• Welcome to the Pipe Organ Forum! This is a part of the open community Magle International Music Forums focused on pipe organs (also known as "church organs"), organists, organ music and related topics.

    This forum is intended to be a friendly place where technically advanced organists and beginners (or even non-organists) can feel comfortable having discussions and asking questions. We learn by reading and asking questions, and it is hoped that the beginners (or non-organists) will feel free to ask even the simplest questions, and that the more advanced organists will patiently answer these questions. On the other hand, we encourage complex, technical discussions of technique, music, organ-building, etc. The opinions and observations of a diverse group of people from around the world should prove to be interesting and stimulating to all of us.

    As pipe organ discussions can sometimes become lively, it should be pointed out that this is an open forum. Statements made here are the opinion of the poster, and not necessarily that of the forum itself, its administrator, or its moderators.

    In order to post a new topic - or reply to existing ones - you may join and become a member by clicking on Register New User. It's completely free and only requires a working email address (in order to confirm your registration - it will never be given away!). We strive to make this a friendly and informative forum for anyone interested in pipe organs and organ music.

    (Note: If you wish to link to and promote your own website please read this thread first.)

    Many kind regards
    smile.gif

    Frederik Magle
    Administrator

    Krummhorn
    Co-Administrator

blower motor

Richard Bailie

New member
I am Secretary for a Baptist Church in Scotland. The blower motor for our pipe organ began to give trouble at the end of year 2000. A new set of carbon brushes were fitted and it was back in service again. However by 2003 it was giving trouble again. We were advised that local Electrical Engineers were quite familiar with repairing motors for grain blowers and that they were similar. Following this advice the motor was removed by a local Electrical Engineer to see what could be done. It was taken to a workshop in Dundee but diagnosed as beyond repair.

Why did we not just get a local organ builder in to sort the problem? Well back in 1998 other repairs had been made to the pipe organ and there was a feeling in the congregation that we would be wasting money by continually spending on organ repairs. The quote from one organ builder was somewhere between £3000 and £4000. Besides the church had already purchased an electronic instrument capable of a good organ sound.

Could something be done for less money? The answer seemed to be yes. For just over £1000 the Electrical Engineer would source a replacement motor and make the mechanical adapt ion needed. But it was not to be. He took ill and decided to retire early.

Time was dragging on and I decided to use the internet to search out a solution. I tried to find out what amount of airflow would be needed for the organ, what sort of mechanical adaption to a new motor would be required. In the course of this I can across the website of a Scottish organ builder Lammermuir Pipe Organs

Lammermuir Pipe Organs

I sent him digital photographs of the organ and blower motor.

After some negotiation he took on the job and with some assistance from me in wiring it in we now have a complete new blower unit made by Aug. Laukhuff GmbH & Co installed.

The organ has been re-tuned and is working well.

You can see some of the photographs at
blower motor cupboard
view of pipes
view of console
the old motor
 

Frederik Magle

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
Regulator
Congratulations on the success getting a new blower and the organ playing again. It's always nice to hear such a story with a happy ending - especially because it would have been a real shame if the pipe organ would not have been repaired and altogether replaced with the electronic instrument.

So, have you kept the electronic instrument?, and if so, when do you use the electronic organ and when do you use the pipe organ?

Btw, who's the builder and what's the stop-list of the pipe organ?
 
Top