Alternative construction of Tracker
Bar
Here is an alternative method for making the tracker bar manifold for a John
Smith organ: Instead of using cardboard to construct the manifold,
I used a scroll saw to cut a manifold from a 5/8 inch thick piece of maple.
1. Drill the tracker bar holes.
2. Trace the tracker bar holes on to the 5/8 inch thick block of maple.
3. Draw the triangular shapes on the maple block. Make sure that the triangle
encloses the tracker bar hole tracing and includes enough room for the 1/4
inch or 5/16 inch holes for the plastic tubes.
4. Drill a small hole through each triangle.
5. Thread an appropriate-sized scroll saw blade through the hole and scroll
saw it out.
6. Glue the manifold block to the 1/4 inch plywood base.
7. Then drill fifteen 1/4 inch holes and five 5/16 inch holes through the
plywood base.
8. Finish the tracker bar before glueing it to the top of the maple manifold.
9. Insert short (9/16 inch) pieces of thin wall metal tubing through the
bottom of the plywood. The plastic tubing will be attached to these metal
tubes. Label each plastic tube with its musical note. |
