Idler Wheel

Got the side panels stained, but need the stain to fully dry before shellacking and assembling…

So, in the meantime, I got the idler wheel installed using a 1/4" rod, some shaft clips, some nylon washers and a spring:

Side Panels

I figured it was time to get working on the side panels. This would have been fairly straightforward, except I didn't want to have any screws or nails visible on the outside of the organ...

On the right-hand (lid hinge) side, I glued the panel to the side of the pressure box after making the cutout for the lid.

On the left-hand (crank case) side, I made some L-bracket strips out of hardwood and positioned them so they could be attached without being visible from the outside. While I glued all the various battens/brackets to the side panels, I plan on using only screws to keep the left panel in place, in case I need to remove it to get at anything.

(In order to get a screwdriver on the some of the screws, I had to drill some screwdriver "access" holes in the middle crankshaft support piece.)

Measuring the angle of the bellows/reservoir assembly centerboard placement, it came up as an 80 degree angle, so I cut and placed the assembly support battens so that the res/bellows assembly would slide into place and could be held securely with only a few screws. This would allow me to easily remove the assembly for maintenance/repair/etc.

Once the glue dries, I'll get at staining and securing the sides and res/bellows assembly in place.

Hopefully I'll get something more accomplished before baseball season officially starts on Monday...