January 28, 2010

• Moving a Reed Organ

  A few posts back you can see that I tried to find a good home for a restored reed organ.
  It found a new home with a professional organist who immigrated recently from Germany!!!

  De disassembly was done while the previous owner was moving out
  and I don't have pictures of that process. It was a puzzle to find out
  what could and should come apart, and what should stay together.

  Most screws and construction methods were
  as they were done in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
  We did it all by hand and stayed away from power tools.

  I enjoyed doing this project! My expertise in wood working and my knowledge of
  organ building came in handy (too bad that this was not a pipe organ)...

  Scott and Dan VanderMolen assisted in the rebuilding of this instrument
  in the home of the new owner and Dan made a video with the new owner playing his instrument!
  The rebuilding only took about 5 hours... Thanks guys!

  

  The oak case was lifted from a pickup truck onto the balcony as that was the only way to get it inside.

  

  All other components were already moved and were waiting for installation.

  

  The organ has paper labels inside. One is listing the serial number. On the chest we could see that the manufacturing date was August 1909.

  

  The bellow is installed in the case as well as the board that goes underneath the keyboards and chest.

     

  The keyboards and chest installed. We cleaned all mechanical actions.

  

  The motor in the back. This was installed about 25 years ago by Hugo Spilker who also restored this instrument. We had to rewire the motor because the wiring was too old.

  

  The woodwork in the front is installed.

  

  Moved in its place, Scott is working on a few last screws.

  

  Pedal is installed and the new owner tries it out.

  Movie 1 - while the last things are assembled
  
  

  Movie 2 - The new owner tries the organ

  • 2:07 am
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