Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info

Spring Fundraising Drive In Progress. Please visit our home page to see this and other announcements: https://www.mmdigest.com     Thank you. --Jody

MMD > Archives > December 2001 > 2001.12.20 > 01Prev  Next


Repairing Gem Roller Organ
By Pete Knobloch

I just rebuilt my first Concert Roller Organ about one month ago.
I had to replace all of the pneumatic cloth and valves.  The organ
seemed to be original and never rebuilt.

What surprised me was that the vacuum reservoir valve flaps were
covered using pneumatic cloth, rather than leather.  The internal valve
flaps were also covered with only the pneumatic cloth.   Was this a
common practice with these organs?

To make new valve flaps, I glued leather to new pneumatic cloth using
hide glue.  The four new flaps were then tacked to the boards with small
tacks, just as it was originally done.

When everything was assembled I had problems with the pump folds
popping out when playing.  I removed the cloth from the pump bellows
and put reinforcing gussets on the inside of the cloth and then
re-glued the pump cloth.   This solved the problem.

In looking back, I think that the original problem might have been that
I stretched the new leather flap material too tightly over the holes.
This would cause undue positive pressure inside the pump bellows when
exhausting the air.  What do you think?

Pete Knobloch (Tempe AZ)


(Message sent Thu 20 Dec 2001, 16:17:44 GMT, from time zone GMT-0800.)

Key Words in Subject:  Gem, Organ, Repairing, Roller

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page