I'm in the planning stage of making an air calliope and have been
researching how to make the pipes.  I plan to use brass tube and PVC
plastic pipe for the sizes that brass is unavailable.  I have studied
Dave Kerr's site as well as others:

  http://members.webone.com.au/~mydav/calliope.htm

I have rebuilt player pianos and pump organs but this will be my first
attempt at making pipes.  I have a few questions I hope someone can
help me with.

1. Pipe length and width.  Dave and others give pipe width and length
charts with each pipes size.  There are 11 different pipe diameters
for his 43-note calliope.  But on many, or most, calliopes I have seen,
the builder has used only three or four different diameter pipes.
I assume the pitch is controlled by varying the pipe lengths.  I guess
my question is how many different diameters are needed or can most
notes be created by the pipe length?  With brass tube only available
in a few diameters, it would be nice to be able to just use the pipe
length to change notes keeping the number of diameters to a minimum.

2. Saddles/bridges are time consuming to make.  On page 12 of Dave's
building instructions he shows making five bass pipes with only one
mouth running 1/3 around the pipe, and with no bridge.  Can non-bass
pipes be make this way?  What is "lost" by using this alternative pipe
construction?  I know it will change the look, but it sure would make it
easier to construct them.

Thanks for your help.
Bruce Brockett
Deerfield, Ohio