Keeping Dead Insects and Junk Out Of My Trumpets

[Larrytow]

I play and maintain a cute little 6 rank Wangerin at a church near me. It is in an old ( 1913 ) country church that is quite beautiful, with the steeple and all. However, the steeple has many access points for bugs of all kinds, and they REALLY love to come in and live in the loft where the organ is. Hornets in particular ! And of course, they really think the interior of the Swell box was just made for them ! The shades default to open as usual when the organ is Off, and that is normally a good thing to keep the pipes at the ambient room temp. So the insects get in there, and they seem to have a habit of dying and falling right into the Trumpet rank. With summer in it's full glory here, the problem is at it's height.

I've cleaned out the entire rank several times, and do the plugged up ones as needed now. It is getting tiresome. I've seen lots of solutions to this issue in the past, and am wondering what you all use, and how it works.

I have tried cheesecloth, window screen, and old nylons ( not mine ! ) over the tops, and while it kinda works, it looks hacky . I don't want to use tape to hold on whatever I use, and zip ties fall down the tapered resonators. I know not many people will ever look inside the back of the swell box, but I still want something sorta decent looking.

In my searches for alternate things to try I found these mesh bags on Amazon :

https://www.amazon.com/Joyful-Protec...YCRG6VRJ0ZV019

They are for tying around fruit on trees as it is growing. I had no idea such a thing existed. I've ordered some, and will see how they do. Has anyone else tried something like these ?

I'm surprised that OSI or someone does not make little mesh covers with an elastic band around the bottoms, just for this problem. Or does someone make them, and I just have not looked in the right place ?

[Pipeorganbuilder]

A cheap trick I use is to buy panty hose and cut them up and make a sock to cover the tops of the pipes. I use cotton string to tire around the pipe to hold the thin material on. Rubber bands will not very long. Sounds crazy but works great.

Michael

[Larrytow]

Thanks for the idea. Do you use just the toe ends, or cut them up into sections ? If just the toe ends, that would be 25 pair ! After they are tied on, I would suppose you can cut around the ragged bottom ends to make them neat looking ?

[Pipeorganbuilder]

I cut them up into sections and secure them with cotton string tied around the pipe.

Michael

[samibe]

This is probably not the brightest question I've had but does adding a covering (even as thin as nylons) affect the tone or pitch of the pipes much (since it's a little more stopped than it was)?

[Larrytow]

Thanks for the ideas guys ! I will see what those bags look like when they get here ( coming from China I guess ), and see if they are a workable idea. Otherwise I think I will try the nylons way.

I've played organs that had the reeds covered like that, and really did not detect any difference in tone. The tuning should not be affected, because most reeds are tuned on the wires, not the scrolls.

Even if it would affect the tone of the rank some, it has to be better than lots of dead notes because of crap in the pipes.

[Larrytow]

Well its been a few months ( been real busy with other stuff, and did not want to do the install in nice clothes when there to play a service for them ), but here is the update on the Trumpet rank baggie idea. Yesterday I went to the church to install them, and give the organ a touch up tuning for Christmas. They work Excellently !!!

They do not look terrible on the pipes, but they don't look real elegant either. I just dropped them on the pipes open end down, and they stay in place just fine without even tying the drawstrings they have on them. Since they stay in place just like that, I decided to not bother tying them. I do not detect any change in tone, and they do not affect the tuning either. I believe I will leave them that way for now, and perhaps for good too. That way they come off real quick and easy if the need arises. No duct tape mess, or clipping ties.

I really think this will solve the dead bugs and crap getting into this rank for good. With the open bottoms I suppose a bug could possibly get up inside them, and into the pipe, but that seems like a very slim chance.

When spring comes around we will see I guess. But so far I am happy with this solution.

[Pipeorganbuilder]

This looks like a perfect solution to your problem.

Michael

[regeron]

Good to know you found a solution.

I'll try to describe what I've seen on some organ reed pipes that I've played here in Canada.

While some of the details may be incorrect, you should still be able to envision how it works.

-- Take some light-but-sturdy cardboard. Cut it into long strips about an inch wide. Glue the ends together to form a ring. Create a series of rings of increasing diameter.
-- Cut a find mesh/screen into circles and attach to the rings.
-- After you make a series of these that graduate in size, just place them on the tops of the pipes. They don't have to fit snugly; they just need to sit there. They won't blow off by playing the organ. They are easily removed for any kind of servicing.
-= Size example. If the top diameter of a pipe is 3", make the screen cover about 3.5" to 4" in diameter.

I'll check with my favorite organ tech to see if I can more details, especially about how the screen is connected to the ring.

[Larrytow]

Regeron, yes I certainly can see what you are describing. It seems like it would take a while to build a bunch of those, but that could be done at the shop in advance. How to attach the mesh to the cardboard is the part that is kinda problematic. Gluing mesh of any type is difficult. Done nicely though, those types would look more professional I'm sure. Not that a lot of people would ever be looking at them of course.

[myorgan]

Larry,

How handy are you with a sewing needle?;-)

Michael