Finally Moving on the Project.....

After several weeks of other stuff taking priority, the Stone Church organ is now first on the list. We were very anxious about the condition of the inside of the windchest. (the heart of the organ) one or two problems here and the whole organ would be ruined.

After getting the frame set up and the windchest finally on it. We immediately flipped the windchest upside down and began taking it apart. Imagine our surprise to find the inside looking like this. This looks nearly brand new! (This was built in 1907, folks!) Notice how clean the leather looks...there is no abnormal wear and it is almost as flexible as the day it was installed.

Oops, waxing eloquent and I forget to explain a few things. So here are some organ terms defined:

Windchest: the box that contains the pressurized air (known as "wind") and mechanism for releasing that air to the pipes at the appropriate time. The pipes sit on the top and it is connected to a reservior.
Reservior: a box with a flexible top used to maintain a set air pressure no matter how many pipes are playing at one time.
Pallet: the supports and sealing surface of the device that blocks or allows air to the pipes. Located inside the windchest.
Wind: Pressurized air to make the pipes speak (sound). Usually provided by a blower, but may also be provided by a bellows.
Blower: A motorized fan to provide wind to a reservoir.
Bellows: A hand pumped leather bag used to provide wind to a reservoir.

So there is pressurized air (wind) inside the reservoir and the windchest. The pallet opens and allows air to enter the pipe to let it speak. In the picture above, this entire area is covered and sealed. It is the bottom of the windchest and the pipes would sit on top.