Math is hard…
oh Barbie, you said it. Solved problems with:
- Even distribution of bottles on either side of the CC, (12 tones on one, 13 on the other.)
- Routing of wires from keys to “pinchers” to maximize straight lines and facilitate the tubing that must weave it’s way through
- Guide system for tubes through aforementioned minefield o’ wire
- Remapped keyboard for F#-f#1, none of this C-c1 tritone transposition crap!
- Tweaked keyboard for equal distance displaced (white keys: 3/8th inch moves 1/2 inch, black keys: 1/4 inch moves 1/2 inch)
- and figured the amount of weight that must be added to black keys so that equivalent force is needed to trigger any key (2/3 F of TBD “pincher” springs)
- stabilization of coke bottles
- how to bore myself to tears, i.e. reading what I have just written.
Next up:
- proof of concept, (and, um coming up with the concept,) for the edge-blown embouchure
- bellow/PVC/bladder compatibility
- check valve efficiency
- proof of concept for the “pincher”
- general sourcing and pricing
- or alternately, gently caressing the scale drawings fondly, dreaming of a world where I have the energy or know-how to complete such a ridiculous project.
The stuff that demented circus-clown dreams are underscored with…
The air bladder: a 3-foot balloon
The bellows: an air mattress inflating foot-pump
and after a fit of sketching…
I’ve decided upon an indubitably doomed system of spring loaded dowels pinching surgical tubing until a keyed release sends air through to whatever manufactured embouchure I can whip up with PVC tubing and/or clay. A wing and a prayer!
The Coca-Calliope!
For lack of anything better to do, or smack-dab in the face of everything else that I should be doing, I’ve decided to make a 2 octave pump organ that uses Mexican Coke bottles en lieu of …well, something more sensible. Here it goes!
