Estey reed organ bellows issue

[table organ]

Hello
I have encountered an Estey reed organ, built in 1909, with the bellows, reservoir, mounted on the back panel. How would one replace the cloth on these?

[SubBase]

A picture would help, I can't visualize the problem; if it was built, it can be un-built to repair. On many organs I have to saw or split apart the bellows unit from the wind chest because it's a glue joint.
Shoninger built organs where the rear case panel of 5/16 plywood is the fixed board of the bellows; they get re-done just like any other bellows job, just follow their lead and put it back exactly the same.
Casey

[table organ]

Estey organ bellows anomoly



The built to not be repaired was my thought. It is a 1909 model, thus late. The back panel of the organ acts as the back of the reservoir. Removal of the back will destructively pull the bellows/res assembly away from the chest in a 90 degree fashion. I can't get a useful pic, as assembled, it looks conventional from a front shot. Here is a (useless) pic from the front any way as well as a pic of the whole organ.

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Here is the Estey with the keyboard and stops.

[SubBase]

You haven't even started to take it apart. Take out the action, set it aside. Tip on one end, take off the bottom panel (if any) take out any screws that are holding the bellows in place. Once you have run out of screws to remove, you will have to take out glue blocks, or take more pics of where the problem is.
You cannot do bellows with them in place in the organ, and they do come apart, because they went together. They weren't 3D printed :)
Casey

[table organ]

I promise you that the bellows are integral with the back because we already started to take the back off and, low and behold, we were pulling the bellows away from the chest, as described above. Normally, the back comes off and the bellows/res is anchored to the chest with the reed-pan, etc, above it. I have restored other reed organs.

[SubBase]

I understand that, but whatever is keeping the bellows in the organ has to be removed, it's either glued or screwed.
Both Shoningers I restored had the type of detail you do. It's a slightly different glue job to replace the cloth is all. I never knew Estey to take on this severe type of material and weight economizing.
Casey

[table organ]

Thanks-I assume you disassembled the front of the case and replaced the cloth while the bellows was still attached to the pan assembly (?)

[SubBase]

This pic is from Jim Tyler's website: http://www.reedorganman.com/

Now, I realize, these are normal R/O bellows, Where the middle partition board is the stationary part, not the odd/reversed kind you have, where the back board is fixed. This is just simply to show a bellows unit completely free from all other interfering components.
Casey

[table organ]

It will he interesting trying to re-cloth it. It is fixed to the chest and the back panel.

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Thanks Casey for all of your feedback and effort!:-)

[SubBase]

I have never been able to re-cover feeders with the lower board of the chest still attached. In fact, I bought a new Japanese pull saw to cut the last such organ apart a month ago.