Organ Platform Build - Quick, but Sorta Crude

[Larrytow]

Hi All,

A couple weeks ago I went and grabbed up a Baldwin 626 ( Why ? I'm not really sure yet, but I've never played around with one at any rate ), and hauled it to my place. Well, my shop is not real big and I like to have everything in it on wheels, so I can move things around to accommodate various jobs. I have both regular and ROK dolly's of course, but they are all in use at the moment under different organs. Although a 626 is a fairly small spec 2 manual, they are quite heavy.

So, inspired by myorgan's thread about the platform he built, I decided I needed to slap one together to make moving the new addition easier. Since mine is destined only for use in my own shop, it is nowhere near as elegant is Michael's. And, since I needed to get the organ out of my van to free it up for other uses, I had to build the platform quickly, out of materials that were already on hand. I went looking around at my stock of plywood and 2"X4"s and found plenty enough to get the project done ( I'm a saver - lots of "stuff " always around the place ) that day. I did have to steal the wheels off of a cart I made out of an old pallet, but that cart was only for pulling large sub-assemblies out from under vehicles, and I try not do much ( any if possible ! ) of that type of work anymore.

For the size I went with 68" X 56", as a compromise between "big enough" and "too big". It should do for any two manual organ I want to put on it. If the time comes that I get a three manual in the shop, I can either add on to it, or build another one. Part of the sizing choice was determined by how much usable plywood I had around for the deck. Some of that plywood is rather stained from water or some other liquid, but I put that piece at the back end. Perhaps it will get covered by carpeting some day, so no big deal. All I had on hand was 5/8" plywood, so I used it. It seems to work just fine, so 3/4" might be a bit of overbuilding ( nothing wrong with that though - I do it lots of times too ).

Then it was just a matter of basic construction carpentry to put the frame of 2"X4"s together. I just laid the pieces out on the floor and used my air nailer to fasten them to hold the shape. Its pretty much just like building a wall section for any frame building, just a smaller scale. Then I used normal construction screws to really make everything tight and sturdy. Because it was already holding it's shape from being nailed, I could stand it up to run the screws in, without having to kneel on the floor.

For the caster mountings I used Michael's method of putting in chunks of 2"X6"s in the corners, and running the carriage bolts though the deck as well. I made sure that they are well enough inboard so that they never protrude past the edge pieces. That way when pushing it into a tight area, I don't need to be concerned that the steel wheels will get caught on other things. The carriage bolts I had on hand were only 5/16", but they should be just fine. Also they were longer than I needed to mount the wheels, so I just cut off the extra length after they were tight with the angle grinder.

The last part was fastening the deck to the frame, and that was just more construction screws. I probably used more than required, but I wanted to make sure that this was very sturdy. In my shop, it may sometime be pressed into use for other jobs besides organs.

I really am pleased with it so far. Once you have one you think "why did I not build this Years ago ?!". The method of recessing the casters inside the frame was a great idea. The total height of the platform is only 6" above the floor. The bottom edge of the frame is less than 2" above the floor, so it is really easy to wedge chunks of wood under there to prevent it from moving when loading or unloading it.

Many thanks again to myorgan, for all the great ideas ! All told I have about 6 hours invested in making this platform, but 2 or so of them were devoted to locating materials and planning.

[Larrytow]

More Photos :

[Larrytow]

And a couple more photos . I'll post more about the 626 in other threads sometime soon.

[jbird604]

Impressive job! Probably just as good as a dolly you'd pay big bucks for if you bought it from Allen or another builder. Very similar to one I put together last year when a customer bought a little organ from me and wanted a platform for it. Gets the job done without breaking the bank.

Several years ago I had a 626 in my living room for a while (until I sold it, as always seems to happen when I get a good organ at home). It was a sweet little organ, rather satisfying to play. Baldwin did a nice job using off the shelf analog technology to produce some rather well-voiced organ stops, and the unique way they offset the tuning of the various ranks while using only one master oscillator sets them completely apart from other analog designs. The celeste was particularly stunning. You may find that you rather like it.

[Larrytow]

Thanks John,

Like the title says, I still think it is sorta crude, but then it is not for pubic display - it's a piece of shop equipment. I thought about slapping on a coat of flat black, but did not want to wait for paint to dry.

Yeah, you are right about some of the stops on that 626. I've been playing around with it on and off, and the celestes are really nice. I have the manuals for it on the way. I will post my thoughts and questions about it in the proper department here tonight or tomorrow. I don't really NEED this organ, so I will probably try to sell it eventually. Or, give it to one of the churches around here whose organ sucks ( but That idea has not worked for me in the past ! ).

[myorgan]

Larry,

Great job on the platform. Glad I could be of assistance with the thread. I just wish you had been able to post on the thread I started, but I just found out it has been closed.

You're not alone in needing a platform. I find that in replacing my garage and moving all the pump organs and Allens out there, I am in need of at least one more organ platform. This one will need to be expanded to 78" wide by 68" deep. I measured the trailer yesterday, and it will support that size.

I'm toying with making the two pieces unequal, like you may have done if you had split your platform in 2 pieces. I'll keep y'all posted when I manage to get it together. I just sourced scraps yesterday like you did, and was surprised how much left-over lumber I can use. At this point, I'm only in need of some 2x6's.:->

Thanks for sharing your platform with us. I have enjoyed seeing the pictures of your platform, and the fact the organ will fit in the back of a van! I wonder if the same will hold true for an Allen 3-manual?!!!

Michael

[Larrytow]

Michael,

I would have put it in your thread to keep all the ideas together, but as you say, it is closed. It was very handy to read though before I did this one. I hope you new garage project is proceeding smoothly. You will have to post construction photos of it once you get to the building stage. That looks like a fun, big job !

No way can you get a three manual in the mini van. They go in big vans just fine though. One of my trailers is actually a full size Ford van that I cut off right behind the front seats and put a tongue and hitch on. I've had that one for many years now. That was a van we towed in after it had crashed into a tree head on. So the insurance Co totaled it, and I got it for the price of the tow. Been real handy over all the years, but it needs a full size 1/2 ton or better to tow it nicely. It's real heavy. It's kinda high to load organs easily, so it is mainly a storage shed on wheels now. I've been looking for a sweet deal on a trailer like yours, but finding them is not that easy.

[myorgan]

I've been looking for a sweet deal on a trailer like yours, but finding them is not that easy.

Larry,

Have you tried any of the government surplus sites? I've been checking them frequently, and often find good deals there. With relatives all over the country, it makes it easy to pick things up.

Great idea with the totaled van. For some reason we see that up here in the North more than in other states. Must be a northern thing!;-)

Michael

[AllenAnalog]

Michael, when I got my ADC-5300 (you know -the one with the 32' pedal reed! lol) I re-purposed a rolling platform that had been built for my Saville. But since I needed it to be more mobile and take up less space in my temporary storage facility when I'm not using it I split the platform into two pieces. The main section holds the console and has four 360-degree casters. The pedal and bench section bolts onto the main section and has two fixed orientation casters.

So now if I need to move the organ I can lift off the pedalboard and bench and split the two pieces in a matter of a few minutes to stow it with a smaller footprint.

[myorgan]

So now if I need to move the organ I can lift off the pedalboard and bench and split the two pieces in a matter of a few minutes to stow it with a smaller footprint.

Allen,

With the platforms I'm building, I'm experimenting with the same thing. You know where the pins can be taken out of the door hinges? Well, I'm looking to do that. That way, it can either fold up to go through a larger door, or simply be removed to go through a smaller door. The only difference is that I plan to use 4 casters on the bench/pedal section as well. I guess I'm just lazy, and don't want to have to lift it up to move it.:embarrassed:

Michael

P.S. You and your $%&^ 32' Pedal Reed--someday I'll show you!

[samibe]

There's a good chance that I will finally get to move my organ out of my parent's house and into my own house this weekend. I've been wanting to make a platform for it for a while similar to the one Michael made in another thread.
My main constraint is size. My living room is not very big and it is the only room the organ can get to or fit in. Consequently, the platform is almost as small as possible (if I wanted to flirt with disaster I could cut nearly 2" off both the length and width). I also want to limit the platform to only 5" tall so that the organ isn't too looming in the room. Luckily I won't need it for off-roading so I can use smaller casters (3") and have less clearance (3/8").
Here is my current plan.

I'm planning on finishing the wood so that it matches the living room hardwood. I'm going to have a ¼" lip on the frame all the way around the platform so that the bench doesn't slide off the platform accidentally. I'll also do a ¼" roundover on all of the corners. The hinges will go under the pedalboard so they can stick out but not be a tripping hazard. I have the removable pin door hinges so removing the bench side will be an option if I have to move the organ into the hallway for some reason. Right now, I'm planning on using (8) 360° casters, but if the platform slides around too easily while I'm playing, I might use Larry's idea and trade a couple 360° casters on the bench side to fixed casters (maybe all four as orthogonal pairs).

I've been playing with the idea of routing all of the electrical through the platform. I'd install a good power strip/surge protector in the bench side of the platform and run the organ's power cord through the platform to the power strip along with any extra things (lamp, computer, extra equipment, etc.). Then there would only be one cord to plug into the wall.

We'll see what I get done over the weekend.

[toodles]

Sam,

I once built a platform similar to what you are describing. I used solid core wooden doors for the two pieces and a bunch of 360 degree swivel casters from Harbor Freight--about the least expensive casters I could find. Rather than using hinges, I used mending plates on the bottom to hold the two pieces together. The mending plates were about 1 inch wide by 12 inches long, with pre-drilled holes for flat head screws.

You can get solid core interior doors in various widths and lengths, and with an oak or other wood veneer surface. It worked out fine. The thickness is useful. I did not feel it necessary to do any roundovers, just break the edge of the panels do they aren't sharp. Suitable wood finish is easy enough.

Use lots of casters so it is well supported. I had no trouble with it tending to move when I didn't want it to because of the weight, and getting it to move was easy as well.

[samibe]

Thanks, toodles. I was reading about your platform. Mine has to look good enough that the wife won't mind it being a permanent item in the living room. I think I have figured out how to hide all of the hardware so there won't be any nail holes to putty or any screw heads to see. The hinges will be the only visible hardware but they will be under the pedals. I bought the casters and hinges today. I already have enough white oak and birch plywood to make it.

I'll try to remember to take pictures while I'm building it.

[myorgan]

Right now, I'm planning on using (8) 360° casters, but if the platform slides around too easily while I'm playing, I might use Larry's idea and trade a couple 360° casters on the bench side to fixed casters (maybe all four as orthogonal pairs).

Sam,

I'd keep the casters--makes it easier to move when cleaning. It should be easy enough to put a small shim under 2-3 wheels to keep it from moving accidentally.

I've been playing with the idea of routing all of the electrical through the platform. I'd install a good power strip/surge protector in the bench side of the platform and run the organ's power cord through the platform to the power strip along with any extra things (lamp, computer, extra equipment, etc.).

On the surface of it, this idea feels like a bad idea to me. Even when just moving the bench side, you will at least need one end of the bench side to move. At some point, you may need to have them changed so you can actually move both sides freely.

I'll try to remember to take pictures while I'm building it.

Please do! I wish I had your skills, but all I have time for is quick and dirty.

Michael

[Larrytow]

Sam,

I did not use any Fixed casters; they are all 360 degree swivels. I have used carts made by others in the past ( not organ carts, but still ) that had two non swivel, and two swivel. I found them to be very awkward. Any cart I build has all 4 swivel casters. And everything ( machines, cabinets, etc. ) in my shops are on wheels.

For your use, two fixed ones may work fine, because you are not planning to move it all over the place regularly.

And yes, We love photos !