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Broken Pedalboard

Building organ consoles for use with Hauptwerk, adding MIDI to existing consoles, obtaining parts, ...
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flydeltajets

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Broken Pedalboard

PostThu Oct 22, 2009 10:02 pm

Good evening everyone,

I have a problem with a pedalboard, and I am wondering if anyone can help me find a replacement piece or give me advice on how I may "sculpt" a replacement part.

I have a very old Rodgers pedalboard, and on the end farthest from the console, the board where all the keys attach has cracked in half, vertically, spanning the entire board. This is a big problem because many of the notes are now stuck in the down position. All of the keys attach to this board using a flat metal bars which pivot about a curved metal beam. At first, I tried tightening the connections, but the result was that it would fix the "broken" note but cause another note (or five) to fail. This part will have to be replaced, but this is a huge board, and I certainly don't have the knowledge or equipment to sculpt it properly (the piece is probably 4-6" thick in both directions, and due to the AGO-style, it has curvature both vertically and laterally).

Thanks in advance for your input!
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jkinkennon

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Re: Broken Pedalboard

PostFri Oct 23, 2009 12:12 pm

I'm guessing that you live a long, long way from Vancouver, WA. I've got a pedalboard from a Rodgers 32BC that I've posted on craigslist from time to time. I only need $100, but transportation would be the issue. I do some woodworking, but that would be one nasty piece to replace. Kudos to those who build their pedalboards from scratch.
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vidarf

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Re: Broken Pedalboard

PostFri Oct 23, 2009 1:28 pm

Contact a woodworking guild in your area and ask if anyone can help you. For a skilled woodworker, that's a no-brainer to fix as long as one has the orignal piece somewhat intact. Shouldn't cost you too much.
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flydeltajets

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Re: Broken Pedalboard

PostFri Oct 23, 2009 4:23 pm

I think I will first try taking my pedalboard to a cabinet maker to see if they can duplicate the piece. If not, I may contact you (jkinkennon) for a new pedalboard. I am assuming that it is a universal fit between organ models?

Thanks for both of your responses!
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engrssc

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Re: Broken Pedalboard

PostSun Oct 25, 2009 5:32 pm

Don't count on pedal boards being the same (dimensions, etc). They do vary even among supposed AGO spec pedal boards. Then there are 32 note and 30 note versions, flat (straight), radiating, etc. As well there are the various means to actuate the pedal switches. A friend was trying to use an Allen pedal board with a Rodgers instrument, finally after much modification, he got it to work - sort of.

I don't say this to be negative, but more as a heads-up. One member (vidarf) of this forum is building his own - from scratch. That is to be a highly commendable achievement. Can you get any ideas from his thread?http://forum.hauptwerk.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3969&hilit=pedalboard OTH, Norway is quite a distance away.

Rgds,
Ed
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Doug S.

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Re: Broken Pedalboard

PostSun Oct 25, 2009 7:47 pm

This may be too simplistic, but can you glue & simply "bridge" the split with another piece of wood or metal sheet held in place with an array of screws?
A photo of your situation would help.
Doug
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flydeltajets

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Re: Broken Pedalboard

PostMon Oct 26, 2009 9:51 am

I had thought about bridging with wood, but due to the location of the crack, adding a piece there would make the pedalboard non-level. However, I had not thought about sheet metal...I am going to the hardware store this afternoon to see if they have anything that may work. I will upload a picture later to show you the problem and/or solution.

Thanks for the advice!
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GrahamH

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Re: Broken Pedalboard

PostMon Oct 26, 2009 1:56 pm

This may also be simplistic, or impractical - but could you firstly glue the two pieces, then clamp them tightly together. Then while they are clamped, drill three or four holes right through both pieces and finally bolt them together with fairly substantial (~ 1/2" diameter) bolts.

Graham
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vidarf

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Re: Broken Pedalboard

PostMon Oct 26, 2009 1:59 pm

If that doesn't work, then take my advice and get a woodworker on the job. It's not that hard:
Image
Here's more info:
http://www.fagerjord.org/orgel/index.php?id=pedalboard
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flydeltajets

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Re: Broken Pedalboard

PostMon Oct 26, 2009 2:26 pm

I went to Home Depot and found some metal fasterners, and they seem to have worked, at lest for the moment.

Here is a picture of the pedalboard frame, crack outlined in red...this one link was giving me trouble with "embedding":

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/8083/pedcrack.gif

Here is the bottom side with the metal fasteners in place:

Image

Finally, here is everything re-assembled and attached to the console:

Image

If this doesn't last, I will definitely get a new piece machined. Vidarf, I have looked at your website several times and I am very impressed by the things you have built! I could probably do something with a flat/straight pedalboard, but the curvature is what really throws me off with the AGO style.

Thanks again everyone!
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Doug S.

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Re: Broken Pedalboard

PostWed Oct 28, 2009 6:43 pm

Looks fine, but you might want to add some small "feet" all along the bottom board as additional support. the break probably happened due to too much weight upon the center aft portion of the pedal board. Especially if the only feet are at the outer ends of the rear board.
Doug
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engrssc

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Re: Broken Pedalboard

PostWed Oct 28, 2009 6:50 pm

The other advice I received from a respected organist was to never stand (or walk) on a pedal board. If you ever notice, many concert organists "spin" around on the bench. You get a shinny seat from that, but the pedal board doesn't mind. :wink:

Rgds,
Ed
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flydeltajets

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Re: Broken Pedalboard

PostWed Oct 28, 2009 11:16 pm

I usally just "slide" from the edge of the bench to the middle. Appearantly a previous organist must have been a real pedal stomper or dancer :-D. I do feel like i need to be extra-gentle with the pedalboard now, but maybe I'm just feeling over-protective. I will look for some of those furniture feet the next time I'm at the hardware store.

The hardest thing about getting it back together was regulating the tension...I tightened the springs until it "felt good" but I should probably find a weight to ensure the pressure is even.

On a side note, I started soldering the MIDI connections today, so hopefully I will be able to finish tomorrow.

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