Advent

Though the secular world already considers it Christmas, we are still in the Advent season. We, as Christians, await for the coming of the Christ child. Advent is an awaiting, the preparation for an important person, place or thing. There is a reason I stress a more "liturgical" theme for this post because I have a little tangent project.

I have a life sized baby Jesus statues that has been passed down through my family. When I first received the statues, the manger that belonged to it was in complete shambles. So, I didn't take the original manger. This was about a year ago. Now, as Christmas approaches and I bring out that beautiful statue, I deem it fitting I throw together a manger.

I am making two, the other is for a close friend who also finds his baby Jesus without a manger. The difference, which I didn't realize in the design phase, was that mine is much bigger than his. Therefore, my manger will be a little longer than my friends. I went ahead and cut all the pieces and am still currently gluing everything together.

I'm sure by next week...the last Sunday of Advent, the manger will be ready, filled with hay, awaiting the birth of the Savior, Christ the Lord.

Now, returning to the project at hand. This weekend, I went to look at material options as well as cut the pipes down to size. I noticed that I modeled the thickness of the frame pieces at 1/2 inch. In reality, there is not wood choices that have a thickness of 1/2 in, rather 3/4 in seems to be the standards throughout all options I'm considering. So, I went back to the drawing board and made the corrections to get the new dimensions of the project. So, the only material I purchased was for the grill, which is 1/4 in hard Birch. I will eventually purchase Pine for the frame.

First, the pipes. They are solid wood. So, very simply, I measured the desired length of each pipe and hacked off part of the pipe. Here are some pictures of this process and the result:

Original Pipes

Tops Hacked Off

Final Result

So, it looks like things are moving right along nicely with this project. Next step will now be to clean the pipes and get them ready to be painted the usual silver color like all the other pipes I've done. At the same time, material for the frame needs to be purchased and cut to size.

Until next time...

Grill Design

Well...after piecing various patterns into Photoshop, I finally came up with a good one for this project. It follows my usual "flower" patter as seen on my previous opus models. However, this one displays three fleur de lis symbols.

Fleur de lis is French for Lilly flower (Flower of Lilly). The symbol became closely synonymous in the early Middle Ages for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Their are various depictions of Mary holding a Lilly. As with the three leaf clover of St. Patrick, the three pedals of this symbol is also said to represent the Holy Trinity with the band at the bottom being Mary. The tradition says that without Mary you can not understand the Trinity since it was she who bore the Son. (Information gathered from Wikipedia...what a scholar!)

This pattern will be tough to produce and will take many hours just to produce one. I see myself using various tools, such as a scroll saw, jig saw, drill press and Dremel barrel sander. I will use 1/4" Red Oak for the material and most likely seal the wood instead of painting it. This is similar to the grills on Opus 3.

I may only be able to display one of these models in my apartment. However, I am going to build two. It seems only fitting that I make the project "symmetric" so as to one day place them one day in each corner of a room, similar to a divided facade use by organ builders due to the space and placement of a pipe organ in the specific room.

Well, I should really get to sleep. I plan on buying material and cutting them to size this weekend. Until next time...

And Now for Something Completely Different...

No, it's not Monty Python's Flying Circus. However, it is a new and completely different project than what was previously described as Opus 4. Let me explain...

Lots has happened since my last post. Most notably is that I have moved into my own apartment. After moving into a new space, and settling in, thoughts of decoration come to mind. Above my couch there is an empty canvas.

Couch

A friend of mine mentioned that he had 25 fake solid wood organ pipes that belong to a reed organ that he owns. They were meant to be a false facade for the reed organ, but he is not using them. So, my first thought...what if I used them in some arrangement above my couch?

Fake Organ Pipes from Reed Organ

I soon realized that the pipes are rather large, though still manageable, for the space. The center pipe just fits the length between the couch and the ceiling. So, after some more input and bouncing some more ideas around, Maybe there is another way to utilizing these pipes. Something more artistic maybe...

My previous opus' have been scaled models...obviously. However, now I'm working with 1:1 scale. The benefit is that these pipes are fake...solid wood. This means I can cut them down to size if I so choose. The problem with this is I cannot change the diameter. Since I cannot change the diameter, I can only decrease the length of each pipe so much that it doesn't look realistic anymore.

So, I have decided to use five pipes from the left hand group of the above photo and design a corner display. It will mimic one of those center displays in my previous models. However, the difference is that this is on a much larger proportion. It will be a corner display.

Corner Pipe Display

So, this may not solve the blank canvas above my couch...but there are 21 more pipes to have fun with. Be that as it may, this display stands three (3) feet tall. The pipes are decreased to an overall length (OAL) of 34 inches. The model, itself, is rough. The grill work will look a little more "ornate." I will need to sit down and make a more elegant, yet practical, template. Not exactly sure on the type of wood used, but the thickness will be 1/4 inch. Two (2) inch tall crown molding will be on the top and one (1) inch tall molding will be at the bottom. There will also be some sort of illumination inside.

Remaining Pipes from Original Set After Corner Model Completion

As far as the pipes are concerned, they are old. I will sand them down, prime and paint them a silver color unlike the wooden brown that they are now. I'm contemplating gold leaf or something for the mouth of the pipe. However, this is still up in the air.

Well, I think that's a good update...certainly well overdue. It might not be as adventurous as Opus 4, which I would still love come to fruition one day. However, this project is more feasible, both financial and practically, for me at the present moment. As with all my creations, my Opus', it will be a unique piece of art.

I now end with a performance on a reed organ. This is now the same model reed organ that these pipes have come from. Rather, it's a larger three manual organ. For those of you who do not know, or have not guessed, reed organs are not pipe organs. They utilize brass reeds to produce the note whereas a pipe organ uses air through a pipe to produce the note. That is why these pipes are fake. They are only there as a false facade. It's the same inspiration that prompted me for Opus 1...when someone sees an organ console, a PIPE organ, they expect to see pipes! Ergo, a false facade to appease the audience even thought the music is coming from the reeds inside the console! Enjoy!

Resurrexit!

Just like the mythical Phoenix, the blog as risen from its ashes - a Resurrection of sorts. Why you may ask? Well, life has its twists and turns. I knew at some point I'd return to this little unique hobby of mine. I didn't know it would be so soon. Be that as it may, I'm back at the design board and Opus 4 is going to be a BEAST! Let's start from the beginning, shall we...

When thoughts of designing and possibly building another model came to my head, it was going to revolve around a needle point work that my grandmother is about to finish. It is of a beautiful rose window like the great cathedrals of Europe. I thought to myself, "it would look cool to design a pipe facade to be displayed in front of the work like (you guessed it) the cathedrals of Europe!" Research and inspiration came from the great cathedral at Notre Dame, Paris. After drawing a design or two, I wasn't that pleased or inspired. That is, until, I started doing a little more research.

The End of an Era

GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No, I'm not watching soccer. However, I did reach my GOAL in completing Opus 3 by today!!! I'm very happy how it came out. To continue where I left off...

I assembled all the boxes for the Great and Pedal chambers. At the same time, I started preparing and painting the pedal pipes. I did something a little different this time. Instead of one solid color for the pipes, I decided to combine both nickel and aluminum simultaneously. The nickel was dominant and the aluminum was held at a further distance. I guess that would mean no set of pipes would be exactly the same. Either way, I got them all pretty close.

I Can See the Light...In More Ways Than One!!

After a little battle with a virus, I got back to Opus 3 today and plan/need to complete the project by Saturday the latest! It is possible. Phase 1, the middle section, has been completed...including the lighting!!! I must give a HUGE thank you to my dad who installed and wired the lights. Though he taught me some things about wiring and electricity when I was a younger man, I have forgotten much of it. I'm full of many things...electrical engineering (even something as simple as this) is not my forte. Here is how it went.

A PC board was placed on a tangent side of the swell box lighting fixture. The lights were then installed and wired together.

Efficient, Changing, Designing, Adapting our Mentalities

Opus 3 is in FULL SWING! Yes, it's been some time since my last post. However, Opus 3 is a reality and it's all starting to come together. Lots have already been done. With that, where should I start? Well, like I've said in the past, from the ground up! Locating dowel holes were used to position the bottom base to the principal base. There are also two holes for screws, coming from the bottom, to hold down and secure the model.

Opus C...What is Opus C?

I had to keep this one a secret, but I made another model at the same time as Opus 2. I've called it "Opus C." Why not "A" or "B"? I chose to label this one Opus C for two reasons. One, it's just a Console. Two, it is a birthday gift to a very close friend of mine whose name starts with the letter "C." Now, for the design.

Here We Go Again!

Made some good progress for Opus 3. I think the smartest way to construct this model is from the ground up. Sounds logical, right? I was tempted to start with the pedal towers. However, I think it would make more sense starting from the foundation, and that's exactly what I started doing.

Roll Out the Red Carpet for Opus 3!

Sound the trumpets! Roll out the red carpet for the official revealing of my next model. I'm about 99.9% confident that this will be the final layout of the model. Here are some prospective 3D models and information about what Opus 3 is all about!