Jobs completed 2015
Jesmond, Holy Name of Jesus Christ RC Church
Jesmond, The Church of the Holy Name
2 manuals 21 stops. Overhaul and install electric stop action
Actions and soundboards
Actions and soundboards
Actions will be overhauled and restored and new magnets will be fitted. Solenoids will be fitted in place of the present drawstop action. Soundboards to be checked.
19th January 2015
 leathering motors |
 leathered motors waiting to be trimmed |
 Great bottom board |
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26th January 2015
 finishing off motors |
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10th February 2015
 Pedal Bourdon action |
 Pedal Bourdon action |
 Pedal Bourdon action |
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Console
Console
Keyboard overhauled and new contacts to be fitted. New Set & Cancel pistons to be installed. Pedalboard will be overhauled and refaced, and fitted with new contacts. Stop-tab units will be renewed and the console woodwork will be refurbished. Electronic coupling and piston systems will be installed in the console.
19th January 2015
 working on the pedalboard |
 pedalboard overhaul |
 new pedal accidentals in beech |
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26th January 2015
 Pedals finished with Teak Oil |
 Finishing pedals |
 Pedals placed on racks to dry |
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 Pedals with new accidentals |
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10th February 2015
 console |
 pedalboard |
 console |
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 back of console |
 electrics |
 keys |
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Electrical System
Electrical System
Electronic coupling and piston systems will be installed in the console. New low-voltage cabling will be installed throughout the organ. An electric shutter engine will be installed to operate the swell shutters
The Mirfield organ to be relocated to Pembroke House, Kenya
Kenya, Pembroke House School
To relocate the organ from the Chapel of the Community of the Resurrection in Mirfield, and rebuild and install in the Chapel at Pembroke School.
H&H 1906, restored by H&H 2012: 2 manuals, 12 stops.
Work completed June 2015.
Building the organ in the workshop
October 2014
 assembly |
 assembly |
 assembly |
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 assembly |
 assembly |
 assembly |
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 Assembly of the organ in the workshop |
 Assembly of the organ in the workshop |
 New layout, taken from Great soundboard |
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03 November 2014
 New layout, taken from ‘West’ |
 Console |
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11th – 18th November 2014
 console with pedalboard in situ |
 reconfigured Swell pedal mechanism |
 reconfigured Swell pedal mechanism |
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 reservoir well in situ |
 New solenoids for Great stop action |
 trying in Great conveyances |
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 temporary template showing profile of new front pipes |
 in the workshop |
 looking through Swell access panel |
December 2014
 assembly |
 assembly |
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19th January 2015
 men at work |
 Swell soundboard |
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02 February 2015
 dismantling the organ |
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At the bench
October 2014
 wooden pipes |
 wooden pipes |
 racking in |
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 Fitting up reservoir and wind system |
 Fitting new roller valve to reservoir |
 metal pipes |
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 pipe |
 pipes |
 sorting pipes |
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03 November 2014
 Working on trunking |
 Wooden trunking |
 Reconfiguring wooden trunking |
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 Pedalboard |
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11th – 18th November 2014
 making a mockup lever for new Great stop action |
 Making new off-note block for Open Diapason Basses |
 mock up of new Great stop action levers |
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 Making new off-note block for Open Diapason Basses |
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24th November 2014
 Great Open off note machine |
 Great Open off note machine |
 mitred Pedal pipes being straightened |
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 New components for off note machine |
 new drawstop action |
 new drawstop action |
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 manuals |
 Keys |
 new key contacts for Great keys |
December 2014
 Manuals |
 Pedalboard components |
 Pedals |
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 sanding sharps |
 sanding sharps |
 new sharps for pedalboard |
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 sanding pedals |
 sawdust on pedals |
 sanded pedals |
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7th January 2015
 rewiring keys |
 key contacts |
 rewiring keys |
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 keys |
 stop knobs |
 stop knobs & bushing |
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 dismantling jambs |
 Jambs dismantled |
 Console jambs |
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 jamb plates |
 jamb plates |
 internal drawstop mechanism |
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 internal drawstop machine components |
 shutters |
 drawstop machine components |
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 drawstop machine components |
 drawstop machine components |
19th January 2015
 actions |
 actions |
 actions |
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 actions |
 actions |
 actions |
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 refurbish soundboards |
 refurbish soundboards |
 refurbish soundboards |
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 actions |
26th January 2015
 Racking in the Swell |
 Swell pipes |
 Swell being racked in |
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 Swell pipes |
 Swell |
 casework finished off |
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 casework finished off |
 casework finished off |
 casework finished off |
02 February 2015
 racking in |
 racking in |
 racking in |
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 Racking in |
 refurbished soundboard |
 refurbished soundboard |
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10 February 2015
 Great soundboard |
 Great soundboard |
 Great soundboard |
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 Swell soundboard |
 Swell soundboard |
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Installation on site
June 2015
 The trailer arrives. |
 Now to unload the trailer |
 framework in place |
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 storms strike and the organ has to be covered due to water leakages |
 rain floods the chapel; now it’s all hands on deck to mop the floors. |
 all cleaned up |
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 Pipes laid out ready for installation |
 finishishing touches |
 organ finished and ready for tuning |
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 looking up |
 console |
 H&H plaque |
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 Meet the team (left to right: Andrew Fiddes and Geoff Pollard,Team Leader) |
Grand Temple, Freemasons’ Hall, London
Grand Temple, Freemasons’ Hall, London
Henry Willis & Sons 1933.
Full restoration of the mechanism, and the addition of a further division. (3 manual, 50 stops)
The main organ was dismantled in January 2013. There has been a full restoration of the mechanism and a new division created called the Grand Organ which has been installed above the organ console. Completed April 2015 (Click HERE to see the new specification)
See below for a series of images showing the progression of the work from start to completion.
Design
Design
Pre-work
 front view |
 Section A – Section through LP reservoir |
 Section A – Section through HP reservoir |
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 Drawings |
 Section C |
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 The organ |
 Case front view |
 Case side view |
Console
Console
An new division has been added and a new jamb layout.
Pre-work
 manuals before work |
 rear of console before work |
 back of console |
March & April 2014
 cleaning key contacts |
 fitting key buttons |
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May 2014
 removing stop tabs |
 console |
 stop tabs |
 working on the jamb blower switch |
June & July 2014
 Stops |
 Stops |
 manuals |
 console |
14th October 2014
 overhauling pedalboard |
 pedals |
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21st October 2014
 pedalboard |
 console casework |
 pedal |
28th October 2014
 Design drawing for trunking |
 Design drawings for trunking |
 Trunking |
 trunking |
 Adding felt to pedalboard |
 Adding felt to pedalboard |
 Pedalboard |
 toe pistons |
 pedal board components |
 toe pistons |
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3rd – 18th November 2014
 pedalboard frame |
 pedals |
 fitting pedals to pedal-board frame |
 fitting pedals to pedal-board |
 Pedal board |
25th November 2014
 Keys |
 console casework |
 console casework |
 stool |
 stool |
1st December 2014
 pedalboard |
 stop jambs |
 manuals & stops |
 wiring keys |
 wiring keys |
 wiring keys |
 fitting electrics |
 fitting electrics into console |
December 2014
Photographs taken by Dennis Ramsey
 Pedalboard |
 Working on the console |
 Manuals |
 working on the pedalboard |
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Soundboards, Actions & Chests
Soundboard, Actions & Chests
New slider chests of traditional construction have been installed.
New off-note chests of similar construction to the main soundboards provided for the front pipes that are speaking.
New three stage electro-pneumatic actions with chest magnet primaries for soundboards and chests.
Pre-work
 Pedal Violone chest |
 Swell reed chest |
 Great action |
 key contacts |
 action |
 valves |
 working on upper chest action |
 lower swell |
 upper Swell |
 Upper Swell |
 working on upper Swell |
 working on upper Swell |
April 2014
 Open wood chest |
 Pedal Violone chest |
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 Great Pedal Violone chest |
 Lower Great chest |
 Lower Great chest |
May & June 2014
 Choir 9 stop soundboard |
 Pitmans, Choir 9 stop soundboard |
 Pitmans, Choir 9 stop soundboard |
 adjusting purses |
 action |
 leathering Great Reed |
July, August & September 2014
 new soundboard |
 soundboard |
 trimming leather on motors |
 new soundboard |
 new soundboard |
 sanding actions |
14th October 2014
 fitting up |
 fitting up |
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November 2014
 upperboards |
 upperboards |
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Pipework
Pipework
New front pipes have been made. All pipework is made of spotted metal with large basses of zinc.
Pre-work
 Choir reeds |
 Swell main |
 Great Trumpet pipes |
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 Swell reeds |
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April 2014
 Cor Anglais |
 Cor Anglais |
 Swell Waldhorn |
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 Swell Waldhorn |
 trunking |
 repairing Choir Tromba |
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 repairing Choir Tromba on the gallows |
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May – Sept 2014
 8ft Tuba & 8ft Trumpet shallots |
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01 October – 18th November 2014
 Grand Flue |
 Grand Mixture |
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25th November 2014
 racking in Grand Mixture |
 racking in |
 racking in |
December 2014
Photographs taken by Dennis Ramsey
 measuring the metal for pipes |
 measuring the metal for pipes |
 cutting the metal for pipes |
 forming the pipes |
 fitting new shallots |
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9th January 2015
 Open Diapason 8′ in the voicing room |
 Great Tuba |
 Great Tuba |
26th January 2015
 Great Trumpet |
 Trumpet sockets |
 Trumpet tubulars |
 Great Tuba |
 Reed blocks |
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26th January 2015
 Front pipes of the new Grand Great division, gold leafed and awaiting installation. |
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March 2015
 Swell Flue pipework cleaned and back in place |
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Wind System
Wind System
Two new single rise reservoirs and blowers have been manufactured and installed in the room below the console. Wind trunking is made of either wood or zinc.
Pre-work
 regulator |
 Pedal wood pipes |
 ventil |
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 leathering on reservoir |
 trunking |
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March – Apr 2014
 Choir reservoir |
 Choir reservoir |
 leathering Upper Swell regulator |
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 leathering regulator |
 ventil |
 Ventils |
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 ventil |
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May – June 2014
 heavy pressure reservoir |
 Concussion |
 painting trunking |
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July – August 2014
 roller valves |
 roller valves |
 working on counter balances on the Lower Great reservoir |
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September 2014
 fitting new reservoir |
 Cleaning wind boxes |
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October 2014
 Design drawing for trunking |
trunking |
 trunking |
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1st – 18th November 2014
 Blower box components |
 blower box |
 clamped trunking |
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 clamped trunking |
 Trunking |
 completed trunking in storage |
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 completed trunking in storage |
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25th November 2014
 Blower box |
 shutters |
 painting shutters |
 painting shutters |
 painted shutters |
October 2014
Miscellaneous
 new passage boards |
 framework |
 framework |
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November 2014
 voicing in the workshop |
 voicing grand flue |
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 Solid State wiring |
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December 2014
Photographs taken by Dennis Ramsey
 Inside the Freemasons’ Hall |
 Assembly |
 Assembly |
February 2015
| Photographs by Charles Grace | ||
 Voicing at the Grand Temple |
 Voicing |
 Vocing |
 Voicing at the Grand Temple |
 Voicing at the Grand Temple |
 Voicing at the Grand Temple |
March 2015
 Voicing the Grand Tuba |
 Voicing the Grand Tuba |
 Voicing the Grand Tuba |
| Photographs below by Charles Grace | ||
 Fitting front pipes in place |
 Side door entrance to organ |
 Side panels of door entrance closed |
 Craig Watson working on the console |
 Craig Watson working on the console |
 The team: (left to right) Craig Watson, David Robinson, Michael Clough (Team Leader), Kelvin Kent. |
 Photo by Andrew Scott |
 Photo by Andrew Scott |
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April 2015
| Photos by Dennis Ramsey | ||
 Craig Watson (left) and Michael Clough, Team Leader carrying the decorative panel |
 Craig Watson (left) and Michael Clough, Team Leader placing the decorative panel |
 Craig Watson (left) and Michael Clough, Team Leader inserting the top panel |
 Michael Clough, Team Leader polishing the decorative panel |
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Completed
The Completed Organ
 The completed organ. Photo by Andrew Scott |
 Craig Watson (left) and Michael Clough, Team Leader (right) Photo by Dennis Ramsey |
 Charles Grace (left) shaking hands with Team Leader, Michael Clough. Photo by Dennis Ramsey |
 The completed organ Photo by Dennis Ramsey |
 The completed organ Photo by Dennis Ramsey |
 The completed organ Photo by Dennis Ramsey |
Oxford, Wadham College
Oxford, Wadham College
Willis 1862: 2 manual 18 stops. The organ will be thoroughly restored without change.
Soundboard, Actions & Chests
Soundboard, Actions and Chests
Great and Swell slider soundboards removed and to be overhauled in our workshop. The Pedal chests will be overhauled on site. Rollerboards to be overhauled and rebushed. Trackers to be checked and renewed where necessary. Backfalls to be overhauled and square beams re-centred. New cloths and leather buttons to be fitted. Pneumatic Pedal actions overhauled. Mechanical drawstop action and Swell Pedal action overhauled. Pedal Open Bass ventils restored.
Pre-work
 Pedal Organ unit base chest leatherwork |
 part of the Pedal action |
 part of the Pedal action |
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 trackers |
 Pedal coupler |
 Swell rollerboard |
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4th May 2015
 working on the mechanical stop action |
 mechanical stop action combination machine |
 mechanical stop action combination machine |
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 working on the Pedal unit chest |
 Pedal unit chest |
 Pedal unit chest |
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 swell pallets |
 Swell soundboard |
 pallets |
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 manual coupler stack |
 manual coupler stack |
 manual coupler stack |
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19 May 2015
 Great action squares |
 backfalls |
 working on the backfalls |
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 working on backfalls |
 working on backfalls |
 Swell soundboard |
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 Swell soundboard |
 manual couplers stack of backfalls |
 Swell soundboard |
10 Jun 2015
 Great rollerboard |
 Great rollerboard |
 Pedal jack |
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 Pedal jack |
 Pedal jack |
 Pedal jack |
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 Pedal rollerboard with Pedal couplers |
 manual squares |
17 Jun 2015
 combination pedal machine |
 Pedal Open Wood unit chest |
 Pallets |
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 Pedal Open Wood unit chest |
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Console
Console
The pedalboard is to be overhauled and all playing surfaces refaced. Key coverings to be restored. Stop knobs to be refurbished and jamb bushings renewed. Console woodwork to be restored.
Pre-work
 keys |
 stops |
 stops |
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19 May 2015
 cleaning console panels |
 Console panels |
 pedalboard |
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 Pedalboard |
 pedals |
 working on the pedals for pedalboard |
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10 Jun 2015
 Pedal jack |
 Pedal jack |
 Pedal jack |
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 console |
 console |
 pedals being fitted into pedalboard |
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 pedalboard |
 stop knobs |
 Stop knobs |
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17 June 2015
 Console components |
 fitted pedals in pedalboard |
 Pedals |
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 keys |
 console panels |
 console panels |
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 console panels |
Pipework
Pipework
All pipes to be removed and cleaned. Reed stops to be repaired and voiced. Once pipework has been reassembled it will be regulated and tuned.
Pre-work
 Great Organ pipework |
 Great Trumpet |
 pipework |
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5 May 2015
 working on the Swell Oboe |
 working on the Swell Oboe |
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19 May 2015
 working on the mixtures |
 working on the mixtures |
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10 Jun 2015
 working on the Swell mixtures |
 Swell mixtures |
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Wind System
Wind System
Pipe wind conveyances to be repaired. Double rise reservoir and feeders releathered and wind trunks repaired. Blower overhauled and chamber soundproofed. Hand blowing mechanism restored.
Pre-work
 Electrics |
 leatherwork on the reservoir |
 flexible conveyances |
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 flexible conveyance |
 parts of the hand blowing apparatus |
 conveyances to front pipes |
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May 2015
 reservoir |
 reservoir |
 reservoir |
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 reservoir panels |
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10 Jun 2015
 concussion |
 concussion |
 concussion |
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 reservoir |
 reservoir |
 reservoir |
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 reservoir ribs |
17 June 2015
 reservoir panels |
 reservoir feeders |
 reservoir feeders |
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 leathering reservoir |
 leathering reservoir |
 leathering reservoir |
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 feeders |
 conveyance boards |
Installation
 Great pipework |
 Great pipework |
 Great pipework |
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 Swell pipework |
 right jamb |
 left jamb |
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 former organ scholar graffiti on console door |
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Singapore, Freemasons’ Hall
Singapore Freemasons’ Hall
J W Walker, 1970: 2 manuals, 18 stops
The organ is to be overhauled, and the low-voltage electrical system to be renewed. The speech and balance of the pipework will be checked and the organ will be tuned.
Actions
Actions
The pneumatic motors for the bass of the Pedal Sub Bass will be releathered. Each action movement will be checked and adjusted. An electric shutter engine will be fitted in place of the present electro-pneumatic machine.
Pre-work
 Pallet magnets in main unit chest |
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1st July 2015
 New multisystem output plane in Organ and new fusing. |
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Console
Console
The keyboards and pedalboard will be dismantled and overhauled. New contacts will be fitted. The stop-tab units will be regulated and their contacts will be cleaned.
Pre-work
 console |
 Singapore, Freemasons’ Hall |
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1st July 2015
 New pedal contacts and cabling. |
 New multisystem input cards in console. |
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Swell & Wind System
Swell & Wind System
Swell shutters to be re-felted. The wind system will be checked and made sound. New electro-magnets will be fitted to operate the tremulant, and the tremulant diaphragm will be releathered if required.
1st July 2015
 Swell box with new Peterson swell shutter engine. |
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Electrical System
Electrical system
The existing low-voltage electrical system will be removed. New processor based coupling equipment will be installed. New low-voltage wiring will be installed to connect the new coupling equipment to the organ and new low-voltage power supplies will be provided. A new tremulant timer will be installed.
1st July 2015
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New multisystem output plane in Organ and new fusing. |
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Twickenham, St Stephen’s
Twickenham, St Stephen’s
Henry Willis c1890. 3 manuals 27 stops.
The organ was cleaned and partially refurbished.
(Below are a series of images showing the progression of work from old to new)
Soundboard & Actions
Soundboard, Actions and Chests
The upperboards were lifted and planed true to re-establish the correct clearance for free movement of the sliders. The table-tops were checked and splits repaired.
Pre work
 Choir Open to be moved back into Swell |
 Choir Open to be moved back into Swell |
 Great soundboard to be repaired |
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After work
 Choir moved back in to position |
 Great soundboard after work done |
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Console
Console
The stop names were revised to take account of the pipework changes. The key touches were checked and adjusted.
Console
Pipework
Pipework
The pipework was removed from the organ, cleaned and repaired. The composition of the Swell Mixture was revised to follow typical Willis practice. The Gamba was returned to the Choir and the Open Diapason to the Swell. The speech and balance of the pipework were checked and the organ tuned.
Pre-work
 pipework to be cleaned |
 pipework |
 pipework |
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 pipework |
 pipework |
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After work
 racking in |
 Great pipework |
 Great Bourdon |
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 Great pipework |
 Choir pipework |
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Wind System
Wind System and Swell Boxes
The action regulator was repaired. The wind system was checked for soundness and cleaned. The actions were checked and adjusted.
Pre-work
 Swell conveyance and upperboards |
 Swell shutters to have new pins fitted |
 main reservoir to be repaired |
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 Swell shutters to have new pins fitted |
 intake for blower |
 intake for blower |
After work
 Swell conveyance |
 Repaired main reservoir |
 intake for blower after work done |
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 intake for blower after work done |
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For archived images click on the Flickr Logo 
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