Subject: Re: Pipe Organs - Pipes

From: [email-masked] (Don Stauffer)
Date: 23 Apr 1996 08:16:27 CDT

In article <[email-masked]>, Larry Smith <[email-masked]> 
says:
>
>I am crossposting this thread to both metalworking and woodworking
>newsgroups, since I've seen pipes made of both materials.  I'm looking
>for information about how to build and tune a pipe, and the relative
>advantages and disadvantages of wood and metal - ease of construction,
>tuning, tone, and so on.  Stories of personal experiences, pointers to
>references in books and so on are all welcome.

I'm sure folks here can answer your specific question about why different 
materials.  I'd like to share something about the processes.  There is an 
organ factory near St. Louis, Wick's organ, in Highland, Illinois, that 
makes organs and replacement parts.

I have twice toured the facility (they give tours), once with my 
father-in-law who was restoring an old, large organ, and they really 
treated us to a fine tour that time.

Someone has mentioned pouring the solder-like metal on the granite slabs. 
 Wicks does that.  Further, almost ALL of their work is by old methods.  
When they roll that material into a sheet, they solder the edges 
together. But not with electric soldering irons.  They have the "old" 
style irons, with just a big mass of copper on the end, which is heated 
by a gas burner.

The wood-working for the wooden pipes involves lots and lots of hand 
work.  The factory is almost like one of those "living history" 
historical park sites!
Don Stauffer in Minneapolis
[email-masked]

---

From: Dave Knight <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 17:56:22 -0400

Metal and wood pipes tend both to be used in different ranks of
the same instrument because of the different sound characteristics.

The metal pipes in even the more expensive organs tend to be made
of two different metals. "Spot metal", which is, for all practical
purposes, solder(!) (50% tin, 50% lead), is used for many of the
pipes around 4 feet or shorter. It tends to be too soft for longer
lengths. Zinc tends to be used in many of the longer pipes. Copper has 
also been used, though I've seen this mainly in the reed pipes.

As someone else noted, spot metal is made by the organ builders
by casting it on a long stone slab, and then milling to the proper
thickness. Spot metal is used a lot in the tuning tabs of the
longer zinc pipes, since it's much more ductile than zinc.

Wood pipes are much easier to make for the average hobbyist, though
if you have a metal roll and have a little experience with sheet
metal work, you'll probably do fine. (Though metal pipes are often
an incredible work of art!!).

There are a goodly number of web pages about pipe organs and
related good stuff. Just do an AltaVista or equivalent search.
That'll keep you busy for hours.

There's even one of the major organ builders with a web page;
Austin organs in Hartford, CT: http://www.austinorg.com which
also has links to a number of other places as well.

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 22:45:08 GMT

>references in books and so on are all welcome.

Another source not mentioned in the posts that have already followed
up yours, is an old OLD book called 'on divers arts', by a monk named
Theophilus, if I recall correctly he lived in the 9th or 10th cent.
One of the items he describes how to build are several types of wind
chests, and pipes. I must admit that his dirrections for making the
languids confuse me.

The book, in translation is reprinted by Dover, and is a treasure
trove of historical information. 

There is also a privately pyublished manual entitled " how to build a
portative organ" published by DM Swan, Box 322, Greenwood, N.S.
Canada, BOP 1N0

This booklet (which also has a companion video available) discusses
how to make pipes out of common copper pipe.  His focus (and mine) are
related to amking the medieval poratative organ.

The methods he uses in this book do make pipes that work, but are kind
of a pain. But all alternatives I have come up with are not much
better, but some at least look nicer.

The reading I have done indicates  that (within the time frame I am
intresed in) that metal was used for open pipes, and wood for stopped
(closed end) pipes.

I think overall the wood must be easier, because the "train whistle"
pipes I often see at flea markets and craft fairs are actually nothing
but stopped organ pipes blown by mouth.

Chandra

---

From: Larry Smith <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 12:48:49 -0400

[email-masked] wrote:
 
> up yours, is an old OLD book called 'on divers arts'

I'll try to find that one, too.  I've already ordered the book
Ron Ginger recommended, and I've thoroughly enjoyed this thread,
it's just the kind of stuff that I've been looking for - and the
email responses have been terrific.  You know, I sometimes feel
that these two newsgroups are the last ones in Usenet worth
reading every day...

Anyway, thanks again.  And if anyone else has something to add...
add it!  I'm still watching and willing to learn...  =)

---

From: [email-masked] (Peter Brooks)
Date: 26 Apr 1996 01:28:31 GMT

I was trying to remember a nice overview article on organ construction, and
finally got it.  The _Harvard Encyclopedia of Music_ has a decent article
on organs, and some of the bits of pipe construction and types.  Not enough
to build an organ, but probably enough to decide if it's what you'd like
to research further.

Pete Brooks

---

From: "Carl W. Hoffmeyer" <[email-masked]>
Date: 26 Apr 1996 21:08:31 GMT

Larry, Thanks for your email.
There was an article in Scientific American about 20 years back
dealing with "The Physics of Organ Pipes".  There was some (not
too detailed info) about fabrication, but the import of the
article had to do with how an organ pipe speaks - the splitting
of the column of air from the foot, the oscillation of the column
in the pipe, overblowing, how changing musical tastes resulted
in the nicked voicing of the 19th century and so on.

This was a very good article.
- Cheers,
Carl