The socket, or punch-mark, upon which the pressure of the spring is exerted, should be a little in advance of the middle of the pallet, so that the latter may be held up against the bars throughout its extent. The spring, be it carefully observed, is loosely held in place by the sockets and by the rack in which it plays, and it can be removed at any future time by the aid of the little clever tool which we have figured in Fig. 18, and which you can make for yourself.
When all this is done, furnish every pallet, if you have not already done so at an earlier stage, with a little ring or crook, by which to draw it down. This ring is best made by bending one end of a bit of suitable wire, and thrusting the other obliquely into the pallet (see Fig. 18a). This is better than driving in a little staple vertically. The rings may be in a line drawn across the pallets about 1½ inches from their extremities.
Fig. 18.
Remark.—But it will be convenient that the rings to which the pull-downs will be hooked should be quite clear of the guide-pins.
Fig. 18a.
9. The bottom board being now put in its place for the moment, draw a line upon it from end to end exactly above the line of rings on the pallets, and draw lines at right angles to this corresponding with the centre of each channel, and therefore of each pallet. At each of these points a pull-down will pass through the board, and it is plain that it must be made to do so without allowing the wind included in the chest to escape. This was formerly effected by "purses" (French, boursettes), little leather bags, tied or otherwise attached to the pull-downs. We have seen this method successfully tried, but it is now so completely superseded by a simpler and more effectual plan that we do not think it worth our while to say more of it.
The arrangement now invariably adopted is thus made:—Procure a strip of brass plate, or several strips, equal in the aggregate to the length of the chest, and about 1½ inch or 2 inches wide. In too many organs this plate is poor stuff, not thicker than a visiting-card, sometimes even of zinc only, but in our opinion it should be at least as thick as a shilling. Drill holes in this plate near the edges, and pin it down for the moment on the bottom board, so that the lines of holes for the pull-downs may run along its middle. Mark on the brass the intersections of the lines as before. Having previously chosen the wire for your pull-downs (of which more directly), take a fine drill, with your breast-plate and bow, and on a bit of waste plate try the size of the hole made by it, altering it on the oil-stone until the hole receives the wire with the nicest and most accurate fit.
Remark.—It will be well to store away the drill afterwards, with a bit of the wire as a specimen, and to use it for no other purpose.