Subject: Re: [Residence Organs] Diapasons to Flutes Metamorphosis

Good Morning, Listers While on this subject, I've heard of organ builders who will convert a large scale diapason into a Rohrflute. Has anybody on the list heard such a rank first-hand? What does it really sound like? Jan S. VanDerStad

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Greetings, Jan! I have heard such stops...and they can be quite lovely -- or perfectly horrid. It all depends on the amount of work and artistry that their (re)voicer/builder puts into them. It is quite possible that one would have to spend as much or more time and effort to transform an old diapason into a rohrflute (especially considering fabricating the caps with chimneys) if one is determined to do it well. To make the old pipes into a metal bourdon (sans chimneys) would not require *as* much work, obviously. If one simply cuts the pipes off and makes stoppers/caps for them, you can almost bet the result will *not* be a stellar example (in the same way = that old strings cut off do not make proper principals or mutations without = much further rescaling/revoicing)! There is a great satisfaction in making old pipes new again in another = form -- but much more work than many realize is necessary to achieve truly fine results. Perhaps this is a principle that DIY organbuilders can exploit (whereas "commercial" organbuilders often cannot -- for them, it is = usually more cost effective to work with new pipework ordered to the proper specs and save the labor costs). Cheers! Tim Bovard Little Rock AR

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>Questions: is it possible to straighten out mitered metal pipes? > is it usualy possible to replace pipes when one or two pipes in >a rank are damaged or missing? (a few of the Oboes were crushed) > is it possible to repair dents in soft metal pipes ? (some of >the smaller Oboe pipes have some major dings in them) Hi, Steve -- Answers: yes, yes, and yes! Mitred pipes can be carefully cut back apart at the solder seams and re-soldered straight. (they then could be cut back apart and remitred in a different configuration, too) One needs to be handy with a pipe-iron to = do this, though! Missing pipes in a set can easily be replicated by a pipemaker. In the case of severely damaged "tiny trebles", it can be more practical to replace them than repair them. If you send the pipemaker the intact pipes on either side of the missing one, there should be no problem getting a = new one to fit. Dents in soft metal pipework are easy to repair, for the most part. One would use an appropriate mandrel to gently 'squeeze' the dents back out. It is possible that the damaged spot will still show a bit, but the dents can be removed anyway. Dents around the mouth or in the toe of a pipe present more of a problem -- bashed mouths often require the further attention of a voicer to restore the pipe, and pipe toes will likely need to be cut open and soldered back together to repair dents there. Tapered pipes present their own challenges, but they are not imposible to = overcome. Dents in old zinc pipes (basses, or reed stems -- this is the vaguely greenish speckled metal) are problematic, as the metal tends to get = brittle and prone to cracking and breaking when bent. Small dents in zinc pipes might be best left alone. As to your oboes, off the top of my head, I'd guess Estey. They made = scads of those things years ago...spotted metal pipes -- very slight compound taper -- sunken languid...neat pipes! Good luck with them! Tim Bovard Little Rock AR <tmbovard @arkansas.net>

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Subject: Diapasons and voicing

Jimmy wrote: > Usually older 8' diapasons are a bit louder than the rest of the > organ, and unless you get a new one voiced properly, or you can > find a really good used diapason, they might not 'blend' that > well in a small house organ. I wonder if an open wood flute, > or chimney flute at 8" would be a better match for the other > ranks... One thing which I think is most important for would-be (and current!) Residence Organ enthusiasts to do is to try to allow funding to have their completed residence organ voiced by a professional organbuilder who is not only a skilled voicer, but one who is also skilled at the art of re-voicing existing ranks of pipework. Whether or not anyone cares to admit it or not, the simple truth of the matter is that pipework, whether or not it is new or re-cycled, is merely raw material (if you will: organ pipe-shaped objects!) and it is the voicer's skill that turns it into something you want to stay up all hours of the night to listen to. A good voicer should be able to work with anything in good physical condition, provided that the scales of the pipes are reasonable. Obviously, a huge 38 scale Diapason is going to blow you into the back yard from your living room, but even more moderate-scaled stops can be too loud. It also helps to try to find that person PRIOR to commencing the project, so that they can guide and direct you in terms of wading through various choices of stops that may appear on the horizon while the project is developing. They can, and should be able to help you analyze various "candidates" for your residence organ that may become available. That person should also help you develop a "road map" in the form of a Stoplist to guide you as to what you're looking for. But, be prepared to pay something for these services! Qualified Organbuilders are busy people whose time is expensive, but will, for the most part, try as much as possible to be accommodating to your needs. In fact, they can often be the resource to suitable materials for your project at reasonable prices. I hope this helps! Faithfully, Richard Schneider, PRES/CEO

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Subject: Re: Releathering stoppers

Dear Bob: Just a quick note to say that a good felt underlayment is what most organ technicians use on stoppers before the leather goes on. It will compress down nicely for a good fit yet allow the stopper to move without excessive = force when tuning. Good luck, Al Sefl

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