Letter from Ernest M. Skinner to Henry Willis

Henry Willis, Jr.,
c/o Henry Willis & Sons and Lewis & Co., Ltd.,
234 Ferndale Road
Brixton, London, Eng.

My dear Mr. Willis:

I now rise to break my long silence occasioned by extended absences from this office and lack of opportunity when at the office.

The first thing I have to say is with regard to the swell engine, which you are kind enough to approve. The success of these swell engines depends on other features outside the engine itself, but before mentioning these outside features I want to say a word about the regulation of the engine.

First, it should have plenty of wind pressure; second, the valves exhausting the motors should be choked so that the motors cannot exhaust in less than one second of time – a second and a quarter would probably be better. Another rule of thumb which may be followed in adjusting these valves is that there should be no slam when the folds close — not using any air cushion, the slam can be taken entirely out without making them slow in response.

You will find the magnets numbered. Number one operates first and number two second, etc. This tends to keep the levers level and to make them operate generally level and it reduces the effect of angularity on them.

The motor serves to close the shades and a spring should be used to open them. The spring should have a long draw without a material increase in the pull. In other words, the spring should have a good length so that the last inch of pull does not develop a resistance materially greater than the first inch. The spring should be located on the action as near the shutters as possible. While this increases the friction throughout the train of mechanism it eliminates all backlash for reasons which will be obvious to you. If the shutters are too thick and heavy you will not be able to obtain the Sforzando effects which are otherwise possible. Our standard thickness of shutters is as shown on the blueprint which I send.

This is a question of inertia. We make the shades vertical. They ride on a metal point resting on metal of another kind which makes them well-nigh frictionless, which is not the case where they are horizontal and rest on a pin at both ends.

Kindly note the shape of the toggle on this shade which opens to an angle of 45. You will note that the motion of the toggle is one-half each side of a line which is at right angles with the shutters. This makes each movement of the motor of equal value except that the lap of the folds softens the preliminary portion of the opening at which point the effect is most apparent. The bevel on the edge of the fold has been planned to make the most effective closure and to discount the effect of warping as far as possible, which in the case of the rabbeted shades used by some organ- builders has no offset whatever. I do not feel that I need to go into this point further with a builder of your calibre, as reference to the point will be apparent and sufficient. The spring should be at the lightest possible tension that will work the folds. It will probably not be necessary to choke more than eight of the valves out of the sixteen, the same being numbers one to eight inclusive. This varies with the case depending on conditions.

The old type of toggle, which is used where the folds open square, is not satisfactory in connection with this motor for the reason that the first opening opens the shades so much more than with the toggles shown in the drawing, unless some offsetting device is employed in the train of mechanism, which I will not go into, but it increases complication and puts leverage on both the spring and the motor at a disadvantage. Of course in small organs where there is not much in the swell box to hold back, a thinner shade can be used than where the swell is of the calibre of Westminster Cathedral although the distance from that swell to the congregation will cause shades to be more effective than where the swell is in close proximity to the congregation, because the small amount of sound that gets out around the shutters will not travel as far as the big amount that comes out when they are open, which you have undoubtedly found by experience, the same as I have.

If you will follow my directions to the letter, it may save you some time in experimenting and also help our motor to give a good account of itself at the outset. After learning what you can from following these directions, you can go ahead from that point according to your necessities.

The angle at the edge of the fold previously referred to is plotted to accomplish several things. If the angle is too flat the folds are apt to become locked and if it is too sharp they are apt to slam; also in the latter case, the increase in the sound when the shades begin to open is not in correct proportion. The angle shown is the best for all purposes and quite important.

The mixtures are working out wonderfully. I do not know which I like best, the French V rank Comet or the English Quint Mixture. They are both an extraordinary improvement on anything we ever had here and are doing wonders for the ensemble.

Your magnet has not yet arrived. Shall be glad to see it when it does get here. Wish I could put more ‘go’ into the idea of using rolling machines and hard zinc, but as I have found on previous occasions it is very hard to get an innovation of this kind started.

Upon what pressure is the Diapason 8′ C you sent us supposed to speak? We found it best at 5”. The strings you sent are very fine in quality but softer than we are accustomed to in a Salicional. Upon what pressure were they voiced? The Diapason has some very agreeable qualities but I think our larger toned ones are more effective in standing up to the Willis type reed than the wide mouth Diapason. I am reserving judgment on it until I know it better. I feel that I have so far gotten more out of the contact between the other side than you have with contact with this side, speaking tonally, for the reason that I think I for111opinions less hastily than you do. I do not reject a thing at the outset simply because it is not like what I am accustomed to. I get better acquainted with it and see how it fits in with other material before I form an opinion. You know I am of English descent. I think your mind works more like that of an American in haste in forming opinions. At least I got the distinct impression that you didn’t care much for our tone, unless you were, as usual, trying to string me, or rag me as you call it.

With regard to the pressure reducing valve, of which we made a model when I was in your works, I made one about the same size recently, which gave me the same trouble that the one did over there, namely, it set up a vibration. I found a complete cure for this in cutting out a ring of leather which I glued around the hole, fuzzy side up. This made a soft seat for the valve which completely killed the vibration.

Shall be glad to see the sample reed you talked of sending, one of which I think was an Oboe.

We found it about twice as difficult to voice the Trumpets for the Florida organ on 12” than is customarily the case on 10” and under. Haven’t had time to look into this yet to find out why.

We have just received a contract to build a very large organ for a Masonic Hall in Detroit and another for the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Baltimore.

I am glad to be able to squeeze this letter into the small amount of time at my disposal. Regards to Mr. Harrison, Goss-Custard and the rest of my friends over there.

Are you reading Audsley’s interminable words in The American Organist on the ”Behavior of Organ Pipes?” Perhaps if he knew more about it he could say it in fewer words.

Sincerely yours,
Ernest M. Skinner

EMS:MEC

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