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
MMD > Archives > May 2009 > 2009.05.11 > 03Prev  Next


Making Mechanical Musical Doorbell
By Al Sefl

Greetings Ted:  You will need something besides a squirrel cage fan for
pipe organ pipes.  Older forced air furnaces have high delivery volume
but at low pressures.  If you have the bottom two pipes from a rank of
pipes, very likely the 8' low CC will have the wind pressure written
somewhere on it, usually near the rank name and pitch stamping.  Your
blower will have to provide several inches of water pressure.

The player piano bellows is for developing a vacuum, not pressure.
You might give thought to vacuum operated percussions which are easy
to make.  I have a Link-built Glockenspiel and Xylophone for a theatre
organ that are electro-pneumatic and work quite well.  I have often
thought of converting them to play off music rolls as stand-alone
instruments.

Have fun with your project.  Being a first class woodworker helps.
Experience with pneumatics is also a plus.  See if you can locate
someone in your area to mentor you.

Al Sefl - Purveyor of Oddball Ideas... Like the pneumatic egg beater
that runs off your Hoover...


(Message sent Mon 11 May 2009, 14:54:34 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Doorbell, Making, Mechanical, Musical

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