New Member

[Abram]

Hello everyone. I have always liked pipe organs and I recently was able to aquire most of one.
Our Church is remodeling this summer and its an old Methodist church built in 1917 and an addition in 1928. When our congregation started renting this building 4 years ago we found what was left of the organ in its chamber. I asked the building administrater if they had any plans for it and he said they didn't, so I said if they wanted to get rid of it I would remove it for free.
Well I didn't hear anything for four years, but when they announced they were going to be remodeling this summer I asked them again what was going to happen to the organ. I was told they were going to get rid of it, so I asked again if I could have it and they said as long as you get it out before the contractor comes in and removes to a dumpster.
So without the slightest clue of what we were doing and with the help of my Mom, Dad, and brothers we got all the pipes, windchests, bellows, air pipes, chimes, veins, (I think thats what they're called) framework, and everything else in the organ chamber and what was left in the blower room in the basement we got out within a month before the contractor came.
The console was destroyed in a fire in 1960. And the blower was also removed sometime ago. But everything else appears to be there.
We now have pipes standing in my parents living room and we filled up two bedrooms upstairs with pieces and my house is also filled up with pipes and windchests.
I set a few ranks of pipes up in my living room to get them off the floor and to make some space, but I really don't have or know of a good way to store all the pipes.
I would like to get a console someday and set this thing up to play again, but I don't see that happening for a long time.
We were in kind of a hurry to get the organ out so we probably didn't do the greatest job labeling or moving the pieces.

It was hard to get good pictures of it before we started taking it apart. But I'll post a bunch if you want to see it in the gallery.

[marval]

Hello Abram

Welcome to the forum, glad you could join us.

Well done for taking the organ, good luck with it.


Margaret

[wljmrbill]

Welcome to the forums. I am sure you wil find plenty of organist/technicians etc. here who will offer their insite as "how to" when restoring a pipe organ. Sounds like grand project when good rewards..

[Contratrombone64]

Oh, my god! How amazing!

Look, it's probably worth restoring, that said, you'd need to be a very rich man. As to storing it, it really would need to be in a dirt and rodent free environment if possible.

[Corno Dolce]

Welcome aboard Abram,

Please do feel at home here amongst friends and specialists all.

Cheers,

CD

[teddy]

Hello Abram
Welcome to the forum. I am sure you will find all the advice you need here

regards
teddy

[tittualex]

CONGRATS!!!!!! U r lucky enough to get hold of such an organ. I belive that if u are patient enough u can rebuild the organ , though the tuning should be done by an expert.......

Alex.

[Abram]

Thanks everyone.
I wouldn't mind learning how to restore it myself. I'm sure though there are some things that should be left to someone who knows what they're doing.

[Krummhorn]

Hi Abram

Welcome to the forum.

I'm elated that you have decided to save a pipe organ from being totally destroyed. Having been on dismantling crews in the past, I know that the removal of these instruments is no easy task - one nightmare we had once was removing pipes from a chamber above the stage floor in an auditorium.

Hopefully, you have room in your residence to set this organ up? Or plans to install it where it will be appreciated.

[Contratrombone64]

I wonder how many poor, unloved, neglected pipe organs are languishing in landfill? Makes me sad to think about it ...

[Contratrombone64]

Abram, do you mind if I ask where you are located? I know organ builders, but obviously only in my country (Australia) and more specifically in New South Wales.

[Abram]

I live near Madison Wisconsin. The organ came from a church in Madison.

[Abram]

Hopefully, you have room in your residence to set this organ up? Or plans to install it where it will be appreciated.

I barely have room for it even when its dismantled. I have about half of it at my house, half of it at my parents house, and a few pieces at my dads office where he works.

I'd like to get a house someday that I can set it up in though.

[Abram]

http://www.magle.dk/music-forums/gal...hp?c=15&userid=

I put up a few pictures of the organ here. The icon pictures are all the same but if you click on them the pictures are all different.

[AllanP]

Abram,
I have a pipe organ in my house which I love to play. I set it up myself for the first and second installations. The space required to store the parts is much greater than the space required when it is properly installed. My instrument is 6 ranks of pipes with two ranks extended to 16'. It is ideal for a home installation. The pipe chamber is about 10' x 12' with a 12' ceiling. The blower is in a separate room at the end of the house. The console is located in the living room. A picture is located at:
http://bluemoonwalkinghorses.com/Sty...tion5_rev3.htm

Allan