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
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