Matthias Wandel First the inside of the pipe is sealed with something (glue and water, lacquer or varnish), which is a bit of a pain. Each stopper was slowly fitted to fit each pipe using good quality thin leather or new chamois. Eventually it will fit just right and make a good seal. With balsa pipes you cannot make it too tight or you can easily split the balsa. The pipes are first voiced (in the same day) using the bellows system on the actual organ in which they will be installed. Then the pipes are all tuned (in the same day) using the bellows system on the organ. Wood changes, weather and other things can change the sound so the theory is if it is all “perfectly tuned” at one time, if conditions change later on it will be equally out of tune and not very noticeable. The designer says he hasn’t touched some of his pipes in years and once he was happy with them he poured hot wax on top of the stopper as a final seal and that was the end of it (it being the process). I have played several organs built to John Smiths designs and those pipes haven’t been touched in years (and they also haven’t been sealed with wax). Personally, I am not thinking I will do the hot wax thing.

Ronald Walters Some of John Smiths larger organ designs use both stopped and open pipes and have several ranks.

Tim Seloover My pipes will also be of dimensioned basswood.

Steve French Yes... this was always intended to be an trial build (as stated in the first video) since I had never done anything like this before. I am getting older and my shoulders and hands are bothering me. I have no desire to hand turn one of these organs for any period of time and I have no intention of carrying it around while I play it. After I completed this video series I decided to build the Senior 20 instead of the Busker. Both have 20 pipes, both play the same music rolls and both are quite similar. The Senior 20 offers a larger size and more room for a motor drive. I have already started the Senior 20 and have it about half completed. Stay tuned for that video series..

Well I'll definitely be watching that series when you get it done. I think I must have missed the first video in this particular series.

Steve French I think you will enjoy it.

When I first heard about one of these do-it-yourself street organs, the Busker was the first one I heard about and I ordered the plans. Later I met someone who had built all of John Smith’s organs and learned the Senior 20 was a much improved version of the Busker. At that point I ordered plans for the Senior 20 and stopped working on the Busker… after motorizing the Busker so I could use it for testing pipes. I released the following video: Senior 20 Organ (00) Introduction - What Happened To The Busker kzfaq.info/get/bejne/epNjhZem3du8dKc.html I have a total of 86 videos showing various aspects of building… first the air supply system of the Busker and then my first Senior 20 organ. Then I motorized the first organ. Then I developed the conductor figure for one of these organs. And finally I completed my second Senior 20 with the conductor figure installed and animated. Later I built a “totally unrelated” Mini Calliopy and there is a video series on that as well. Go to my channel page… click on “playlists” and there you will find the various video series all grouped together. 8 videos on building the Busker Test Rig (now used for testing individual pipes) 33 Videos on building the Senior 20 Organ 7 videos on motorizing the Senior 20 Organ 15 videos on creating and producing the Organ Conductor Figure (sculpting the figure, modification for animation with servos, vacuum pump, vacuum chamber, pressure chamber, heated curing box, silicone molds, resin castings) 23 videos on the second Senior 20 Organ with the Conductor Figure Thanks for watching. Please subscribe! That is what keeps this channel going. Ron

Nicholas Smerk I used Titebond Original

Yes, a friend makes his pipes using 1/8" Baltic Birch Ply. The thin Baltic Birch Plywood is pretty flimsy (flexible), but with careful cutting, once it is glued together it makes a good pipe. Inside and outside surfaces need to be sealed after the pipe is assembled.

@@RonaldWalters2010 thanks for the reply. Going to order my plans soon.

May I suggest you build the Senior 20 instead. The Busker was his first build. The Senior 20 was the second design and is much improved... better wind... better sound. Also, I have many videos on making the Senior 20.

redoorn Does not appear to make any difference because you are going to seal the inside and outside surfaces of the wood. Balsa sounds like oak assuming both are made correctly. Personally I am going to use basswood or 1/8" Baltic Birch Plywood.

Different woods will have subtle timbre differences. But, as long as the inside volume/length is the same, they should sound the same tone.

Steve French Yes... and unless you have heard one of these little organs in person it would be hard to fully appreciate the volume and tone of sound they produce. The microphones on these digital cameras really do not do them justice.