Offline
What do you do when it's too darn hot outside for yard work and MG driving?
You restore an 1874 reed organ, of course!
Because I'm interested in "old tech", I was given this 1874 George Woods cabinet organ. Been in one family since new - and never repaired or "maintained". With all the stops drawn, and full pumping - instead of a big loud chord, it sounded more like choking a squirrel.
A work in progress:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cHvp4tHM5QtPufQ99
I've spent the last week literally pulling it apart (the organ, not the squirrel), cleaning, and removing corrosion from the few steel parts. The wood and steel are in remarkably good condition. Next up: replace the cracked rubber cloth around the bellows, the leather valves, and the fabric tape hinges on the mutes and swells, and clean the 100+ brass reeds
Yesterday I even found the workman's signature on the back of the keyboard.
"T. Campbell July 27 1874"
Sure hope I can get it all back together eventually.
You restore an 1874 reed organ, of course!
Because I'm interested in "old tech", I was given this 1874 George Woods cabinet organ. Been in one family since new - and never repaired or "maintained". With all the stops drawn, and full pumping - instead of a big loud chord, it sounded more like choking a squirrel.
A work in progress:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cHvp4tHM5QtPufQ99
I've spent the last week literally pulling it apart (the organ, not the squirrel), cleaning, and removing corrosion from the few steel parts. The wood and steel are in remarkably good condition. Next up: replace the cracked rubber cloth around the bellows, the leather valves, and the fabric tape hinges on the mutes and swells, and clean the 100+ brass reeds
Yesterday I even found the workman's signature on the back of the keyboard.
"T. Campbell July 27 1874"
Sure hope I can get it all back together eventually.