Anatomy of a WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ
Manual Chest Manifold.
Block added to provide seperate wind feed to the Tibia Chest.
The narrow manifold on the "C" end of the chest had two sections. One was for the
Vox feed and the other was common to the other four ranks, from which the Main Trem
was connected.
To provide a seperate Tibia regulator and trem system the four rank section had to be
divided up to isolate the Tibia from the others. The Tibia Chest is the fourth chest
between the Salicional and the Trumpet Chests. Straight dividing strips like the one
seperating the Vox off could have been added but the narrow manifold would not allow
a connecting pipe to be installed to rejoin the other three ranks to the trem at this
end of the chest. This join is not entirely neccessary but without it the Trumpet,
which would be the rank connected directly to the trem would have much more effect from
the trem than the Salicional and Flute, which is not ideal. The trem connected to the
Sal/Flute side would have been better but that would have required moving the trem line
hole to the other side of the Tibia. Possible but extra modifications.
The solution was to cut a block the same thickness as the manifold box and cut a hole
for the Tibia feed. With this block glued in place and gasketed the same as the rest
of the manifold onto the chest the Tibia would be effectively isolated, at this end.
The top and botton of the block are rebated to provide linking channels for the other
ranks while keeping maximum surface area for the gasket. These channels are not as
large as might be ideal but are large enough to have some effect on the Main Trem on the
other ranks.
The hole in the manifold for the Tibia feed is yet to be cut.
This truly was a D.I.Y. project. The timber for the block is from a tree in my garden!
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