Hey everyone,
thanks for the kind comments…you guys seem to have an awesome group here; I actually stumbled on it by accident while searching for ways to bend a hapsichord side. I saw Gary's blog on the harpsichord he built, and yes, I would really like to talk to him- I'll probably pester him so much he'll wanna block me in a few weeks.
Dadoo…you asked about blueprints; this was sort of "made up as I went". I did rough sketches and then just started building- from the wheel out. I actually used a tape measure very little. There were a lot of thin strips of wood with pencil marks on them when i was done though!
As for the electric motor, yes it would work, but I like to keep things "unplugged". To me, interacting with the instrument is part of it's charm. I also find the concept of treadles, flywheels, weights, pulleys and so on fun to make, and watch when they're working.
I'll try to post more info on how this thing works later. I had to jack up a sagging beam under the house tonight…not really fun woodworking, but it had to be done.
Once again, you guys have a great group. It's such a relief to find an online forum without all the bickering.
I think I'll learn a lot here and make some good friends!