will be impossible. Bore a hole
through the side of the post, so that it passes centrally
through the mortise and out at the other side ; then
msert the tenon, and drive it close up to the shoulder,
and with your centre-bit just mark the position of the
hole on the tenon. Withdraw the tenon and then drill
the hole through it, but make the centre of it nearly j\
inch nearer to the shoulder than it was marked. Reinsert

248 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

the tenon, and drive a tight-fitting slightly-tapered
hardwood peg right through both mortise and tenon,
and it will then draw the shoulder close up and make a
good workmanlike job. The ends of the pins can be
cut off afterwards close to the posts. All the holes
must be bored through quite true and square with the
sides of the posts.

Pieces marked a are to be screwed on to the back of
the front posts, near the top, so as to receive the back
of the rack-board and allow sufficient space for the
pipes to stand between that board and the ornamental
facing, and this space must, of course, be suflficient to
allow room for the largest pipe which is to be placed
there, A piece of f inch stuff 4 or 5 inches deep,
is screwed on to the pieces a, and forms the back
of the rack-board. The rack-board itself, may be of
■^ inch stuff, cut out in semi-circles the diameter of the
several pipes which it is to support, and may be glued
or screwed edgewise on to the back-board, or secured
on to the top edge of it. These boards are also shown
in plan in Fig. 201. The arched pieces at the sides
and centre of the front (Figs. 198 and 199) sufifice to
keep the pipes in their place, and these pieces may be
screwed on with round-headed brass screws, or cup
screws, as described for the panelling.

If the sides are made exactly as shown in Fig. 199,
the front corner posts would only be carried up to the
bases of the columns, and the side back-boards of the
rack should therefore be dovetailed or otherwise strongly
connected with the front back-board, and it would also
be advisable to connect the posts to the swell box by
slips of wood, in order to give sufficient strength. If,
however, the posts are carried right up, the front edge
of the side will present an exactly similar appearance to

THE CASE. 249

the back edge, that is, it will have a style 4 inches or
so wide.

The pilasters shown in the elevation as supporting
the bases of the columns, etc., are formed by bradding
on pieces of the requisite size and thickness, as shown
at D in Fig. 200, and slips like b and c should also be
screwed or bradded on to the s.idesofthe posts, to form
backings for the panels to be screwed to. The panelling
in the lower part of the case is formed by framings and
panels in the same way as an ordinary panel door, the
Gothic heads being cut out of a thin piece of wood and
fitted in afterwards, and a suitable moulding or beading
bradded on the edges afterwards. The plinths round
the base of the panels and pilasters are also formed of
thin pieces of wood splayed on the top edge, and bradded
on, all angle joints being mitred.

The two thick dark lines just above the pedal key-
board on Fig. 198 are the openings through w^hich the
treadles of the foot blower protrude, and the step-shaped
opening on the right is the opening for the swell pedal.
All the panel framings should be made movable, and
should therefore te fixed by means of brass round-
headed screws with shields, or by cup screws, the cups
being sunk into a centre-bit hole which they just fit,
and the screws can then do no damage to the surface of
the framing.

The canopies of the towers from three sides of an
octagon, as shown on the plan in Fig 201, and the
mitred joints should be strengthened by gluing a block
at the back of each as indicated in that sketch. The
whole top of the casing is surmounted by a battlement
which makes an effective and suitable finish. All
mouldings, beads or bands, should be bradded on and
nicely mitred at the angles. The ornaments may be

250

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

either sunk geometrical figures or may be Gothic roses
or some similar ornament carved out of tliin wood and
glued on. The panels in the spandrel of the central
arch should be cut right out with a pad or fret saw.

Perhaps the most difficult piece of work for an
amateur would be the circular columns or shafts, but
I would suggest that for these the mahogany cornice

Fig. 20I. — Plan of One Corner of Upper Part of Casing.
Scale, i^ inch to i foot.

poles for curtains, which can be purchased in any
length at the draper's or upholsterer's might be found
very convenient. Second hand ones may often be
bought for a trifle, but the purchaser must be careful to
see that they are quite straight and not too stout.

If round shafts cannot be easil}' made or procured,
octagonal ones may be made, and will be quite in
keeping with the general design. Plane the woo^^

THE CASE. 251

up square first, and then form it into an octagon by
planing down the corners. The capitals and bases
should be turned, and if the amateur can handle the
carving tools, he might decorate the former with suitable
foliage. The capitals and bases should be dowelled on
to the shafts. The three-sided supports of the large
pipes in front should have corbels placed under them
either carved as indicated, or made out of a thick
piece of wood of the same shape as the support, and
diminished away almost to a point at the bottom. The
brackets supporting the key-board should be fastened
to the panelling only, so that when the panel framing
is removed the brackets come along with it. The
sides or ends of the key-board casing should be shaped
som.ewhat in the style shown in Fig. 199, and, if
possible, the cover or fall board should follow the same
lines. If the amateur cannot make one he might
possibly secure the cover board of an old piano and
utilise that, otherwise he must either have a suitable
one made, or make a cover board himself with a straight
slope instead of a curve.

The panelling over the key-board needs no description,
but it should be made movable, for ready access to the
wind-chest, etc. The stop knobs may be arranged as
shown or otherwise, according to taste, and the panels
in which they are placed may, if thought desirable,
project beyond the face of the other panels to about
level with the front of the upper row of keys. The
book-board may be of any style suitable to the general
design of the instrument.

A hand-blower is shown in both elevations, and
should be placed at the back of one end, as indicated
in Fig. 199. The use of a hand-blower necessitates a
tell-tale to indicate the amount of wind in the bellows,

252 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

The tell-tale consists mere'y of a small flat lead weight

Fig. 202. — Design for Organ, No. 2. Front Flevation.
Scale, ^ inch to i foot.

hung on to a piece of thin whip cord, the cord passes over

THE CASE.

253

6. little pulley in a small
opening in the case, and
the end of it is secured
to the top board of the
bellows. The cord
should be of such a
length that when the
bellows is empty the
weight is drawn nearly
up to the pulley wheel,
and a mark should be
made on the case to
indicate this position,
and a similar mark
should show where the
weight descends to
when the bellows is full.
By watching this weight
the blowist can always
tell how much wind to
give and thus prevent
over-filling the bellows,
or letting the supply of
wind run short.

Figs. 202 and 203,
which form design No.
2, represent the front
and side elevations,
respectively, of a small
organ, which may be
carried out exactly to
the size indicated by
the scale, or which

Fig. 203. — Desig-n for Orsran, No. 2.
Side Elevation. Scale, finch to I foot.

would be suitable for any sized organ, from 3 feet

254

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

up to 5 feet 6 inches wide, and from 6 feet up to
10 feet high. It will be observed that the design
is a very simple one, consisting, as it does, of only
four corner posts and a panel framing to fill in the

lower portion of the case.
It is shown as a single-
manual instrum.ent, with-
out pedals, the bellows
being blown in the same
way as those of the
harmonium, using foot-
boards instead of a pedal.
These foot-boards look
very nice if covered with
a piece of stout sheet
brass, worked in a diaper
or other pattern. This
metal covering will last a
lifetime, and ahvaN's look
neat, whilst carpet cover-
ing soon presents a
deplorable appearance.
Diapered indiarubber
can now be obtained,
and this will be found a
great improvement on
carpet for covering the
foot-boards. Of course,
the general design of this
case would be equally

vQ^

\S7\37\3avI7v37'3^^37sZ7\!7

f\L

Fig. 204. — Detail of Upper Portion
of Post, ith Full Size.

applicable to a small two-manual organ with pedals,
and it could be adapted to a larger instrument than
indicated by the scale, by adding a wing on each side
similar to those in design No. 3, only taking care

DESIGN FOR ORGAN, No. 3. Scale, J inch to i foot.

THE CASE. 255

to make the wings to match the other portions of the
case.

This case may be made of oak or of pine, either
plain or stained, and it would also look well if it were
executed in ebonised wood with the V joints, orna-
ments, etc., picked out in gold.

Fig. 204 is a view, on an enlarged scale, of the upper
portion of the posts, with suggestion for ornaments.
These posts may be about 3 inches square, and may
either be of solid wood or built up of four pieces in the
same way as a square wood organ pipe. Solid wood, if
not well seasoned, is apt to split when kept in a warm
room ; hence it is often very advisable that, where ex-
posed to view, posts should be built up as described.

The reeds or flutings in there posts should be formed
with a suitable plane, but if such a tool cannot be easily
procured, thin headings, rounded at each end and
bradded on, would form a pleasing ornament. If the
posts are made hollow the finials should be cut out of
the solid and fixed in position afterwards.

Fig. 205, or No. 3 design, shows a front suitable for
a larger organ, which should not be less than 5 feet
6 inches wide and 9 feet 6 inches high ; and a side
view of the same is given in Fig. 206. The general
instructions which accompnny the first design will, I
think, be sufficient to enable the amateur to under-
stand the method of putting together either of the other
two cases now described, and the thickness of the
materials will be the same for all the panellings and
framings. Of course, in the last two designs, there are
no posts behind those seen in the diagrams, as no
skeleton framing is required. The rack-boards for the
show pipes will be similar to those already mentioned
in the previous chapter.

2 56 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

The six posts required for design No. 3 may be from

3 inches to 5 inches square, according to the size of
the instrument, and may be either soHd or built up, as in
the previous case. The ornamental trefoil panelling in
the upper part, and the quarterfoil panelling in the
lower part, is formed by boring holes in the required
positions with a large centre bit, and then hollowing
out the outer margin of the holes with a gouge. The
divisions between each of these trefoils, etc., should be
made of a thin beading, bradded on to a flat strip about
f inch wide, having a quadrant hollow on each edge,
as shown in Fig. 207. When working the hollows,
fasten the slips flat down on to the edge of a thin
board with thin round wire nails, and then screw the
board up in the bench and work the hollows with the

plane made for the purpose. This being

done, take the strip of the board, draw

out the nails, which, as they are round,

can be easily accomplished, and then
Fig. 207. -^ ^

Section of fasten the bead in position by passing

Beading for b^ads or wire nails through the back of

Divisions °

between Trefoil the sHp through the Same holes. These
Panels. headings and sHps should be made in long
strips, and can then be cut up to the sizes required
when complete. Mouldings similarly constructed could
be used to ornament other portions of the case, affording
an excellent effect at the cost of a small amount, com-
paratively speaking, of time and trouble, and rendering
the instrument, in its simple decoration, as attractive
to the eye as if the mouldings had been elaborately
carved.

This organ should be furnished with a hand-blower
and tell-tale, as described for No, i design, and to this
description I must refer my readers, for space would be

DECORATION OF SHOW PIPES. 2Sf

wasted, without any useful result, by repeating my
instructions here.

Fig. 208 is a design for a small organ of one or
two stops, with wood pipes brought into view and
decorated. Of course it would be just as easy to
arrange the pipes, if desired, so that the largest comes
in the centre of the front, with the smaller ones sloping
off as in the other designs, but this method is given to
show the different modes in which the pipes can be
arranged.

The designs which I have given will, I trust, enable
the amateur to select something suitable for his pur-
pose, and to adapt it to the necessities of his particular
circumstances. Each and all of them will, I think, be
found desirable for the purpose for which they are
intended, and no one will find any difficulty in
making such modifications, either in construction or
ornamentation, as will render them better fitted for his
particular requirements.

Decoration of Show Pipes.

Before deciding upon the style and amount of
decoration for the show pipes, it will be necessary for
the amateur to take into consideration the general
surroundings of his instrument when placed in the
position it is to occupy. It would not be advisable to
lavish much colour or decoration on an instrument in a
room almost devoid of colour, or the furniture of which
is of a plain and severe type. But in a room hand-
somely furnished, with bright pictures on the walls and
all other matters in keeping, any amount of colour may
be used on the instrument without its appearing incon-
gruous or overdone. At the present time many, if not
most, people prefer to have the organ pipes of plain

2S8 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

metal or simply gilded, and it cannot but be admitted
that pipes of spotted metal or burnished tin, or pipes
wholly gilt, present a chaste simplicity of appearance
which is very pleasing; and at the same time, such
pipes are suitable for almost any surroundings and
any style of case. But the use of either of these
involves a large outlay which many amateurs would
wish to avoid, whilst decorated pipes for a front may
consist of wood, zinc, or paper, and will answer the
purpose equally well, especially where the show pipes
are only imitations. The great objection to decorated
fronts arises from the fact that some unscrupulous
persons take advantage of the paint to palm off on the
unwary pipes of inferior material, whilst charging the
full price of good metal ; but this is a point with which
amateurs will have no concern. I may say that wood
pipes look wonderfully pretty when tastefully decorated,
and it is surprising that they are not more often used
as show pipes.

If zinc or metal pipes are to be painted, they must
first be cleansed thoroughly with turpentine, or the
paint will not adhere properly. The finished colours
must also be dead or flat, that is they must have no
gloss or lustre upon them when dry. In order to
obtain this effect the groundwork should have two or
three coats of oil paint (thinned entirely with oil) so as
to look bright and glossy, and then be finished with
a coat of paint which has been entirely thinned with
turpentine. Or, instead of giving another coat of paint,
you can take off the gloss by rubbing the painted sur-
face all over with a sponge moistened with turps, and
then allow it to dry on. For my own part I prefer the
first method. Each coat of colour should be put on
thin and allowed to dry before applying another coat.

DECORATION OF SHOW Pli'ES. 259

The brighter the gloss of the oil paint the more flat and
even will the surface appear when done over with the
turpentine. For paper pipes a dead flat tint may be
obtained by well mixing dry powdered colour with thin
size, and applying while warm with a brush in the
usual way, but be careful not to have it too thick, or
the colour will look rough and patchy.

With the view of assisting the amateur to select the
design to be followed in decorating his pipes, I have
given in the frontispiece a set of six different designs
in colours. These designs may be copied exactly, or
modified according to taste. If but little ornamentation
is required, the upper and lower lips might be gilded,
and just a little sprig of rose, conventionally treated,
placed over the top of the upper lip and a smaller one
ust under the lower lip, all the rest of the pipes being
left the plain ground tint. For case No. i the decora-
tion designs No. i and No. 6 would be very suitable,
as a diaper pattern is much used in Tudor architecture.
These pipes might be diapered on the upper as well as
the lower portion if preferred. The pipes in the centre
bay of" the case might be decorated in style No. 6, and
the two wings in style No. I, but the ground colour
should be the same for both. It must also be under-
stood that any of these designs miglit be executed on
grounds of different tints to those shown. A vellum
green is a very pretty ground colour, and may be made
by mixing just a dash of green with a light cream or
stone-coloured paint. Sage-green, either light or dark,
is also a favourite colour for the ground work. No. 4
design would lock very nice if a light sage-green were
used for the ground tint, and the ivy leaves on the
spiral band done in their natural colours. It may be
useful if I mention that the spiral band may be readily

260 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

obtained by cutting a long strip of paper of the requisite
width and twining it around the pipe in the required
position, and then marking all round both edges of it
with a chalk or pencil, so as to obtain the outline, and
it would also be possible to obtain the pattern for the
decoration of the band by drawing it on the back of
the paper in chalk, and then placing it on the pipe and
rubbing it so that the chalk is transferred to the pipe,
or stencil patterns cut out of paper could be used.

All parts coloured yellow are intended to be gilded,
using gold leaf and oil gold size, the oil-size being
allowed to become almost dry before the gold leaf is
applied. Gold paint looks very well when first done,
but it soon turns black and causes much vexation, so
I cannot recommend it. It is usual to outline all
ornaments and gilt work in either white, red, or black,
according to taste. All parts shown as red should be
e:.ccutod in vermilion.

For any arrangement where the pipes slope down
from the centre towards each side, the designs No. 3
or No. 4 would look very nice, the centre pipe having
a chevron ornament like design No. 5- The sides of
the chevrons should correspond in position with the
spiral bands on the adjoining pipes. The spiral band
on the pipes to the left of the centre should slope in the
direction of that on Fig. 3, and that on the pipes to the
right in the direction of the band on Fig. 4.

The chevron designs No. i and No. 5 would be
suitable for the pipes in the side wings of the cases,
while straight band designs like No. 2 and No. 6 would
be suitable for the centre bays of the same instruments.
The pipes at the sides of the organ might be decorated
in quite a different style and colour to those in the
front. The chevron design No. 5 could be used alonr

DECORATION OF SHOW PIPES. 26 1

for the centre bays of either of the cases, care Deing
taken to arrange the chevrons so that they slope down-
wards from the centre pipe towards each side, foil jwing
the slope of the mouths of the respective pipes. Case
No. 2 would look well if filled in wath pipes decorated
in this style. The same remark applies to the other
designs, which should always be arranged on the pipes
so as to follow the slope of the tops or of the mouths.
It must be understood that in any instrument in which
the tops of the pipes are not seen, the ornamental
bands should be omitted from the tops of those pipes.

For case No. 3, designs No. i or No. 5 should be
used for side wings, and No. 6 or No. 2 for the centre
portion of the same.

The various bands and ornaments can be easily exe-
cuted if stout cartridge paper stencil patterns are cut
out, and the design then stencilled in with a proper
brush. These stencil patterns should be made in three
or four different sizes, as it would not do to paint an
ornament on a slender pipe the same size as that on a
stout pipe.

If case No, 2 is executed in black and gold, it w^ould
be best to have plain metal, or burnished tin, or gilt
pipes. Zinc pipes scraped bright, burnished, rubbed
with turps, and then varnished look very well, and
being protected by the varnish, would preserve their
lustre for a long time.

Those amateurs who are not skilful in painting small
ornaments might adopt the plan recommended by me
in another work, viz. : — to procure some good wall
paper or " Lincrusta Walton " of suitable pattern and
well gilded, and cut out such portions as are applicable,
such as rosettes, dots, bands, fleurs-de-lis, trefoils, etc.,
and fasten them on to the pipes in the desired position

262 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

with thin glue, previously painting in the ground tint.
If this is nicely done and the pieces stuck on neatly
outlined in white, red or black paint, as taste may
dictate, a very effective and creditable piece of work
will be produced, which only very close inspection
would enable one to detect from painted work. This
plan is especially applicable to wood or paper pipes, and
has the additional advantage of being very cheap.

A chalk line should be made down the centre of
each pipe in order to secure the perfect placing of all
the ornaments. Let me impress upon the amateur the
extreme importance of executing the whole of the
decoration of the pipes and the finishing off of the case
with the greatest care and neatness, as any careless
work will be patent to any one who sees the instru-
ment, and cannot but be a reproach to the amateur
himself.

CHAPTER XVI.

DEFECTS GENERALLY— LIST OE STOPS AND THEIR
COM BIN A TIONS— ADDITIONAL SPECIFIC A TIONS.

|UR organ being now complete, it will no
doubt be useful if I give a few tests
whereby we may know whether the various
parts work satisfactorily, together with a
description of a few of the defects which are common
to most organs, and the way in which such defects may
be remedied.

The most common defect, especially in instruments
of amateur construction, is what is termed cyphering,
by which is meant the sounding of pipes when they
should be silent. This defect is caused by an escape
of wind into the pipe from some illegitimate source,
which may arise irom many different causes. Perhaps
the severest test for this defect to which an organ can
be subjected is to close all the stops, and then, after
filling the bellows, press down a series of full chords
on the keys throughout the" compass. Should there be
no sounding of pipes, the instrument is probably free
from runnings ; but it should be further tested by
drawing out the several stops one after the other and
testing them individually and collectively by running
up the keys in a series of major thirds right through

36a

264 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

the compass. If the instrument is in proper tune, the
runnings would demonstrate their presence by discords
more or less pronounced. Cyphering may be caused
by the keys having swelled or warped, in which case
the faulty keys should be seen to and remedied as
hereafter described. Keys will often stick in conse-
quence of dampness, and when the air again becomes
dry will resume their proper working. Dirt, crumbs,
etc., dropped between the keys will cause sticking, so
be careful to keep the fall-board down, and lock it
when not in use, and look after the juveniles when it is
open. A key being screwed up too high, or not
enough, will also cause cyphering. Sometimes a sticker
will justify its name by sticking in the hole of the
backfall, and thus cause a cyphering, and this may
arise from the wire getting rusty or the hole in the
backfall closing slightly in consequence of the con-
traction of the wood by damp. Backfalls occasionally
part company with their stickers, and, as hinted above,
buttons screwed too high or too low will cause cypher-
ing. Proceeding onward with the action we arrive at
the pull-downs, which, if rusty or bent, will cause the
defect referred to. A pallet spring may be too weak,
or be broken, the paWet-leather uneven or wrinkled ;
the pallet itself may be warped ; the giiidepin bent or
rusty ; dust, particles oi fluff off the leather ; chips, or a
wedge dropped from a reed may prevent the pallet
bedding down properly ; — all these things alone, or in
combination, will produce cyphering. We now arrive
at the sound-hoard, and here any bad workmanship
would be almost certain to show itself If the channel-
bars were badly joined to the sound-board table, there
would be escape of wind from one channel to the other,
NV'hich might cause cyphering, or at least an unpleasant

GENERAL DEFECTS. 265

hissing. This, however, is a defect which should be
utterly impossible if the channel-bars are grooved into
the table, as described in Chapter V. The remedies in
all the above cases are too obvious to require mention-
ing; but as to the last, it might be well to suggest
that, when the offending channel-bar has been dis-
covered, a strip of linen or paper should be carefully
glued all along the joint. If the services of the sliders
or the table are not perfectly true, or if the grooving for
waste wind is not sufficiently deep, cyphering will occur.
These defects in the sound-board are most tiresome to
remedy, involving, as they do, the entire removal of all
the pipes and of the sound-board itself. If the upper
boards are not screwed tightly down ; and, lastly, to
come to the pipes themselves, if they are so arranged
that the wind from the mouth of one impinges on the
lip of the mouth of another, it will cause cyphering.
So see that where the pipes are close together they do
not occupy the position referred to.

Faults or defects in the pipes have been very fully
dealt with in the Chapter on Voicing ; but it may not
be out of place if I hint that dust is the root of a great
many evils affecting the speech of pipes, especially
with reed pipes. It may be removed from reeds by
carefully passing a thin card between the tongue and
the reed, but by all means deal tenderly with these
pipes, as they are easily ruined. Dust will cause pipes
to sound shaky, to give the octave, or to be quite
silent, and the smaller the pipe the more liable it is
to be affected. Change of temperature will, however,
sometimes produce the same defects, so it will be well
not to be too hasty in handling the pipes.

Robbing is a defect caused by channels being too
nairow or too shallow, or the pallet holes too small.

266 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURJ^.

It shows its presence by causing the pipes to sound
weak or out of tune when several stops are drawn, the
supply of wind not being sufficient for so many pipes.
This is a structural defect scarcely open to remedy,
but should not be present if my instructions have been
adhered to.

As regards the bellows, change of temperature will
affect the supply of wind, as the valves will curl
slightly and the wood contract in hot weather, and
thus cause a waste of wind. This defect will, how-
ever, generally cure itself as the weather becomes
colder; but should it not then disappear the valves
must be seen to, and here you will reap the benefit of
having movable panels, which enable you to get at the
valves without injuring the bellows. Should a gasping
sound be heard at the bellows when the organ is in
use, it shows that the valves are either too few in
number, or too small to supply the requisite amount of
wind for the pipes. This defect, as also if the whole
reservoir is too small, or the wind-trunk too small or too
long, or the regulators inefficient, will cause the pipes
to sound jerky or shaky. Another little matter which,
however, is very annoying to the player, is the
creaking of the leather joints of the bellows ; but this
matter can be quickly rectified by applying a rag
moistened slightly with sweet oil to the offending
joints.

Defects at the Keys. — Irregularity in the height of
the keys may be removed by screwing the buttons of
the pull-downs in the direction required ; thus, to raise
a key, screw the button up ; to lower the key, screw
the button down. It may be noted that temperature
affects the touch of the keys as well as the tone of the
pipes. In hot weather the touch is more shallow than

GENERAL DEFECTS.

267

in cold weather, and may necessitate an alteration 01
the position of the buttons of the pull-downs. Some-
times a key may be pressed down without the pipe
sounding, in which case it is probable that there has
been a breakage or severance in the connection of son.e
portion of the action. If a button should have slipped
off put on a new one which fits tightly, but do not fal
into the habit of wetling the buttons when you put
them on as it causes the wires to rust, but grease the
wires with good tallow, and screw on the button if
necessary, with a pair of pliers. If a key shou.d stick
owing to warping, it should be taken out and pressed
with a warm iron to bring it straight, but be careful
not to force it, or it may break at the mortise. Sligh.
warpings, or rubbings, may be remedied by scraping
black-leading, or chalking, as the case may require It
the sticking is caused by a pin being too t.ght. file the
pin carefully, or slightly enlarge the mortise with a
rat-tail file; but it is well to seek for the ca.sein
other directions before tampering with either the pins
or the mortises. See that the keys do not touch either
the cheeks or the front beading, and that the ivory
slips do not catch each other ; if they do, use a very
fine glass-paper file to take a minute portion off the

'"^f atthng of the keys may be caused by friction
against each other, cr against some portion of the
framing, or in consequence of the mortises being too
large for the pins. If the pins are oval ones, all that
is necessary is to turn them partly round, but if they
are round ones, they must either be replaced with
thicker ones, or the mortises must be ^<^^f^^- ^^^11
wedging is done by making a small stab with he
point of a penknife at each side of the mortise on the

268 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

underside of the key, and then gluing in a tiny wedge
of wood, thus slightly closing the mortise. A match
cut wedge shape at the point will make wedges for
several keys, as the closing in of the mortise must be
very slight. If keys thump when pressed sharply
down, a greater thickness of felt or baize is required
beneath them.

IVeak rollers often cause defective touch in con-
sequence of the rollers springing when the key is
pressed, so that the pallet does not open till the key is
quite down, when it does so with a sudden jerk which
is very unpleasant. Iron rollers are not subject to
this defect. All iron rollers, or roller arms, should be
protected from rust by being painted with Brunswick
black.

Faults in Draw-stop Action. — The draw-stops should
work perfectly smooth without any jerk or springing,
which defect is caused by weak rollers or arms. If on
drawing out a stop-knob the slider does not act, the
probability is that a wire connecting one of the arms
has dropped out. If this is not the case, the defect
must be traced up from the stop-knob to the slider
until it has been discovered. The screws in the
stock boards require to be tightened or loosened occa-
sionally, according as change of temperature allows
the sliders to work too easily, or causes them to run
too hard.

If the swell shutters close noisily there is more cloth
needed on them. The push-up rod should be rubbed
with black-lead where it touches the shutter arms.
Under ordinary circumstances the swell should be kept
closed when not in use, to protect the instrument from
dust, etc. ; but the pedal which opens it should be fixed
down for about an hour before the organ is to be played

SIXTEEN-FEET TONE STOPS. 269

upon, so that all the pipes may be subject to the same
conditions and temperature.

As very many amateurs would not be content with
the comparatively small chamber organs which I have
described, I now give a list of the stops most generally
in use. In connection with each stop, I have mentioned
a few of the other stops with which it may be combined
when playing the instrument,

SiXTEEN-FEET ToNE StOPS.

The largest open pipes in use are 32 feet speaking
length, and the largest stopt pipes which give the
sanie note are 16 feet long, but as these will only be
required on organs of the largest size, they need not
be further refercd to here ; but we will pass on to the
stops of l6-feet tone, which may legitimately find a
place in a moderately large chamber organ. The first
of these to be mentioned will naturally be the open
diapason of i6-feet tone — sometimes termed the
double diapason — which on most instruments is a
pedal stop, but in large organs appears on the manual.
This stop, when of wood, is about ilg to 12^ inches
deep, and 10 or 11 inches wide, the mouth being cut
up one-third of the diameter.

The stop most generally useful for chamber work is
the bourdon or double stopt diapason. The longest
pipe is 8 feet in length, and sounds the note CCC, but
the scale varies greatly according to the size of the
instrument, the circumstances of the building, or the
taste of the builder. For a large instrument the scale
is frequently as large as that of the double open
diapason, whilst for a small instrument they are some-
times made as little as 4^ inches deep by 3^ inches
wide. This stop appears both on the manuals and on
the pedals. The mouth may be cut up from one-third

270 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

to one-half the diameter, according to circumstances.
The lips should be thick and rounded on the outside
edge. In large wood pipes the supply of wind is
regulated by means of a disc of wood placed inside the
foot of the pipe, and revolving on a peg which projects
at the side of the foot. When the disc is horizontal
the hole through the foot is nearly closed, but when
the peg is turned so that the disc is perpendicular, the
pipe receives its maximum amount of wind ; thus it is
possible to regulate the supply to a nicety.

The Vi'olon is a small scaled stringy-toned stop,
sometimes made straig'it, sometimes conical, the top
being slightly wider than the bottom. The mouth is
cut up from one-third to one-half for large instruments,
but for small instruments slightly over one-fifth will be
sufficient. Size of CCC about 6 inches by 7 inches.
When of 8-feet tone it is called the violoncello, and
t're two combined — one on the manual and the other
on the pedals — have a fine effect for light music. The
lips are cut sharp, and the pipes are furnished with both
ears and beard. They can be made in paper by follow-
ing the directions given in the article for the violoncello.

Eight-feet Stops.

The pipes previously described may be omitted
altogether from a chamber organ, but no organ would
be presentable without 8-feet toned stops. Of these
the chief is the open diapason, which is the foundation
stop of all organs, and is properly a metal stop, but
occasionally it is of wood, especially in the lower
octave. Most of the other stops are regulated in
scale from this one. The scale varies according to the
size of the instrument, etc., the same as all others, but
a good medium scale is 5 or Si inches for CC

EIGHT-FEET STOPS. 27 I

Directions for voicing, etc., have already been given.
Combines well with stopt diapason, or any fluty-toned
stop, but sliould not be used with a stop of very reedy
tone, as tl:e two would clash.

Violin Diapason. — This, as its name implies, is a
stringy-toned stop, and is therefore of small sea! 2,
being at least two scales smaller than the open diapasoM.
Mouth cut up about cne-third, and wind directed
ir.ostly on to the outside of the upper lip w'.iich is
pressed inwards ; edge of upper lip cut rather sharp.
This is a metal stop, and is tuned by cutting out a
tongue near the top of the pipe (one diameter down),
and curling it backwards with a pair of round-nosed
pliers, as described in my article on Voicing and
Tuning. Fine nicking, wind hole rather less than
I inch for tenor C. Tone very rccdy and resembling
the Gamba, and the pipes should be quick of speech.
Will combine with the same pipes as the Gam.ba de-
scribed below.

Stopt Diapason and Licblich Gcdacht have already
been described. They combine well with open diapa-
sons and flutes, having a very filling effect. Also
combine with soft solo stops of the Oboe and Clarinet
class, and are very useful as soft solo stops.

Keraitlophon, which has also been previously de-
scribed, is another stringy-toned stop from four to six
scales smaller than the open diapason, the peculiar tone
being obtained by means of a sliding tube on the top,
having a small round hole in it. Useful as a solo stop,
and combines with others of a stringy or rccdy tone, and
with the Stopt Diapason and Hohl Flute (see Fig. 63).

Gamba (German). — A metal stop of small scale,
five or six scales less than Open Diapason, and of
very reedy and pungent tone. Mouth one-quirter

2^2 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

the circumference, and nearly one-third of its diameter
in height. Nicking rather coarser than the Keraulo-
phon ; languid must be rather high, upper lip pressed
inwards and cut sharp, as in Violin Diapason. This
s op is generally made without ears, and is not so good
in quality as the Pierced or Slotted Gamba, which is
similar in scale, voicing, etc., but has a slot cut in the
up[ er portion of the pipe, as described for the Violin
Dia ason. Tone stringy and penetrating, somewhat
resc mbling the violin. Allow plenty of wind, and
always put ears to the pipes, as they should be quick
of speech. The Gambas combine well with Stopt
Diapason, Lieblich Gedacht, Hohl Flute or Stopt Flute.
A good violin effect can be obtained by combining it
with open pedal stops (see Fig. 64).

Viol-di-Gamba. — This is rather a difficult stop to
make, but well repays the trouble, as it has a very
beautiful tone, being soft, sweet, and stringy. It is a
metal stop, but can be made of paper by following the
same directions. In shape it originally resembled the
Gemshorn, or Spire Flute ; but it is now generally made
with a bell on the top of it. At the mouth, where it
joins the foot, it is the same diameter as the Open
Diapason, and it tapers off upwards to only one-third
that diameter at four-fifths of the speaking length. The
remaining fifth of the length is formed by the bell, or
cone-shaped piece, which spreads out at the top to
the same diameter as the pipe is where it joins the foot.
The mouth is one-fifth of the circumference, and barely
one-third of its diameter in height — some make it
barely one-quarter — upper lip bevelled, but not too
sharp, and should slightly overhang the windway.
Nicking very fine and delicate, about the same as the
Dulciana. Windway narrow and windhole small, not

EIGHT-FEET STOPS. 2/3

exceeding -^V inch at tenor C, below which it is not
usual to carry this stop. The bell part must not be
fixed until the pitch of the pipe has been set, allowing
it to be a trifle sharp ; then it may be fixed on with
solder if metal, witli glue if made of paper. This stop
is tuned by means of long, flexible ears at each side of
the mouth. This pipe is shown in Fig. 66.

Salicional. — A small scaled stop, 4 to 6 scales less
than the Open Diapason. Mouth cut up rather more
than one-fourth. Fine nicking; upper lip slightly
sharp, and winding light. Tone very pleasing, being
slightly reedy and penetrating.

Dulciana. — Same scale as Salicional, but the nicking
is still finer, and winding very light. Mouth cut up
rather more than one-fourth, and upper lip rather thick,
so that the tone produced may be quiet and mellow.
This stop has a great tendency to hesitate, which is one
of its characteristics. It seldom extends below tenor
C, being then grooved into the Stopt Diapason.
Sometimes used in small organs as a substitute for the
Open Diapason, especially in the swell. Useful for soft,
bright solos. It is a good accompaniment for the
Oboe, with which it produces a voice-like effect, and
combines well with Stopt Diapason, and stops of a
slightly reedy character.

Voix Celeste. — This is really formed by two Dul-
ciana stops, one of which is tuned slightly sharper
than the other, thus producing a wavering tone. This
stop should always be in the swell.

Vox Angelica. — The smallest scaled stop made, and
generally considered to be the sweetest. It is 8 to
12 scales smaller than the Open Diapason. Mouth cut
up to the same height as the Salicional ; nicking very
fine and delicate ; upper lip not too sharp. Tone

2^4 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

exceedingly soft and sweet, but the pipe is sometimes
made with a slot or hole near the top, in which case the
tone is more penetrating.

Gemshorn. — Has a conical-shaped pipe, one scale
smaller than the Open Diapason at the languid ; but
only one-third of that diameter at the top. Already
described in articles as a 4-feet stop, in which form it
is more generally used (see Figs. 34 and 65).

Spitz Flote, or Spire Fliile. — Similar in shape to
the last, but th.e top is two-thirds of the diameter at the
languid.

Stopt Flute. — Simply a Stopt Diapason, voiced fluty ;
generally a scale or so smaller than that stop.

Rohr Gcdacht, Rccd Flute, or Flute a la Cheminc'e.
— This also is simply a Stopt Diapason with a small
hole bored through the stopper, or if metal or paper,
the cap has a small tube in it. Size of small tube
about f inch diameter for tenor C, and four inches
long, decreasing to \ inch diameter and I inch long on
the smallest pipe. The mouth of the pipe is arched,
as described for the Lieblich Gedacht. The tone is
somewhat more open than that of the Stopt Diapason,
but in many cases it is difficult to tell it from that
stop. In scale and voicing it should be the same as the
Open Diapason.

Clarinet Flute. — Made the same as the previous stop,
but with the small tubes or reeds about twice the
diameter there described. The stop sounds very reedy,
and when a good one is a fair imitation of the clarinet ;
but it is very difficult to secure this imitative effect
throughout the compass, or to get an even tone.

Harmonic Flnte. — This, in common with ail harmonic
stops, has pipes twice the ordinary length. Thus, to
secure an 8-feet tone we recjuire a i6-feet pipe. The

FOUR-FEET STOPS. 2/5

pitch and tone are obtained by the pipes being overblown,
and this is aided by boring small holes near the centre
of the body of the pipe. These holes may be nearly
Y5- inch diameter, and vary in number according to the
length of the pipe ; thus, for tenor C octave we should
require three holes in each pipe ; in middle C octave,
two holes ; and all above that, one hole. The mouth
should be about one-fifth of the circumference and
one-quarter of the diameter in height. Upper lip cut
very arched, and a liberal supply of wind allowed to
secure the overblown note. This stop is very successful
in paper, and as a 4-feet stop with pipes two or three
scales smaller than the open diapason, a beautiful silvery
quality of tone is produced in the upper octaves. It is,
perhaps, almost needless to say that the flutes combine
with both open and stopt diapasons, and also with the
2-feet stops.

Clarabella. — A wood stop of open pipes, of the same
scale as the stopt diapason of the same length. Height
of mouth, barely one-fourth of the diameter. The block
to be a straight one, similar to that shown for the open
diapason in Fig. 2^. Nicking rather fine. Rarely
extends below tenor C, the stopt diapason forming
the bass. Very useful for solo work, and where soft
combinations are required.

FouR-FEET Stops.

Of these the chief is the Principal, which is simply
an open diapason one or two scales smaller than that
stop, and voiced rather lighter.

Flute Stops. — Oboe Flute is a wood flute of small
scale, with a straight block and hollow cap. Mouth
cut up from one-third to one-half of the diameter ;

2^6 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

upper lip rather sharp ; nicking fine, and strongly
winded. Tone rather reedy.

Gemshorn, Spitz Flute, Stopt Flute, Clarahel Flute,
and Harmonic Flute, are simply octaves of the 8-feet
stops of the same name. As regards the Stopt Flute,
I may add that it is not advisable to introduce this
stop, unless there are at least two Open Flutes as well.

Hohl Flute. — Same scale as the Clarabella, but with
the mouth made on the wide diameter of the pipe.
Tone strong and hollow. Combines with Stopt Diapa-
son, Gamba, Trumpet, Keraulophon, Clarinet, and
most other reedy or stringy-toned stops.

IVald Flute (Forest Flute), is made with an inverted
mouth, and of rather large scale. It is generally of
wood, and seldom extends below tenor C. Tone
clear and penetrating.

Suabe Flute is very similar in construction ; but three
or four scales smal'er, and is of softer and sweeter
tone.

Two -FEET Stops.

Fifteenth. — This is simply the octave of the Principal,
and is made one or two scales smaller than that stop,
and is generally metal.

Piccolo. — Generally of wood, made similar to the
Wald or Suabe Flutes, but smaller in scale.

Flageolet. — Already described ; is not quite so shrill
as the preceding stop, and is made with an inverted
mouth.

Gemshorn Fifteenth is an octave higher than the 4-
feet Gemshorn, and rather smaller in scale.

These stops should be carefully voiced to aiKiid an
excess of shrillness. They combine with Open or
Stopt Diapasons, and 4-feet stops where brightness

REED STOPS. 277

and fulness is required. For solo passages add the
Stopt Diapason, or Stopt Diapason and Twelfth.

The Twelfth is a stop of 2§ feet tone, and sounds the
twelfth above the unison, and is consequently a fifth
above the Principal. It can only be used when the 8-
feet stops, Principal and Fifteenth, are drawn as well.
Its use is to give fulness, but in very small organs it
should be omitted.

Reed Stops.

In Reed Stops the sound producer is a metal tongue
vibrating in or against a small tube termed a reed,
which is fixed into a socket communicating with the
pipe. The reed and tongue are enclosed in what re-
sembles a short pipe-foot, which is termed a boot.
There are no mouths to these pipes, and the pipes do
not always correspond in length to the tone length.

Trumpet. — A powerful toned stop imitative of the in-
strument after which it is named. Reed generally
closed, and the tongue curved outwards. The tube or
pipe is conical, largest at the top (see Fig. 68). Com-
bines with Open and Stopt Diapason, Hohl Flute, etc.

Clarinet^ Cremona, or Krumliorn. — An 8-fect stop,
giving an excellent imitation of a clarinet, and is suit-
able for small instruments. The tubes are very small,
the CC being only about 3 feet long and i\ inch
diameter, but it rarely extends below tenor C on small
instruments. Combines with the same as those men-
tioned for the Trumpet.

Cornopean. — A full-toned imitative stop of 8 feet
pitch, with a closed reed and straight tongue. Tube
conical and largest at the top (see Fig. 69.)

Oboe. — This is a beautiful stop, and the most suitable
reed for a small instrument. The tubes are very small

278 ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

for two-thirds of their length, the top spreads out belU
shaped, and is covered with a tin or metal lid soldered
down half way round, so that the other half can be
raised like the tin shades of open wood pipes. By
raising or depressing this lid, the tone and power of the
pipe can be regulated. Chiefly used on the swell
manual. Combines with Hohl Flute and most stops of
reedy tone, and if used with the Dulciana, with or
without the Tremulant, produces the effect of a Vox
Humana (see Fig. 6"]).

Bassoon is the bass octave of the Clarinet, with which
it will combine, and also with other reedy stops (see Fig.
70).

Vox Humana. — When voiced by a master-hand this
is a very beautiful stop, imitative of the human voice.
The tubes are only half the tone length. As a general
rule use Tremulant with this stop (see Fig. 72).

There are very many other reed stops, but few of
them would find a place in an ordinary chamber organ.

In bringing this little work to a close, I think it as
well that I should append the following specifications
for organs of larger size and greater variety than those
given in the first chapter, so that amateurs who have
the means may gratify their ambition of possessing a
really comprehensive instrument.

SPECIFICATIONS.

Two-Manual Organ.

Great Organ.

Feet. Pipes.

1. Open Diapason ....... 8 56

2. Stopt „ Bass 8 12

3. Clarabella to Tenor C 8 44

4. Dulciana 8 44

5 Principal 4 56

6. Piccolo or Gemshorn 2 56

SPECIFICATIONS.

279

Swell Organ.

57. Pierced Gamba to Tenor C .
8. Lieblich Gedacht . . ,
g. Gemshorn Principal . .

10. Hohl Flute, or Wald Flute .

11. Clarinet, Oboe, or Keraulophon

Feet.

Pipes

Pedals,

12. Bourdon

. 16

30
554

Couplers,

1. Swell to Great, Unison.

2. Swell to Great Octave,

3. Great to Pedals.

4. Swell to Pedals.

5. Loud and Soft Combination Pedals may also be added.

6. Tremulant.

Three-Manual Organ.
Great Orga7i.

1. Open Diapason

2. Gamba to Tenor C

3. Stopt Diapason

4. Dulciana to Tenor C

5. Harmonic Flute .

6. Suabe Flute (Principal)

7. Piccolo, or Flageolet

Swell Organ

8. Violin Diapason .

9. Rohr Gedacht (Treble and Bass)

10. Hohl Fkite ....

11. Keraulophon Principal ,

12. Oboe or Trumpet to Tenor C

Feet.

Pipes

28o

ORGAN BUILDING FOR AMATEURS.

Choir Organ.

13. Salicional to Tenor C . .

14. Lieblich Gedacht, Treble
15- X I. Bass

16. Vox Angelica, or Viol-di-Gamba .

17. Gemshorn, or Wald Flute

18. Clarinet

Psdal Orga.i,

19-
20.

Bourdon
Violoncello

eet.

Pipes

904

(Nos. 2, 4, and 5 may be enclosed in a separate swell, and
a Voix Celeste or Vox Humana might be added in the Swell
Organ),

Coiiplers, etc.

1. Swell to Great, Unison.

2. Swell to Great Octave.

3. Swell to Pedals.

4. Choir to Great.

5. Great to Pedals.

6. Choir to Pedals.

7. Loud Combination Pedals.

8. Soft Combination Pedals.
Q. Tremulant.

Finis.

INDEX.

Action,—

coupler (manual), 161-172
„ pedal, 192-194

below key-board, 126

pedal, 173-197

single manual, 127

sliding manual, 13S, 143

stop, 152-160

swell, 198-207

two-manual, 125
i\nemometer, 211
Arins, roller, 135
Arrangement of pipes, 83

Backfalls, 129

fixing, 131
„ grooves lor, 131

„ lengths of, 1 30
,, radiation of, 129, 130
,, rail for, 129
Balancing keys, 1 50

,, swell shutters, 204

Barking of paper pipes, 229
„ wood pipes, 223

Bassoon, 79, 278
Bay-leaf, 61
Beadings on case, 256
Bearers, 80, 82, 90
Bearings, laying the, 237
Beats,—

in tuning, 239
duration of, 239
regulating, 239, 240

Bellows, —

creaking, 266

feeders, 104-1 12

framings, 104-106

painting, 1 19

regulators, 1 17

ribs, 104-109

testing, 119

valve-boards, 108, 112

valves, 115
Bench for casting metal, 45, 46

,, planing, etc., 9

Blackleading sliders, etc., 94
Blower, foot, 118

„ hand, 118
Boring holes in soundboard,

91
Borrowing-grooves, 95
Bourdon, 26, 42, 269
Bradawl for voicing, 225
Brass covering for foot boards,

254
Building frame, —

single manual, 120

two manual, 123
Bushing holes, 132

Caps for tuning stopt pipes,
27, 28

Casing, —

designs for, 223, 252, 253, 255
framework of, 245, 246
openness of, 245

282

INDEX.

Casting-bench, 46, 47

„ box, 46-48

„ metal for pipes, 50
Chamfering Hps of wood pipes,

Channel bars or divisions, 86-88

„ „ gluing in, 88

„ ,, setting out, 81

Chiffing, in pipes, 21, 223, 229

Ciphering, causes and cure of,

263-265
Clarabella, 275
Clarinet, 79, 277
Clarinet-flute, 274
Cleansing metal for pipes, 56,61
,, zinc for painting, 258
Closed reed, 70
Cloths for stickers, etc., 132
" C " pipes, list of, 236
Columns for casing, 250
Combination pedals, 209
Compass of keyboard, 144
Composition pedals, 209

„ ofpipemetal,48-5o

„ for protecting

metal while

soldering, 56

Cones for pipe feet, 26

Conical feet for metal pipes,

setting out of, 54
Conical pipes, metal, wood, or

paper, ']^
Coning in feet of pipes, paper,

23
Coning in feet of pipes, metal,

63, 232
Connection for hand-blower,

hooks, 133
Connection for pull-downs, 133
Conveyance tubes, 96
Corbels for casing, 251
Cork smoothing block, 31
Cornopean, 79, 277
Couplers, —

great to swell, 168-172
manuals to pedals, 192
octave, description of, 161
„ effect of, 160

Couplers (continued)—

octave, extra pipes, etc., fof,
162
,, movement for, 163,166
swell to great, 168, 169, 171
unison, 168-172
Cover boards for sliders, etc., 90

„ keys, 251
Creaking bellows, cure for, 266
Cremona, 277
Curving reed tongues, 74
Cutting chamfer on lips of wood

pipes, 36
Cutting pipe, metal, 56

,, up mouths of pipes, 232
Cyphering, causes and cure of,
263-265

Decoration of pipes, —
fro7itispiece, 257
objection to, 258
Defects, —

generally, and their remedies,

263-269
in metal pipes, 230-232
,, paper pipes, 31, 228, 230
,, reed pipes, 74
,, wood pipes, 222-224
Designs, —

for cases, 245, 252, 253, 255,

257
for decoration of show pipes,
frontispiece and 257
Diapason, —

open, 18, 24, 39, 42, 270

,, double, 269
stopt, 26, 33, 271
„ double, 269
violin, 271
Double open diapason, 269
„ stopt diapason, 269
Drawing board, 81-86
Dulciana, 273
Dust, bad effects of, 224, 265

Ears for pipes, 22, 62
tuning, 234
Eight-fef't-tone stops, 17, 270

INDEX.

283

Fall board for keys, 251
Faults in bellows, 266
„ drawstops, 268
„ keys, 266-268
„ pipes, 31, 74. 222-230
„ rollers, 268
„ soundboard, 263-265
„ swell shutters, 268
Feet of pipes, 19, 26, 37
Fifteenth, 17, 276
File, paper, 31, 213, 214

„ fortuning, 213
Filling-in pieces, 88, 89
Flageolet, 28, 41, 276

,, holes in feet of, 29, 41
Flange plates, 117
Flat-painting, 258, 259
Flute, 28, 39, 274

„ a la cheminee, 274
„ clarinet, 274 1

„ harmonic, 274, 276
„ hohl, 276
„ oboe, 275
„ reed, 274
„ spire or spitz, 274
„ stopt, 274
„ suabe, 276
„ wald, 276
Foot-boards for blowing, 254
„ covering for, 254

Foot-tone of pipes, meaning of,

17
Four-feet-tone stops, 17, 275

Gamba, German, 271

„ pierced or slotted, 78,

272
„ viola di, 78, 272
Gemshorn, 40, 42, 78, 274, 276

„ fifteenth, 276

Gilding pipe decorations, 260
Grooving, for waste wind, 93
„ borrowing, 95
„ off pipes, 94
Guide pins for pallets, 98
Gusset pieces, 114

Hand blower, 118

Harmonic flute, 274, 276
Hohl flute, 276

Holes in pipe feet, sizes of, 29
Hollowness of tone, 223

India rubber covering for foot

boards, 254
Ivories, gluing on keys, 148
„ polishing, 149

Keraulophon, 28, 78, 27 1

„ tuning caps of, 28

„ „ .. holes

in, 28
Key, action of, 128
Key-board, —
ancient, 1 40
frame, 143
height of, 125
1 making, 144

plan of, 145, 146
projection of, 126
sliding, 138, 143
supports for, 123
thumping bar for, 1 50
two manual, 150
Keys, gluing ivories of, 148

„ section of, 147
Knobs (stop), arrangement of,

152
Krumhorn, 277

Languids, —

for metal pipes, 61
for paper pipes, 20, 21
position of, 231

Laying the bearings, 237

Lead pipes, 49

Leather, kind required, II
„ valves, 115

Leathering bellows, no
,, pallets, 98

Levers for opening sliders, 156

Lieblich gedacht, 29, 38, 27 1

Lincrusta Walton for pipe de-
coration, 261

Linen band for paper pipes, 22

Lips for paper pipes, 20, 2i

2§4

INDEX.

Lips, binding on, 21

Mandrels for pipes, metal, 57

„ ,, paper, 18, 24

Manual action, 125-139

„ sliding, 138, 143
Metal, 48, 49, 50

,, bench for casting, 45, 46
„ casting, 51
„ casting box for, 46
„ cleaning up, 56
„ cutting tools lor, 56
„ melting, 51
„ planing, 52
„ reed blocks, 68, 69
,, spotted, 50
,, thickness of, 52
Metal pipes, —
cleaning up, 61
conical feet, setting out, 54
coning in feet of, 63
cutting mouths in, 60
languids, 61
scales for, 53
soldering, 51, 59, 60

„ preparing for, 56,57

Mouths of pipes, heights of, 29

„ „ widths of, 29

Nicking, —

guide for, 214, 215

metal pipes, 230

paper pipes, 224-230

tools for, 213, 225, 226

wood pipes, 217
ISicks, voicing, 214
Noisy keys, 267

,, swell shutters, 268

Objection to decorated fronts,

258
Oboe, 78, 277

„ flute, 275
Open diapason, 18, 24, 39, 42,

78, 270
Open diapason, double, 269

„ reeds, 70, 71
Over-blowing, 223, 229

Painting pipes, 19, 32, 43, 259

,, zinc, 258
Pallets, 97

,, leathering, 98
,, springs, making, 99
Paper files, 31, 214
Paper pipes, 15, 77

caps for tuning, 24, 26, 27, 28
coning feet of, 22
curing defects in, 31, 228
detailed dimensions of, 29
experimental, 18
making sets of, 24
mandrels for, 18
painting, 19, 32
planting off, 85
price of, 1 5
scale for, 16
transferring, 84
voicing and tuning, 224-230
with inverted mouths, 28
writing names on, 32
Pedal,—

action, plans of, 174, 175
combination, 209
composition, 209
coupler, 192-197

,, shiftingactionfor,i94
key-action, 185-192
key-board, 179-184

,, position of, 195

keys, 181

movement.'^, 185-192
pipes, arrangement of, 173,

175. "^n

soundboard, 175, 176

,, channels, 175

valve, 179

windchest, 175

wind-trunk, 178, 179
Piccolo, 276

Pinned mortise joint, 247
Pipes, —

cost of, 15

defects, cure of, 222-235

metal, 45-79

metal for making, 48-50

paper, 15, 77

INDEX.

28s

Pipes {continued) —

pedal, arrangement of, 1 73- 1 7 5
planting off, 84
transferring, 84
tuning and voicing, 210-235
with inverted mouths, 28, 39,

40,41
wood, 33-44
Position of organ, 244

„ pedal keyboard, 195

Pressure, adjusting, 212

gauge, 211
Price of leather, 12

pipes, 15
Pull-down wires, 100

,, connections, 133

Rack boards, 90
„ ,, for show pipes, 248

,, pillars, 96
Radiation of backfalls, setting

out, 129, 130
Rails,—

backfall, 129

for building frame, 122

„ height of,
121
spring, 99
thumping, 100, 150
tumbler, 170
Rattling keys, cure for, 267
Reed pipes, 64

„ paper, 77
„ scales for, 78, 79
Reeds, —
closed, 68
free, 71

metal blocks for, 68
,, boots for, 68
open, 68
scales of, 69-71
stops, 277

tongues for, making, 71, 72
tuning wires for, 76
voicing and tuning, 75
wood blocks for, 65
,, boots for, 65
Registers, il§

Regulating nicking, rule for,

213, 215, 217
Regulating height of chamfers

for lips, 220
Regulators for bellows, 117
Remedies for general defects,

263-269
Robbing, 265, 266
Rohr gedacht, 274
RoU:r arms, 135

„ board, 134

,, frame, 185

,, studs, 135
Rollers, 134

,, weak, 263
Runnings, 265

Salicional, 273
Setting out, —

channels and bars, 81
feet of metal pipes, 54
metal pipes, 52
radiation of backfalls, 129, 130
sliders and bearers, 82
Scales for pipes, —
metal, 53
paper, 16
wood, 33

reeds, 69, 71, 78, 79
Sixteen-feet-tone stops, 269
Size of apartment, 44

,, holes in feet of pipes, 29
Sizing pipes, 35

,, soundboard bars, 87
Sliders and bearers, 80, 82, 90
Sliding keyboard, 138, 143
,, tuning pieces, or caps,

24
„ tuning pieces for kerau-

lophon, 28
„ tuning pieces for stopt
pipes, 27
Soldering- iron, 59

„ metal pipes, 5 1 , 59, 60
„ „ protecting
medium, 56, 57
Sound-board, —

arrangement of pipes on,83-85

286

INDEX.

Sound-board {continued), —

construction of, 85

description of, 80

drawing-board for setting out,
81

grooves, borrowing, 95

grooving off pipes on, 94
,, for waste wind, 93

marking out, Si

pedal organ, 173

sizes of holes for pipes in, 91

two manual, loi
Small organ, arrangement of, 102

,, ,, design for, 257

Speaking block, 176
Specifications, 12-14, 27S-280
Spitz or spire flute, 274
Spotted metal, 50
Springs for pallets, 99

„ pedal keys, 181

„ rails for, 91

Squares, making, 159, 186, 187
Stickers, making, 129
Stop-action, 152-160

combinations, 270-278

knobs arrangement of, 152-

157
Stops, —

2 feet, 17, 277

4 feet, 17, 275

8 feet, 17, 270

16 feet, 17, 269

32 feet, 17, 269

reeds, 78, 277
Stopt diapason, 26, 33, 271

,, ,, double, 269

„ flute, 274
Support for Ijellows ribs, 1 17
Swell box, making, 200

,, box-like, 205, 206

„ general, 201

„ gridiron, 206

„ pedal, 204, 249

„ push-up rod, 204

,, shutters, 203

„ ,, balance for, 204

„ value of, 199

„ Venetian, 20J

Tell-taie, 251, 252
Temperament, equal, 237

,, unequal, 237

Tempering scale, 237
Test chords for tuning, 241, 242
Testing soundness of organ, 263
,, temperature of molten
metal, 51
Thirty-two-feet-tone stops, 17,

269
Thumping rail, loo, 150
Tompions, 37

Tone lengths for pipes, 17, 218
Tongues for reeds, 7 1
Toning, etc., 74, 218, 219

,, reeds, 74-76
Tools for voicing and tuning,
225, 226
,, generally, 10
Traces, 153
Trackers, 137
Transferring backfalls, 136

,, pipes, 84

Tremulant, 207, 208

,, separate from organ,

209
Trimming down pipes, 20, 42,

233
Trumpet, 79, 277
Trundles for stop action, 152,

153
Trunk-band, 107
,, wind, 117
Tubes conveyance, or conduct-
ing, 85
Tubes lor paper pipes, 19
Tumbler, 170, 171
,, rail, 170
Tuning, 236-243
cones, 233
horn, 233

knife for reeds, 234
mop, 234
pieces, 24

,, for keraulophon, 28
,, stopt pipes, 26
„ must fit well, 229
scale, 237

INDEX.

287

Tuning {continued), —

shades, 42, 219

wires for reeds, 76
Turning up metal for pipes, 57
Twelfth, 277

Two-feet-tone stops, 17, 276
Two manual, —

sound-board, loi

specifications, 13, 14, 278

stop action, 156

Unvoiced metal stops, cost of,
230

Valves, —

for bellows, 115
pedal windtrunk, 179
safety, 1 1 6
V grooving, 93
Vice for holding reed tongues,

72
Viol-di-gamba, 272
Violin diapason, 271

„ effect, 272
Violon, 270
Violoncello, 92, 228

,, varnishing, 228

,, voicing, 228

Voicing and tuning, 213
bourdon, 221
flageolet, 220, 227
ilute, 220, 226
gemshorn, 220, 227
keraulophon, 227
lieblich gedacht, 221, 227
metal pipes, 230
nicks for, 30, 213, 215, 217,

224
open diapason, 216, 224, 226
paper pipes, 244
principal, 220
reed pipes, 74-76
stopt diapason, 221, 227
tools for, 225, 226
violoncello, 228
wood pipes, 216

Voix Celeste, 273
Vox Angelica, 273
Vox Humana, 79, 278

eflect of, by means of other
stops, 278

Wall paper decoration for pipes,

261
Warping of keys, cure for, 267
Waterproof paper for pipes, "j"/
Weakness of tone, —
paper pipes, 229
reed pipes, 75
wood pipes, 223
Wedges for reed tongues, 67, 76
Wedging defective keys, 267
Weight of wind required, 212
Weighting for bellows, 1 18, 213

,, keys, 150

Willesden paper for pipes, 77
Wind-bar, 89
,, chest, 89

„ pedal, 175
„ pressure, 212

gauge, 211
Windway of pipes, 21, 30
,, widening, 31
,, trunk, 117
Windiness of pipes, 223, 22S
Wood, —

blocks for pipes, 34
caps for, 40, 41
pipes, making, 34
„ painting, 43
„ planing up, 34
„ scale lor, 33
„ sizing, 35
„ stoppers or tompions
for, 37
storing, 43
quality of, 11, 34

Zinc pipes, 49
cleaning, 258
painting, 258
scraping and varnishing, 261

WARD, LOCK AND CO., LIMITED, LONDON, NEW YORK, AND MELBOURNE,

S.'V APR /^

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
CARDS OR SUPS FROM THIS POCKET

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY

].9—
hus i c

KL Wicks, l^iark

552 Organ biiilding for

1:5 amateurs

Esaift

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Full text of "Organ building for amateurs : a practical guide for home-workers. Containing specifications, designs, and full instructions for making every portion of the instrument"

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