I'm Back!

I'm happy to say that my hands were back on Opus 1 this weekend. This consisted of gluing the pieces together. Since I managed to finally get a bigger piece of wood, I was able to create the back panel. I also started spray painting some of the pipes.

The following are a series of photos of the Ruckpositiv construction:

Here are a few of Opus 1 as it stands at this point.

With all that said, and all that has occurred since my last post, I think a little Bach would be appropriate right about now. In particular, Komm, Heiliger Geist, or Come, Holy Ghost.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that
by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations.
Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

The Rück!

It's all about the Rückpositiv this weekend and I'm making some good progress. I started by gluing the center section cabinet together. At the same time, I went ahead and started making the pipe support for the center pipes. They both came together nicely. The center pipes are now ready to be sealed, primed and painted.

Center Pipe Cabinet

Center Pipes

Center Unit

Next, I pieced the flat pipes together. The design is slightly different with these pipes, which will make for some interesting pipe shades.

When the center unit was complete, I was then able to take that width and make the bottom spacer. The bottom spacer will be glued between the two 3/8in thick bottom pieces. The spacer is 1/8in thick. The center unit will then be glued to this spacer, which will lift the center piece at the right height as the base. I made the base 3/8in thick this time around as the molding is that same height, which will make for easy gluing.

Two bottom pieces with the spacer in the middle

I used a different camera when trying to take the overall photo tonight. However, I didn't realize, at the time, that the quality was set much lower than mine are normally taken. Add the poor lighting and you get the picture below. It still gives you a little idea on where this is all heading.

Until next time...

Concordance Amongst Cacophony

The word cacophony is one of those Scrabble words that just came to my head the other day and wanted to include it into the title of this post. It is defined as a harsh discordance of sound; a disharmony. Opus 1 has generated a cacophony of sounds in many ways. From the noise of the saw blade, to the descriptive language when something goes wrong. However, there is concordance amongst cacophony as the completion of this grand project is in sight. It is so close, that you can faintly hear the choir of angels singing praise as the organ, itself, resounds in triumphant splendor!

Until then, you can see the choir of angels, as they are officially attached to the Oberwerk! Attaching them was more simple than expected. I believe I mentioned in the last post that I took a short dowel and cut a 30º angel at one end and a 60º angle at the other. The former would attached to the Oberwerk and the latter would attach to the back of the angel.

I used "sticky tac" to create a sort of ledge for the angle to rest while these pegs were gluing.They proved to be very effective.

Simple and elegant. These hand-carved Italian cherubs add a beautiful aesthetic touch to Opus 1, just as the many angels and statues do to the Müller organ at St. Bavo Church. With this, the principal components of Opus 1 are now complete! This includes the pedal division, the keydesk, Oberwerk and Hauptwerk. The last section is the Ruckpositiv and the shelf which will bring everything together.

Left Angels

Right Angels

When I went back to my notes about the Ruckpositiv, and with what I have learned after coming this far with the models construction, I decided to re-draw the Ruckpositiv in SolidWorks to make sure I have the correct dimensions for when I start cutting the stock. The solid model, in many cases at this point, did no reflect how I actually built Opus 1. This is due to the heavy learning curve as I went about building the model. Though no pictures, I started cutting some of the stock today.

Ruckpositiv seen without any molding or pipe shades.

Once completed, the Ruckpositiv will be attached to the shelf. This means that the shelf will become part of Opus 1. This was not the original plan. However, I think it will work better this way. I'm viewing the shelf as the"choir loft" and will be painted that white-ish marble color similar to, yup...you guessed it, the organ loft in St. Bavo church.

I still need to do a bit more research. I might be either staining the wood to set such a color or finding a paint and painting it. Either way, after taking a trip to the local hardware stores, I found some very nice corbel's to hold the shelf. There are two options. The first is rather simple, but effective. The second is a little more elaborate and will probably be the one I end up purchasing.

There is one more item amidst this concordant cacophony, and that is OPUS 2. Yes, I said it...and I still cannot believe I'm about to discuss a very possible Opus 2. I spoke of this once before. The idea stemmed from a request from my dad for a rock organ similar to a Hammond B3. The idea of such a rock organ then evolved to just a two manual organ with stops and a small case of pipes on either side.

Well, after sitting down at SolidWorks and adding my twist to it, Opus 2 will be a studio organ. When I call it a studio instrument, I speak of an organ your would find at a university for students to practice on. Take, for instance, the organs I had the pleasure of playing during my time at the University of Florida. (CLICK HERE and select the four different links under "University of Florida")

Isometric View

Front View

The entire model measures approximately 10.00in x 5.00in x 7.50in. A few differences with this model should be noted. First, the mouths of the pipes are all at the same level. Therefore, the length of the pipes are different. This means that there will be NO pipe shades. There will be molding at the top of the two large chambers on either side of the keydesk. The keydesk is comprised of two manuals and 18 stops. The stops will not be turned down. Rather, for sake of time, I found some rather ornate toothpicks that will do the trick.

What's really interesting about this model is the section of small pipes above the keydesk. From the front view, you can see an artistic design with the different lengths of the pipes. What you will also notice is that this model contains square pipes. These pipes represent wooden flute pipes, my favorite being the Gedeckt. I should be able to turn down a conical toe with each of these pipes. All of these small pipes will rest in a pipe rack.

So, there you have it! A concordance amongst cacophony. It is rather exciting to be at this stage of the model to say the least. I end with a video of Bach's St. John's Passion (BWV 245). First, we are in the liturgical season of Lent. Second, the music of Johann Sebastian Bach is utter perfection and sheer genius. When you enter into his music, it leaves you in pure ecstasy! The composer Franz Liszt so appropriately referred to Bach, whom he greatly revered, as, "the St. Thomas Aquinas of music." Third, I have been listening to this beautiful piece while writing this post. It's a long work, but I highly recommend listening to the piece in its entirety.

Until next time...

Gloria in Excelsis Deo!!

Ash Wednesday is this week!  This means that the season of Lent will be upon us whereby we anxiously wait for Christ's resurrection on Easter day. However, amidst the Lenten themes of prayer, almsgiving, and mortification (penance), the construction of Opus 1 will continue! Now, how does this relate to what I have done this weekend? Well, I intended that the angels be attached to the Oberwerk by today, thus the subject title. (Latin: Glory to God in the Highest) However, I figured since the Gloria is omitted during Lent, I'll use this title now and think of another clever subject title that's more Lenten specific when they are attached.

First, I finished section 1 of the Hauptwerk by touching up the molding, along with creating the top skin. I then glued all three sections together. After the three sections became one unit, I went ahead and glued the bottom pipe shades for section 1. Just like that, the Hauptwerk is now finished!

I had considered gluing the Oberwerk to the console area/base. However, I'm thinking for future transportation, the more sections to break it up into, the better. This is why I didn't glue the Hauptwerk to the Oberwerk, which was my original plan. So, another idea came to me to secure each section of Opus 1 together...a clasp! Yes, a clasp will be used to secure the Oberwerk to the console area as well as the Hauptwerk to the Oberwerk. I found one that should work. However, I'm going to do some brief internet searching before finalizing on this option.

Center section of Opus 1

Possible Clasp

As for the angels, it should be apparent that they are next. I went ahead and created small dowel fixtures, cut at 30º and 60º angles at each side, to support and position each angel. After this is completed, I cannot believe I'm saying this, but it's time to start Ruckpositiv...the LAST division of Opus 1!! At the same time, the final base needs to be built. Instead of attaching the Ruckpositiv to the base of the console, It will be attached to the shelf. The shelf will then become part of the model. I wanted to shy away from this idea. However, I think in the long run, it is a good idea.

With that said, the end is certainly in sight. Until next time...

"Oh my, yes..." - Prof. H. J. Farnsworth

Touch Down! Goal!

Yes, It's Superbowl Sunday! I certainly scored a few touchdowns this weekend when it comes to Opus 1. When it comes to the actual sport in question, I don't care. Like I have always said, why do they call it "football" when you don't even use your feet? I side with those who like real football, or what we here in the US of A call soccer. But I digress...

The Hauptwerk (HW) is about 90% complete. I first glued the top pipe shades for the two section 1 modules. I also went ahead and cut, seal, prime and paint the bottom pipe shades for said section. They will get glued on once the entire HW is glued into place on top of the Oberwerk.

I then focused my attention to section 3 (center). The top and bottom grills needed to be glued in place. When it came for the molding, which all the parts were cut and ready to be glued, I noticed that the top grill was not completely tangent to the sharp corners where the molding is glued onto. Thankfully, everything worked out. As with all the molding, especially the larger kind, I needed to sand down some areas and add some wood filler.

Next came section 1. I went ahead and painted the small molding that will go at the top. I had to make the two small ends that made to section 2. (see picture above) They all fit together nicely. Although, I did need to use some wood filler on one of them.

After looking at the St. Bavo organ, some of the molding toward the top is very large. So, I decided to do a row of large molding on top of the small molding. This cuts were a little tricky as I needed to line them up with the corners of the current molding. I must admit, the are not completely proportional (respectively). However, the sides that matter - the outermost side - both came out the way I wanted it to.

Yes, pretty large, wouldn't you agree? Next weekend, I need to do a bit of sanding and re-painting for both of them. Afterward, I will make a skin for the top.

Stepping back and looking what I have accomplished in just a little under SIX MONTHS is quite impressive. I need to remind myself sometimes that this entire undertaking is a first for me. As I progress with the model, I think, "Oh, I should have done that like this!" or, "I should have used this material and not that material" or even, "Damn it's crooked! I'm Ray Charles when it comes to cutting wood!" 

Either way, I can honestly pat myself on the back and admire my work for something so original as this model. It is certainly playing a big role during this chapter of my life. It symbolizes many things, some that I cannot even articulate. That is, ultimately, the creative spirit in all of us. Such expressions of creativity keep the mind and imagination going. Any medium, i.e., music, painting, dance, exercise, cooking, gardening, creative writing, etc., assist us in our journey in life. The gifts that God has given each and every one of us help define our individuality. We must, in turn, use our gifts for good and direct them to the Good, God Himself, thus doing everything for the glory of His name. Every composition that J.S. Bach composed started with the initials J.J. for, "Jesu, Juva" (Jesus, help) and ended with S.D.G., or, "Soli Deo Gloria" (to God alone the glory).

Once again, I digress. Until next time...

Great Strides!

I can now saw that the Oberwerk is 100% FINISHED!!! Seeing that the Hauptwerk is also on the fast track to being completed, I would say that Opus 1 is around 75% complete!! I think the easiest thing to do is go in order of this weekends progress.

Like I said in the last post, there were two areas of the Oberwerk (OB) that i needed to finish in order to complete the OB. The first was the top molding. I finished painting some of the new molding parts I had to re-cut and then glued them all together. After it dried, as usual, I cut, painted and glued a skin on the top to make it whole.

Oberwerk at 99% Completion

Next was the bottom molding. All I had to do there was glue them on. So, piece by piece, I did just that. Thankfully, it came together rather nicely, especially the molding around the center section. For once, gluing molding didn't raise my blood pressure.

While all of this was drying, I designed the pipe shades for the Hauptwerk (HP) division. Not only that, I ended up cutting out both the top and bottom shades for section 3 as well as all four pipe shades for the tops of section 1. I decided to change the design for the pipe shades for section 3 (the center section). Remember, the grill is wrapped around the pipe guide. I decided to add "wings"to the end which would fit inside the pipe box and help keep the shape of the grill.

The "wings" are on the left and right side

The idea was a great success and I wish I thought about this earlier. Be that as it may, I then sealed, primed and painted them.

BEFORE

AFTER

The four pipe shades for the top of section 1 have all been sealed, primed and painted. However, I didn't glue them on yet. As of now, I will not be putting any grill work on section 2. As the HP continues to come together, I'll make my final decision then.


I've been meaning to give you, the viewer, a better idea of scale. So, I placed a quarter at the bottom left of the model, right next to the left pedal case. I hope these pictures give you a better idea of how large this model actually is.

Here are a few other pictures of the current status of Opus 1.

"The organ is [...] the most complex of all mechanical instruments developed before the
Industrial Revolution. Among musical instruments its history is the most involved and
wide-ranging, and its extent repertory the oldest and largest. No other instrument
has inspired such avowed respect as the organ." (Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1889)

You Got to Admit, It's Getting Better...

...it's getting better all the time! Indeed, things are certainly moving along very nice and much progress to the completion of the Oberwerk was accomplished this weekend. First things first, molding consumed most of my time. This includes cutting, painting and gluing. Let me start with my progress with the Hauptwerk before delving into the work accomplished on the Oberwerk.

Both section 2a and 2b are now finished. They are painted and the pipes glued in place. Concerning molding and pipe shades, I have some ideas. However, I won't decide anything until they are glued in place.

Hauptwerk Section 2A and 2B

The molding was also cut for Sections 1A, 1B and 3, that is to say, the two side sections and the center section. You may need to turn your head 180º for this picture.

Molding for Hauptwerk Section 3

Current Status of the Hauptwerk Division

Now onto the Oberwerk (OB). I wish I could say that it is 100% finished. Alas, I cannot. However, I can say it's 98% finished. After I placed all the pipe shades on last weekend, the next step was the top molding for the two pointed sections of the OB. To be honest, I didn't have much problems with the cutting and gluing.

The two top molding features of the Oberwerk

Once they were glued in place, it was time to make two skins to cover all the mess on top of the OB. These skins are very helpful in covering up the gluing mistakes (and even some cutting mistakes) and solidifies it as one piece.

To completely finish the OB, I need to glue the bottom molding which would connect the console area with the OB box. All the pieces are cut and painted and are ready o be glued in place. The top molding of the OB (similar to section 3 of the Hauptwerk) needs to be glued on. If you go back a few posts, I went ahead and glued most of this molding together and waited until now to glue it on. Bad idea. I ended up creating new pieces and salvaging the two ends of the already made pieces. As it stands now, I need to do some final painting and then can glue them all in place.

Sorry - this one came out a bit blurry

I haven't ended a post with an organ video in a while. As I sat thinking about which one, my eyes came upon a statue I have of St. Peter. So, in honor of St. Peter, the first pope, the rock...I end with a video of a young Dame Gillan Weir playing Henri Mulet's Toccata on tu es Petra. I had the honor of being a part of a Master Class with Dame Weir back in 2008 as a student at the University of Florida. (click for picture) Enjoy!

"You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
- Matthew 16:18-19 RSV -