Solarium & Harmonium Projects Part I

Carport to sunroom with salvaged materials, to create more usable, enjoyable space, and get solar gain. I got all the wood and glass for free. Reed organ restoration. On the backs of the keys, was a signature, then 1899 on the key below it, in pencil. I play a hymn before cleaning the reeds. It's out of tune, but plays very well in tune after cleaning, at the end of the day, in the second video. I didn't show the scotch tape on the bellows because I'm proud of it, only to document. I play with a paper reed resonator. It made a difference, but you can't really hear it in the video. I mostly videoed the tape and paper funnel cause I thought it was funny.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Salvage
• building
• solar
• gain
• sun
• room
• reed
• organ
• restoration.

[Musique3579]

Oh wow. Restoring Reed Organs used to be my thing! You play quite well, really, and the instrument was quite a good sounding one. (They all varied.) Best I could ever get with new bellows cloth replaced was about 30 seconds constant sound if one note were to be held down. This instrument works on suction. A GREAT one was the Aeoline Orchestral with its "tone chambers," and the BEST of all and most "Pipe-Like" sounding was the Mustel Celeste made in Paris France. It worked on "Forced Air." Justin

[Lifecomesfromwithin]

@Musique3579 I had no idea it was your thing! That's awesome to know! One of my friends here is Belgologies, from Belgium. He restores them too. Yes, I know well from his videos that the European ones sound so much better. mine sounds good because I took off all the flaps & covers & everything non essential to the sound production. It actually hurt my ears to play, unless pumping very softly. I recently covered the whole front openings with 1/8" plywood to direct the sound out the back.

[Lifecomesfromwithin]

@Musique3579 In the second video to this one I play a piece I made up in a classical German dance style on that same dark walnut organ ( the other one's walnut too but been painted) after I brought it into tune by cleaning the upper half of the reeds in water & ammonia with a toothbrush, and put glue under the reed cells where it had gaps where air was escaping from one cell to the other, making three play at once! It sounds MUUUUUUUCH better there!!!! I want a European one someday.

[Lifecomesfromwithin]

@Musique3579 And in the second video, that organ made me think of the first ones that they created in the 1700s when they first started playing with reed making, from the Asian examples. 

[Lifecomesfromwithin]

oh, you're so sweet. I'm glad I could  share.

[reubendreamer]

You are delightful, as was this video! I'd still like to take you up on your offer to come by sometime...especially after seeing such a video. How many cats do you have now?

[Lifecomesfromwithin]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!! SO NICE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!!!! I'd be nic to see you too sometime. There's 26 cats as of now! Heh!!!;p

[Musique3579]

@Lifecomesfromwithin O wow................I NEVER knew of this. I still have a Circa 1842 Carthart and Neeham(sp?) Melodian which is considered the 1st invention of its kind. An attached pedal had not yet been thought of, so there was just a rope with a loop to put ones foot in to pump the one bellows. (Never have heard it play as I have left it in all original condition and did not want to destroy the papers glued to the bellows cloth.)

[Musique3579]

@Lifecomesfromwithin Nice video and as for the cleaning of the reeds, I seem to remember using a little ammonia and water and let them soak in it before using a blow dryer on them. No toothbrush however as the slighest scrape will put them out of tune. Tuning is very tricky and done with a reed-scraper. (Usually just an isolated high note here or there.) As for those reed cells, this is the worst problem when it happens. I used to remove all reeds and clamp all tight and paint glue in ea. cell.

[Musique3579]

@Lifecomesfromwithin Ha ha Ha. I used to experiment and do things like that as well. Of ALL the American Parlor suction Reed Organs, the Mason and Hamlin was the best. But, try and fix it and it is a horror. Put together as if nothing would ever have to be done. To restore, parts had to be smashed apart and then re-glued after. The bass reeds were exceptional and one of these was even presented to Franz Lizst as a gift, and Lizst endorsed it as great!