Although I'm certainly no expert in the subject, I did build up an
O-roll orchestrion about 25 years ago, still have it and it still plays
and looks good.

This machine has all the instruments except pipes.  That sub-project
was started and abandoned several times, the latest idea being to use
reeds instead of pipes, as they could be run off the same suction box.
Some of the original Coinola machines and European orchestrions used
reeds.

The piano started out in life as a player piano, and all the
instruments are shoe-horned into the original case.  If I were doing it
over I would extend the case vertically and give plenty of room to each
instrument to make maintenance easier.

The piano plays along with the bells but is drowned out by them, so I
found no need to shut off or muffle the piano during solo parts.  If no
attention is paid to the speed of reiteration the bells sound like
tuned door bells.  I think they sound much better if they are slowed
down.  Wooden xylophone bars would have a mellower tone.

There wasn't room for a full sized triangle, so I used a single metal
bell made from a piece of aluminum rod, and the sound is acceptable.
What else?  Remember that the bass notes are doubled an octave down to
make use of the full range of the piano and give a stronger bass line.

Fritz Gellerman