HELP - pedalboard specifications

[FatherMonster]

Hello! :-) This is my first post, so...

I'm working on plans for a 32 note BDO parallel concave pedalboard, but after some success I haven't progressed for months due to missing specifications. I'm really not sure how I should proceed so I hope someone here can answer my questions...

I own a copy of Orgelspieltisch Normen 2000 and I've studied the Laukhuff catalog's technical drawings, as well as a number of blogs detailing the build process of pedalboards, and also the AGO, RCO, and of course BDO standards; virtually anything I could find. So here are my unresolved issues:


1. According to the book, the BDO parallel concave pedalboard's pedals have a travel distance of 15-18mm, but it doesn't say where that is measured.
Also, there is no mention of the touch weight and point of speech, as in the AGO specifications, which I consider a VERY important part of its design.

2. In the technical drawings of the pedalboard configuration, the side view shows that the pedals are at an 1.5 degree angle, being lower at the toe end - is this their normal position or otherwise?
Could it mean the entire pedals arrangement is tilted downwards at the toe end relative to the pedalboard's frame (as if the toe end side of the arc is lower) or is the arc slightly larger at the toe end due to the pedals' angle (in other words, very slight radiating effect)?

3. The drawings also show the rounded top surface of the natural pedals via a cross section, but It's not clear to me whether the sharp pedals have the same curvature along their profile.

4. The AGO and RCO standards give the height of the sharp tops above naturals, however I didn't find that in the BDO standards.
Moreover, what about the depth of the non-playable surface of sharps below the naturals?

5. Vertical thickness of the pedals isn't mentioned and I assume it could be more of a builder's choice - are there any recommendations for this dimension?

6. And finally - the toe end springs; are they meant to be adjusted alongside heel pivot springs?


Here's a pen tablet drawing showing some of the missing specs: https://imgur.com/QEWXv0L

One last request I have regards the prices of parts like the toe and heel springs and felt stopper pads - the prices at Laukhuff render it a much too expensive purchase.
Are there any organ parts companies or DIY solutions you can recommend? (I'm from Bulgaria, EU)

...

I really need help! :-(

[toodles]

I cannot advise you on the BDO specifications, as I have not read them. I can tell you that the AGO specifications are very incomplete as far as an engineering specification. The AGO specs were created by surveying what organists liked, and the most popular answers became the "specification". It is really more of a "wish list" than a true specification.

Also, the AGO specification contradicts itself in some small details.

The least expensive way to get a pedalboard in the USA is to purchase a used set. I suspect the same may be true in Europe. In the USA, a cost of a new set is very high, and the materials used to build a set is also very high.

[FatherMonster]

How does the AGO specification contradict itself?

Regarding purchasing a used pedalboard in Europe, I've only come across a few from an organ building company's website since they recently added a "used products" section. Apart from that I don't remember ever seeing complete used pedalboards for sale, save for some from the UK on eBay.

Would it be a bad decision to use certain parts of AGO/RCO's specs to fill in the gaps in BDO's specs? Particularly pedal touch weight, point of speech and where it's measured.

[davidecasteel]

IIRC, the Schober kit organs had a set of plans for building a set of AGO pedals. I bought a factory-built set, so don't have a copy of those plans, but someone on the Schober Organ Orphans site might have them. As an alternative, would a set of Recital Model pedals work for you? There are Schober Recital Model organs being discarded from time to time. They don't have any electrical connections to them, but have extensions that press down on switches inside the console. It ought to be possible to rig suitable switches for them to activate.

David

[toodles]

How does the AGO specification contradict itself?...

For example, the difference between the radii of the front and back edge of the playing sharp is 6 inches, and that is given as the length of the playing surface of the sharp, but the sharps are almost always on an angle (i.e., not horizontal), so the length if the radii are correct will give a longer playing surface to the sharp.

Using the AGO/RCO specs to fill in for missing BDO specs should be fine.

[FatherMonster]

IIRC, the Schober kit organs had a set of plans for building a set of AGO pedals. I bought a factory-built set, so don't have a copy of those plans, but someone on the Schober Organ Orphans site might have them. As an alternative, would a set of Recital Model pedals work for you? There are Schober Recital Model organs being discarded from time to time. They don't have any electrical connections to them, but have extensions that press down on switches inside the console. It ought to be possible to rig suitable switches for them to activate.

David

Any pedalboard with 30-32 notes, regardless of whether or not it's got MIDI capability, would be perfect, as long its price doesn't exceed ~$200, including shipping.
If the pedalboard(s) in question have to be imported from outside the EU I'd imagine the price would become unfeasible unless it's a very cheap purchase to begin with.