Q. Is the Solo to whatever Pizzicato coupler on most theater organs on first touch or second touch? I thought I had seen it on second touch only but the new Allen organs apparently have it only on first touch.

Q. What is the correct original colour of the bushing felt of pistons in key slips of Wurlitzer Organs

The material is folded over and glued to itself, fuzzy side out, and the folded edge is what will show. One can imagine getting messed up in glue and easily destroying the results. Here are the tricks I learned.

Work on a clean surface. Butcher’s paper or brown wrapping paper is good for this.

Cut the cloth into workable strips at least 1-1/2” wide. I prefer 2” for ease of working. Cut these strips 12” long.

You will need more than enough length for the total of the piston hole circumferences, or at least 2” per piston. You will have waste, so make up extra.

Lay the strips of cloth face (fuzzy side) down on the paper. Spray lightly and evenly with 3M #77 Spray Adhesive. Lightly! Do not soak the material, you only want it to be tacky.

Allow to dry a few minutes until tacky. Then, working with one strip at a time, transfer to another clean paper surface. Keep some Acetone and paper towels on hand as you will get some glue on your finger tips. Do this in a well-ventilated area away from flames or smoking!

Apply paper to the strips, covering only one half the width. 11” will cover all but ½” at each end.

Now carefully bend the cloth over the paper, folding it at the middle (edge of the paper) and smooth it out.

The paper gives the material just enough stiffness to make it easily workable.

Carefully determine the necessary lengths for each bushing piece. They will be about 1.9” long.

Using a paper cutter with a guide, trim the width to either the thickness of the key slip, OR, I prefer the thickness plus 1/16”. Wurlitzer slips I have seen used the narrower bushings and left the hole partly uncovered. My preference is to use the bushing width as a guide to how deep to insert the bushing…flush with the rear.

When cutting the strips to length, I prefer to taper the ends slightly so that there is more width at the fold edge.

Since the key slip/piston rail is usually pre-bored and newly refinished, you should sand the overspray from inside each piston home, using fine sandpaper over a small dowel. Always sand INTO the hole from the front.

Using hot hide glue, apply a thin coat to the inside of the hole. Wrap the bushing around a dowel (I like 3/8”) and insert it into the hole, again working from the front. The “overlap” should be at the bottom so it won’t show, and it should not actually overlap, but instead “butt” completely.

It is very helpful to have a few short dowels with a tapered end to plug the bushing as the glue dries. In a pinch, take the piston buttons and wrap a turn or two of masking tape around the buttons and use them as plugs.

This is generally a good job for a woman’s patience and dexterity. (AM)
 

Q. I have bought a set of Wurlitzer 25 note chimes, what is the best way of cleaning them, they seem quite dirty and have only slight pitting.

A. I have used Brasso with good results. Note that pitting is an eruption in the plating and that polishing may make it look worse, or lift the plating even more. (AM)

My first reaction is “DON’T!” For two reasons, limited budget and “can’t hire a professional.” You should at least hire a professional THEATRE ORGAN restorer to advise you a bit further than this forum can. What you spend on good advice will FAR outweigh what the project will cost you in time, blood, sweat, and tears (perhaps big ones,) and most importantly, help you achieve an organ that will play and not wind up a pile of junk.

More organs have been destroyed by well-meaning enthusiasts who figured they would learn along the way, than perhaps by any other type of disaster.

An original theatre organ, now 80-90 years old, has long passed its useful life and will need total restoration. At this point, that also includes most organs that were supposedly “restored” 20 or more years in the past.

Four ranks is not a difficult size to restore and install.

I would add to Clark’s suggestions that without a floor frame, a ¾” plywood floor or overlayment, painted with gray deck paint is excellent flooring. For new construction, a first layer of ¾” plywood, covered with a layer of 5/8” sheet rock GLUED on (Elmer’s with a paint roller works well) makes for the ability to screw on braces and pipe racks or supports wherever convenient. For old walls, it might even be advisable to apply ¾” plywood over the existing walls, often only 3/8” sheetrock, and gloss paint that. If the house will later be sold and the room converted back, additional 3/8” sheetrock may be necessary to refinish the walls without cracks (between sheets) and any windows given new treatment.

Suffice it to say that existing windows should be covered. (AM)

The worst environment for a pipe organ is one where walls are not totally solid. (AM)

I agree fully with your suggestions and in that order. (CW)

Q. What's the best way and the best products to use when polishing the brass resonators of the trumpet, sax, etc. We have three sets that need to be done and I'd like to know opinions. Also, which lacquer or sealant is best to prevent tarnish over the years.

Traditionally, they are polished mechanically on large buffing wheels with lots of jeweler's rouge and elbow grease.

I figured that a first step, removal of the lacquer, would make life easier. That was the start of a new process:

1. Clean grime and loose lacquer with tri-sodium phosphate (Spic and Span.) My first step is to put all resonators I can fit into the dishwasher and run a cycle.

2. Remove remaining lacquer with Acetone in a well-ventilated area, such as outdoors.

3. You will be left with some reddish or even greenish oxidized or corroded areas that were originally missed when lacquered. Tackle these with Brasso and elbow grease.

4. Clean the brass to its original shine with Twinkle, following directions. Twinkle works chemically, you mainly wipe it on and wash it off.

This may reveal areas you missed. If so, repeat 3. and 4.

5. Rinse and dry the resonators. Handle with cotton gloves. Do not touch the brass from this point on.

6. Spray with lacquer or hand finish with brushing lacquer. Either works well. Krylon plastic coating (the original Krylon) also works well. Krylon now has spray lacquer, also Deft and a few other companies.

I have yet to find anything that will not change the appearance over time. The brass will eventually take on a more orange color looking more like gold. (AM)

This seems like the quickest way, as most of what I've seen did indeed involve a lot of time, polish, muscle, and anguish. I've seen Allen’s results and they look very, very good, so I can't see trying much different than what he suggests. (CW)

Also, which lacquer or sealant is best to prevent tarnish over the years. Thanks!

Maybe there is a better answer to this than lacquer, but I haven't found it. (AM)

Q. How to remove dents in the tin tubing for the stop action. What's the best way to remove the tubing without causing damage

Q. We are making an organ functional for fund raising, a Wurlitzer Style 216. All the percussions & traps are now located outside the swell shades on both the Main and Solo chambers. The 12 16ft bourdon is also out of the chamber. This is how we found them upon first inspection. The traps block the original 5 rank solo chest, between the shades and the exterior grill. The Question is when the complete restoration takes place, should they all be moved back inside the chambers back under expression?

Q.  How do I punch nice clean holes in leather or felt?

A.  Arch Punches are the tools of the centuries.  More modern punches have been custom made as “steel blade” cutters, as were used in the shoe industry with hand-operated Clicker Punches.  These cutters can be made in any size and shape as well as in multiples in a single die.
 
Arch punches are hand forged and the cutter is not well centered on the handle, which is also somewhat square.  This type of punch, available from organ suppliers, must be used with a soft head mallet and it is necessary to punch into end grain of a wood bock.  The block must be re-surfaced (sawn off) after numerous punchings.  For a clean punching, you must punch into a new area each time.
 
My preference is for rotary punches or cutters.  For small holes from 3/32” to ½”, a set of 9 punches are available from Harbor Freight (#03838) for $4.99, $3.99 when on sale.
 
In use, you set them in a drill press and cut into a stationary piece of wood or a backing such as hard cardboard (not corrugated) and set the drill stop so that you only bore into the backing enough to get a clean punch.  You may punch several layers at a time.
 
Self-healing cutting boards such as are found in fabric shops or for kitchen use make excellent backing boards.
 
For larger holes, there are hand punches that come in sets with several cutters and one threaded hand tool.  The set I have has a standard 5/8” thread, so I simply made a tool for the drill press from a 5/8” machine bolt by cutting off the head.
 
The larger tools are used the same as the smaller ones.
 
The slowest speed on your drill press is recommended. (AM)