1892 Mason & Hamlin Reed Organ Repair Part 2

I found this Mason & Hamlin reed organ in an antique store and decided to bring it home. In this video I finish up repairs and play a few notes.
NOTE: This was originally released as part 1. Mistakes happen. :)

[@slickwilley5482]

26:41 "Well let's play some silly little thing" Proceeds to play an extremely beautiful, melodic, and deep piece just out of the blue.

[@TheCypherBlu]

Great video! Thanks!!

[@philipblick8887]

Great videos fascinating restoration congratulations from Aotearoa New Zealand 🇳🇿

[@HackaweekTV]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@isaacposselt7089]

Watching now the last part of your video, wow it's a beautiful sounding organ, get better at playing it!

[@isaacposselt7089]

This is a really cool project you did! Not everyone has the courage to do a project as this, as you've had to replace everything that the other guy missed. I really find that leather button you made very intriguing indeed! I didn't know you could make something like that! I have an organ with a sub bass and a tremolo, but it just has a wooden dowel to plung up and down. I just got the bellows restored on it, but need to replace the tremolo and sub bass gaskets as they have no sealing attributes left. I figured out also how to determine where the leak was coming from, as I sprayed some shaken Murphy oil on it; you just find where the bubbles have been absorbed, sortof the opposite of finding air leaks.

[@123Chevyman]

I turned mine on one side for checking out if it has leaks. And yeah, you know, the foot pumps do not push air into the big bellows. They suck it out, create a vacuum and then the machine sucks air back in by itself. That's how it plays, too.

[@glennmcclellan8853]

What a cool instrument project ! Sounds really good too 👍🏼👍🏼

[@strife7333]

Fascinating to see the inner working/mechanisms. I always worry about the removal/reinstallation of screws with the old wood. Probably helps that its likely never been apart before.

[@SeanBZA]

You just have to make sure the same screw goes back in place, into the thread it originally cut in the wood. If the hole is worn out you can simply take some wood dust and a bit of wood glue, and make a putty, that you then partly fill the hole with, then put the oiled screw into the hole and put nearly into position, but not tight, and leave overnight for the glue to dry. Then remove screw, and put back into hole, to engage the new wood putty thread. Otherwise you drill the hole out, and put in a dowel plug, that you drill then to allow the screw to make a new thread into.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

I wish they made Reed Organs again cause of their versatility.

[@juliangerardcascio1111]

😊 Good to see 👀 you again !

[@Davidjb37721]

Thanks for your time

[@johannessilver8653]

I admire your skill to fix this complex antic instrument and make it work. I just got an organ too...Chicago Cottage. It seems to work pretty ok but two keys do not give sound with one stop. With other stops I get a sound but the other key gives it weak while the other normally. There is some hissing through with that weak sound key. Wonder I have to open the whole thing.

[@HackaweekTV]

Probably a stuck reed.

[@yogiperogy]

If it’s a treble reed, it’s small and doesn’t take much in the way of accumulated dust or other detritus to ‘paralyze’ it. Open up the instrument and activate the stop involved. Carefully withdraw the affected reed (or reeds , one at a time) and wipe down both top and bottom of the tongue with a Q-tip moistened with alcohol - methanol (methyl hydrate) or isopropyl, aka rubbing alcohol - and repeat with a clean Q-tip. Reinstall and try playing to see if that has done the job.

[@johannessilver8653]

@@HackaweekTV Correct...dirt in it.

[@johannessilver8653]

@@yogiperogy Yes...thanks...I found dirt there...pulled reed out, cleaned...now it sounds and no hissing anymore.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Barenreiter Verlag has released Realized Continuo Parts of Bach's Vocal Works (like BWV 248, BWV 244 etc) that'll sound amazing on a Reed Organ in Full Organ mode (all ranks of Reeds & Couplers on) cause it's great for playing Basso Continuo.

[@thehotone12]

Omg Sir! You did a great job and you need to give yourself more credit! Can I hire you to restore mine?! Thx

[@massmike11]

Would a little soap help lube some of those wood moving parts?

[@wladjsj5547]

Really nice!!! missed you man! congratulations and see you next time

[@sarathai2876]

That organ is a piece of art. So many little parts.I love your videos you are always working on something cool. Just wondering do you have heat in your man cave ? this time of year it must be a little chilly.

[@HackaweekTV]

A couple space heaters do well.

[@profeluisegarcia]

You are a MAESTRO¡¡¡ Thanks¡

[@HackaweekTV]

Thanks for watching!

[@andygarbi8645]

Hello from the UK - thanks for making this video. I am restoring a M & H missionary's harmonium 1879 and was wondering if you had any tips for repairing leaking bellows - can they be patched? If so what material would you recommend? Many thanks in advance.

[@meekhokum]

Hi, I have the same question, have you been able to fix your bellows eventually?

[@andygarbi8645]

Hello - I eventually went with kid leather and so far the bellows are air tight

[@meekhokum]

@@andygarbi8645 Thank You!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Stoplist on ths Organ?

[@keithf2512]

I have a Mason & Hamlin and I am hoping you can help me. The long baffle door that runs under the keyboard does not close all the way. Is it supposed to stay open a little bit?

[@HackaweekTV]

I think it should close but if it's open a bit it's OK.

[@csnpasuruan8158]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@yogiperogy]

My understanding is that harmonia suck air downward through the reeds by the bellows creating a vacuum beneath the upper structure of the gubbins. Is that correct?

[@HackaweekTV]

Air is pushed through on a harmonium.

[@123Chevyman]

There are both pressure and vacuum reed organs. My 1865 one is definitely vacuum. The pedal operated bellows empty a big bellows that gets depleted and expands egain if you stop pumping

[@lindarawlins3271]

I was hoping to see the bellows…ours isn’t working. No air being pumped in when working the pedals.

[@HackaweekTV]

Probably a tear in the fabric.

[@fractul22over7]

I reckon that smells good

[@HackaweekTV]

It does. Smells like an old piano.

[@Davidjb37721]

How do you like your electric car

[@HackaweekTV]

Absolutely love it!

[@rhinomechanics8423]

sometimes ya gotta think backwards to move forward.

[@bashkillszombies]

Dang you waste a lot of leather, you must grow it off your own back or something!

[@HackaweekTV]

No waste, the left over went back into the scrap pile I pulled it out of.