--Had a waking moment yesterday and discovered that making open
whistles is ten times easier than making ones that are closed on top. Have
decided it's because there's one less variable. At present I've got 4 of 12
set to rights; by days end I hope to have an 'octave' of 12. They're going
into my programmable calliope. A few semi-recent photos he
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3839244...7608281318568/
...but I hope to put up a few more this evening.

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : $150,000,000,000 in pork??
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : Om Mane Padme Hum
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

steamer wrote:

--Had a waking moment yesterday and discovered that making open
whistles is ten times easier than making ones that are closed on top. Have
decided it's because there's one less variable. At present I've got 4 of 12
set to rights; by days end I hope to have an 'octave' of 12. They're going
into my programmable calliope. A few semi-recent photos he
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3839244...7608281318568/
...but I hope to put up a few more this evening.


Don't you know metalworking is off topic until after the election?

How are you driving the whistles? Just on/off air valves? Are are you varying pressure
also for some sort of volume control?

Wes

Wes wrote:
Don't you know metalworking is off topic until after the election?
--Too late! It's aliiiive! :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifq7Z9ZSBl0


--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : $150,000,000,000 in pork??
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : Om Mane Padme Hum
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

On 26 Oct 2008 16:10:53 GMT, steamer wrote:

--Had a waking moment yesterday and discovered that making open
whistles is ten times easier than making ones that are closed on top. Have
decided it's because there's one less variable. At present I've got 4 of 12
set to rights; by days end I hope to have an 'octave' of 12. They're going
into my programmable calliope. A few semi-recent photos he
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3839244...7608281318568/
...but I hope to put up a few more this evening.

You've got to shorten up the slack tubing between the solenoid
valves and the whistles a LOT, or I'm betting it will sound funny...

SMC makes some interesting digital pressure regulators that could
regulate the manifold pressure and handle the swell duties. Wonder if
they can handle steam...?

-- Bruce --

On 27 Oct 2008 03:32:45 GMT, the infamous steamer
scrawled the following:

Wes wrote:
Don't you know metalworking is off topic until after the election?
--Too late! It's aliiiive! :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifq7Z9ZSBl0

Let's hope Ed's instrument has a bit more body and tone to it.

--
Some days, it's not even worth chewing through the restraints.

Bruce L. Bergman wrote:
You've got to shorten up the slack tubing between the solenoid
valves and the whistles a LOT, or I'm betting it will sound funny...
--I made a point to keep all tubing lengths identical, which at
least makes all lag-times equal.

SMC makes some interesting digital pressure regulators that could
regulate the manifold pressure and handle the swell duties. Wonder if
they can handle steam...?
--Good to know; thanks! Actually the next iteration will use all
stainless explosion-proof valves because the goal is to run it on propane,
not steam, bwahaha.

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : $150,000,000,000 in pork??
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : Om Mane Padme Hum
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

On 27 Oct 2008 16:13:08 GMT, steamer wrote:
Bruce L. Bergman wrote:

You've got to shorten up the slack tubing between the solenoid
valves and the whistles a LOT, or I'm betting it will sound funny...

--I made a point to keep all tubing lengths identical, which at
least makes all lag-times equal.

If that was your test, it sounds okay.

SMC makes some interesting digital pressure regulators that could
regulate the manifold pressure and handle the swell duties. Wonder if
they can handle steam...?

--Good to know; thanks!

Disney Imagineering cheated, and repurposed an off-the-shelf part
for an off-the-wall use - they used it as a computer-controlled air
brake valve on the Rocket Rods - Self-diagnostic with feedback.

I saw it under there - the little display rolled up and down on
actuation and release in the station - and busted out laughing.

Actually the next iteration will use all
stainless explosion-proof valves because the goal is to run it on propane,
not steam, bwahaha.

Better hurry - Halloween's almost here, and I'll pay a quarter to
see that... J.S. Bach: Toccata and Fugue in Dm, of course!

You'll need a length of steel brake tubing and a #60-ish and #40-ish
drill bits - bend the tubing to the contour of the whistle tops, put
the #40 in front of each pipe mouth, and two or three #60 holes in
between for propagation - Pilot Light bar.

Extra credit for putting a thermocouple pilot at the bottom end and
hooking it up to a Penn/Baso Safety to shut the whole thing down if
the pilot system blows out.

-- Bruce --

Bruce L. Bergman wrote:
On 27 Oct 2008 16:13:08 GMT, steamer wrote:
Bruce L. Bergman wrote:

You've got to shorten up the slack tubing between the solenoid
valves and the whistles a LOT, or I'm betting it will sound funny...
--I made a point to keep all tubing lengths identical, which at
least makes all lag-times equal.

If that was your test, it sounds okay.

SMC makes some interesting digital pressure regulators that could
regulate the manifold pressure and handle the swell duties. Wonder if
they can handle steam...?
--Good to know; thanks!

Disney Imagineering cheated, and repurposed an off-the-shelf part
for an off-the-wall use - they used it as a computer-controlled air
brake valve on the Rocket Rods - Self-diagnostic with feedback.

I saw it under there - the little display rolled up and down on
actuation and release in the station - and busted out laughing.

Actually the next iteration will use all
stainless explosion-proof valves because the goal is to run it on propane,
not steam, bwahaha.

Better hurry - Halloween's almost here, and I'll pay a quarter to
see that... J.S. Bach: Toccata and Fugue in Dm, of course!

You'll need a length of steel brake tubing and a #60-ish and #40-ish
drill bits - bend the tubing to the contour of the whistle tops, put
the #40 in front of each pipe mouth, and two or three #60 holes in
between for propagation - Pilot Light bar.

Extra credit for putting a thermocouple pilot at the bottom end and
hooking it up to a Penn/Baso Safety to shut the whole thing down if
the pilot system blows out.

I think it would be fun to build an 8 cylinder
hit-n-miss engine with each of the pipes tuned
to a different note and a microprocessor controlling
things....

On 27 Oct 2008 16:13:08 GMT, the infamous steamer
scrawled the following:

Bruce L. Bergman wrote:
You've got to shorten up the slack tubing between the solenoid
valves and the whistles a LOT, or I'm betting it will sound funny...
--I made a point to keep all tubing lengths identical, which at
least makes all lag-times equal.

SMC makes some interesting digital pressure regulators that could
regulate the manifold pressure and handle the swell duties. Wonder if
they can handle steam...?
--Good to know; thanks! Actually the next iteration will use all
stainless explosion-proof valves because the goal is to run it on propane,
not steam, bwahaha.

LIT or unlit, Ed?


--
Some days, it's not even worth chewing through the restraints.

Larry Jaques wrote:
LIT or unlit, Ed?
--Oh definitely lit! You've seen my little one-note calliope, yes?
http://www.nmpproducts.com/intro.htm
--12 of those buggers oughtta be quite the spectacle, hehe.

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : $150,000,000,000 in pork??
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : Om Mane Padme Hum
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

On 26 Oct 2008 16:10:53 GMT, steamer wrote:

--Had a waking moment yesterday and discovered that making open
whistles is ten times easier than making ones that are closed on top. Have
decided it's because there's one less variable. At present I've got 4 of 12
set to rights; by days end I hope to have an 'octave' of 12. They're going
into my programmable calliope. A few semi-recent photos he
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3839244...7608281318568/
...but I hope to put up a few more this evening.

I saw an interesting use of a steam whistle.

it was mounted on an old aircraft wing which sat above the bar/coffee
counter in a large hangar. hanging down from the wing above the bar
was a parachute D ring on a lanyard to the steam whistle which was
connected to the shop compressed air.

when ever evening beer commenced or when the jug was boiled for a
cuppa a lean on the parachute ring would produce a melodious
Whoooooooooo echoing around the hangar roof.

all and sundry from the surrounding hangars would convene for a chat.
a damn civilised use of a steam whistle I thought.

(a hangar on Aldinga Airfield in South Australia )

Stealth Pilot

On 28 Oct 2008 03:42:43 GMT, the infamous steamer
scrawled the following:

Larry Jaques wrote:
LIT or unlit, Ed?
--Oh definitely lit! You've seen my little one-note calliope, yes?
http://www.nmpproducts.com/intro.htm

No, I hadn't. Very cool!


--12 of those buggers oughtta be quite the spectacle, hehe.

Agreed! I want to see the video of the 12-noter in action at night,
please.

--
Some days, it's not even worth chewing through the restraints.

I think it would be fun to build an 8 cylinder
hit-n-miss engine with each of the pipes tuned
to a different note and a microprocessor controlling
things....

But wouldn't the change in engine speed as you fire "notes" mess up
the music timing...especially if you miss a cycle and have to wait for
it to come around on the gui^H^H^H engine again?
--Glenn Lyford

* Better hurry - Halloween's almost here, and I'll pay a quarter to
see that... *J.S. Bach: Toccata and Fugue in Dm, of course!

Other pieces I'd like to hear it try:
Little fugue in G
Ode to Joy

--Glenn Lyford

wrote:
I think it would be fun to build an 8 cylinder
hit-n-miss engine with each of the pipes tuned
to a different note and a microprocessor controlling
things....

But wouldn't the change in engine speed as you fire "notes" mess up
the music timing...especially if you miss a cycle and have to wait for
it to come around on the gui^H^H^H engine again?
--Glenn Lyford

I think you could still play lots of things
as a string of quarter notes with no rests...

I've made a few whistles myself.....
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=powaybob

Bob

"Stealth Pilot" wrote in message
...
On 26 Oct 2008 16:10:53 GMT, steamer wrote:

--Had a waking moment yesterday and discovered that making open
whistles is ten times easier than making ones that are closed on top. Have
decided it's because there's one less variable. At present I've got 4 of
12
set to rights; by days end I hope to have an 'octave' of 12. They're going
into my programmable calliope. A few semi-recent photos he
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3839244...7608281318568/
...but I hope to put up a few more this evening.

I saw an interesting use of a steam whistle.

it was mounted on an old aircraft wing which sat above the bar/coffee
counter in a large hangar. hanging down from the wing above the bar
was a parachute D ring on a lanyard to the steam whistle which was
connected to the shop compressed air.

when ever evening beer commenced or when the jug was boiled for a
cuppa a lean on the parachute ring would produce a melodious
Whoooooooooo echoing around the hangar roof.

all and sundry from the surrounding hangars would convene for a chat.
a damn civilised use of a steam whistle I thought.

(a hangar on Aldinga Airfield in South Australia )

Stealth Pilot

Bob Meyer wrote:
I've made a few whistles myself.....
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=powaybob
--Most excellent! You got a build blog up anywhere??

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : Boycotting HP for
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : the forseeable future...
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

On Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:58:57 -0700, the infamous "Bob Meyer"
scrawled the following:

I've made a few whistles myself.....
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=powaybob

Wow, impressive. (I almost like the Faust Waltz.) Do you sell a lot of
'em up the street at the Lawrence Welk Resort? Do you use a drilled
cylinder to tube air to the proper pipe to produce the music? I'm
guessing how they work after having seen music box and player piano
mechanisms.

LJ, who used to live in Vista.

--
Change is the process by which the future invades our lives.
-- Alvin Toffler

I have some photos on Snapfish. Not sure how the sharing thing works. This
might work.
http://26noteorgan.snapfish.com/snapfish


The organ plays a punched paper roll similar to a player piano, but about 4
inches wide.
The roll passes over a tracker bar in a pressurized box. As a hole is
uncovered, air passes out to open a valve that allows air to flow to the
appropriate pipe. Air is supplied by three pumping bellows feeding a
reservoir with springs developing 8 water inches of pressure.

Bob



"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:58:57 -0700, the infamous "Bob Meyer"
scrawled the following:

I've made a few whistles myself.....
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=powaybob

Wow, impressive. (I almost like the Faust Waltz.) Do you sell a lot of
'em up the street at the Lawrence Welk Resort? Do you use a drilled
cylinder to tube air to the proper pipe to produce the music? I'm
guessing how they work after having seen music box and player piano
mechanisms.

LJ, who used to live in Vista.

--
Change is the process by which the future invades our lives.
-- Alvin Toffler

On Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:40:10 -0700, the infamous "Bob Meyer"
scrawled the following:

I have some photos on Snapfish. Not sure how the sharing thing works. This
might work.
http://26noteorgan.snapfish.com/snapfish


The organ plays a punched paper roll similar to a player piano, but about 4
inches wide.
The roll passes over a tracker bar in a pressurized box. As a hole is
uncovered, air passes out to open a valve that allows air to flow to the
appropriate pipe. Air is supplied by three pumping bellows feeding a
reservoir with springs developing 8 water inches of pressure.

Cool. I thought it might be something like that. How long does it
take you to punch out a new song? Or do you use stock player parts?

--
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for.
-- Earl Warren

Wes wrote:
Don't you know metalworking is off topic until after the election?
--Ehhhh screw the election; everyone is someone else's jerk, heh.

How are you driving the whistles? Just on/off air valves?
--Using the cheapest solenoid valves I could find: sprinkler valves,
rated 30psi, altho I've pumped 'em up to 70 to test.

Are are you varying pressure also for some sort of volume control?
--Not varying at the individual pipes, but do have a regulator
upstream where air enters the manifold. At the moment I've turned it down
from the 20psi I used for the video to something less than 10 and the
bugger's *still* loud as ever. Maybe a little less 'overblowing' now, but to
get the pressure dead on I'd really need a better regulator; got the one I'm
using from the junkyard..



--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : Boycotting HP for
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : the forseeable future...
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

steamer wrote:
--Using the cheapest solenoid valves I could find: sprinkler valves,
rated 30psi, altho I've pumped 'em up to 70 to test.
....

Need any more? I was cleaning out the shed and found 7 sprinkler valves
- used. 5 Rich-del (?) & 2 Carson. Rich-del rated to 150 psi. Free +
shipping (6 lbs +-). I'll get the model numbers if you're interested.

Bob

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:40:10 -0700, the infamous "Bob Meyer"
scrawled the following:

I have some photos on Snapfish. Not sure how the sharing thing works. This
might work.
http://26noteorgan.snapfish.com/snapfish


The organ plays a punched paper roll similar to a player piano, but about
4
inches wide.
The roll passes over a tracker bar in a pressurized box. As a hole is
uncovered, air passes out to open a valve that allows air to flow to the
appropriate pipe. Air is supplied by three pumping bellows feeding a
reservoir with springs developing 8 water inches of pressure.

Cool. I thought it might be something like that. How long does it
take you to punch out a new song? Or do you use stock player parts?

--
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for.
-- Earl Warren

So far, I've not punched my own rolls. There are a few people that arrange,
punch and sell them.
There are plans for making a punching machine. Also, there is software that
prints a template that you can punch
by hand. Tedious but not terrible. The biggest thing is arranging the tune
to fit the scale of the organ, and adding all the embellishments, etc.
There are only a few people that have that skill. I purchase mine from a guy
in England. (Melvyn Wright)

Bob