Dulciana Celeste Pipes Arrived!

I usually check the churchorgantrader.com website at least once or twice each week looking for odd parts that might be useful.  I knew I needed a set of Dulciana pipes to be my string celeste and was keeping an eye out.  Randy in New Jersey listed several ranks of pipes available, among them a rank of 61 Dulciana pipes from a Hook & Hastings organ.  We exchanged several emails and I decided to purchase the pipes and have them shipped to Lincoln.  He was able to pack the 49 pipes from 4'C up into two boxes and ship them via FedEx.  He didn't have a large enough or sturdy enough box for the bottom octave, but when a box shows up he will ship those too.  Some would call this a sin, but to save on shipping costs, he will neatly cut the pipes in half for shipment.  Then I (or one of the nice guys at Bedient) will have to solder them back together.  To ship them whole would cost more than the rank is worth.

When I initially bought the organ, the string was described as a Dulciana and without a windchest to listen to them I didn't know any different.  Recently, one of my organ's previous owners pointed out to me that the string that I have is actually a Salicional, but a very mild one at that.  I almost decided against the Hook & Hastings and try to find a salicional for a celeste.  But obviously I went ahead with the H&H.  I thought the Dulciana celesting against the Salicional might add some depth and breadth to the tone.  If it didn't work, I would look for a salicional and have an extra Dulciana rank lying around waiting for Opus 2...

From Hook & Hastings Celeste

When the pipes arrived I found two matching pitches and blew gently into them.  The H&H Dulciana is about 20% softer than my string and definately warmer and gentler.  I think it will create a very nice effect.  I can't wait to get both ranks on a chest and try it for real.  The Hook & Hastings is pictured on the left and my String is pictured right.

Swell Shade Action Complete

Part of the beauty of the swell box is that it is located directly above the console.  I am able to use a direct linkage between the swell shoe and the shutters rather than mess with a swell engine.  Initially, I envisioned a series of trackers, pull-downs, and pivoting triangles to transfer the motion of the shoe to the shutters.  Then I was flipping through an industrial supply catalog and noticed a heavy-duty control cable for sale.  A control cable is a stationary sheath with a cable that slides inside it.  It's the same device that connects your lawn mower's throttle lever to the carburetor.  My plan was to attach one end to the swell shoe and run the cable through the floor of the swell box, up along the side wall, turn a sharp right angle (now horizontal) and attach to the swell shades.  I slapped together a quick mock-up to see if this was feasible and two flaws were revealed:  1) the right angle caused a lot of friction between the cable and sheath making the action sluggish and heavy, and  2) the cable rubbing on the sheath made a lot of noise and because it was attached to the wall of the swell box, the vibrations were amplified significantly. 

I decided to reconsider the trackers and pull-downs and came up with a hybrid solution.  The control cable is still attached to the swell shoe and it still runs through the floor of the box and up the side wall.  However, now the cable travels straight up out of the sheath and moves a wooden triangle which pivots and transfers the motion to a horizontal direction pushing the shutters closed.  To open the shutters, everything happens in reverse.  Special thanks to Terry at Stinson's Ace Hardware for helping with the metal components!



At this point, I can't actually attach the cable to the swell shoe because the basement ceilings are too low.  I will have to wait until everything moves upstairs and then hope and pray that it works!