Assembling an organ pipe

Ted Burgess, Foreman of the Pipe Department of the Reuter organ company demonstrates final assembly of a metal flue pipe.
This is the second of three videos in a series.
The first video in this series: • Visiting the shop of t...
The next video in this series: • Visiting the shop of t...
Reuter Organ Company website: www.reuterorgan.com/
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[@1234piano]

I'm an organist learning how all those wonderful pipes are made. This video, along with the commentary from such an experienced workman was very educational. Thank you!!

[@angelsone-five7912]

Always nice to see a craftsman at work, great stuff.

[@garypate3201]

Ted is such a great guy and an encyclopedia of knowledge , he’s always willing to lend advice and to repair a damaged pipe if needed , I have so much respect for him !

[@SCUBASPORT]

Hi

[@garypate3201]

@@SCUBASPORT hello!

[@James_Bowie]

Very nice of Ted to go to the trouble of explaining the task in detail. Not a lot of people can/will work with someone looking over their shoulder like that. It would have been good to ask him about his career in pipe building -- where he started, etc.

[@fnersch3367]

He would have had a lot of experience with metal working in other jobs and like me would have been doing such things when he was a kid. Such skills take a lifetime. You continually get better over the years.

[@fnersch3367]

I can appreciate this craft as I have made pipes myself for my organ projects. Ted makes this look so easy; it's not, believe me. What he is doing is soldering solder. Pipes are made of solder. The pipe solder rod has a slightly different lead/tin radio from the cast sheets. This craft dates to Ctesibius of Alexandria when he built his hydraulis about 250 BC. This is an old art.

[@nibblet-zv1uk]

Absolutely brilliant Ted ! Wonderful skill level demonstrated with the confidence that comes from years of experience! A joy to watch a craftsman!

[@scronx]

Brent, fantastic. Who knew there was so much to pipe making? Thank you so much for these -- I watched all three parts.

[@george1la]

How interesting.

[@davef.2811]

It would be really great to see a couple of young apprentices working and learning under Ted there to carry on his specialized knowledge and skill for the future of this trade.

[@OrganMediaFoundation]

There are other pipemakers there, including younger ones, but we didn't have time to talk to all of them or include them in the video. organ.media/images/pipemaker.jpg

[@Mr05241948]

It's very easy to see by the tremendous amount of time and skill it takes to make an organ pipe, why a large instrument costs what it does.

[@markwunder7748]

Thank you for filming and sharing this.

[@richardkallio3868]

Fascinating!

[@bobh5087]

Very interesting. Thanks.

[@tom7601]

Love the detailed explanation!

[@ezequielnunes3948]

MELHOR EXPLICAÇÃO DO KZbin PARABÉNS!

[@jrzzrj]

👍......good stuff....

[@monophoto1]

Fascinating! It is really inspiring to watch a craftsman do his thing. You have to wonder how long it took for him to learn his craft.

[@williammitchell1864]

Many years to learn this craft.

[@HobbyOrganist]

@@williammitchell1864 This kid doesn't look like he's older than 20, hard to tell, but watch him make pipes and how fast he is, if it took years and years he must have started when he was like FIVE kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4aZZ4Glp92Erck

[@NinoNiemanThe1st]

I expect it took him decades to learn his craft. His skill and tradesmanship shows because he then makes it look easy, which of course it isn't. I worry about the solder fumes though: all that heavy metal fuming, not good for you at all.

[@garypate3201]

He has been with Reuter for 48 years

[@gotolunch]

I am very sad that they have closed down. I toured there place back about 2009.

[@1875michael]

And best of all, a true durable good that's hand made in America, by American hands for American use. How many American industries can make that claim in today's manufacturing environment?

[@fnersch3367]

Very few.

[@joseroldan1389]

Beautiful working. Please could you say what tipe of paint give to the bodys and foot of the pipes ?? Many thanks.

[@SYLVESTRIVS]

I would like to learn and work along with him

[@y11971alex]

The paint can is also spotted metal

[@willernst8376]

Question??? What material is the size made of? I may have to solder some thin tin lead sheets and this would sure help me. Great video by the way

[@jimmybryan6760]

On another vid from a different company they said chalk and gum arabic

[@brunovuckovic528]

What kind of paint you use?

[@robertramsay5963]

I don't see any scars on your hands and fingers from burns. Over time, do those pipes collapse from their own weight? The metal appears quite soft. I'm thinking of 16 foot pipes which might weigh hundreds of pounds.

[@ThomasDawkins88]

Pipes can definitely start to collapse under their own weight after many years, especially 16' and 32' pedal pipes. It's frequently a part of restoration to reinforce and re-round large pipes like that in an older organ. It's also one of the reasons that it's easier to have the largest pipes be made of wood.

[@robertramsay5963]

Thanks for your reply. It was interesting to see how pipes are hand-crafted so meticulously. I guess that's why each rank of pipes costs thousands of dollars.

[@jeffwhite4227]

They can, but there are organs in Europe that have metal pipes that have stood for centuries. If they're racked correctly, they shouldn't collapse. Large pipes are "pinned" about half way up to a rack, maybe even in a couple of places. Some organs built in the late 1970's and 1980's had issues with large pipes collapsing because the zinc bought from Europe was too soft. Zinc is lighter, but it still needs to be strong enough to withstand the weight. When I took a position in 2001, the bottom six facade pipes were missing because of this collapse. They replaced them (at considerable cost) with stronger zinc pipes. So what they're made out of makes a difference too.

[@fnersch3367]

@@robertramsay5963 One 8' trompette real cost $25,000 as an example.

[@robertramsay5963]

That's a big chunk of cash indeed, but understandable when it such hands-on work.

[@NorfolkSouthern-xt3xx]

A process that takes a LOT of time,...plus the many years to get that craft down pat. Not something you'd learn in one day!

[@JOHN-tk6vl]

Yes, there is no such thing as a good job done in a hurry.

[@conceptobject]

Where do I start? We have an old pipe organ in our local church that needs a little repair. I am a master metsl craftsman and I think I can make thebdies and scribe tools. What type of tin do I need to get and what magic is in the size?

[@Tehinstrumentalist]

The tricky part with metal parts is voicing - it takes a fair deal of understanding for pipe mouth dimensions, the languid tip and such. I remember my work experience at an organ builders, they too made it look easy (if you have to do 54+ pipes per rank, you get good fast!) Pipe metal is usually a mix of Lead and Tin in varying percentages, usually more lead than tin, although Zinc and Copper have been used in recent years to good effect. I recommend getting in touch with a local organ builder and requesting a tour of the workshop if you can.

[@alexandergontmacher3914]

Hello Ted. You did not cut ''mouth'' on long pipe. Why? Please write. Thank you.

[@OrganMediaFoundation]

I believe the mouths of the pipes are cut up in the voicing department after they leave the pipe shop.

[@user-qg8jm7jk7g]

led?

[@user-qg8jm7jk7g]

what is material of tube?

[@OrganMediaFoundation]

Lead and Tin

[@user-qg8jm7jk7g]

@@OrganMediaFoundation Thank! It is strange: the material is not durable, but the sound is cool. But I prefer iron and electricity ) disk.yandex.ru/i/jVHz-0AeOpnspg

[@conceptobject]

​@@OrganMediaFoundation could you be more specific on the thickness and a supplier for the sheet metal please.

[@OrganMediaFoundation]

@@conceptobject The metal is a mixture of tin and lead made in cast sheets by the Reuter organ company for their pipe shop. The metal is then planed to whatever thickness is required for this particular rank of pipes.

[@conceptobject]

@@OrganMediaFoundation whoah. that is next level. Could I buy a small piece from you enough to make 3 feet for our organ. I think I can make all of the mandrels and custom tools. We should talk. I sent an email to the Reuter organ company. Wasn't sure if it made it through. I really appreciate your videos thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@PointyTailofSatan]

The really hard part is soldering the wood pipes. lol

[@zyxwvutsrqponmlkh]

Absolutely archaic. Tin is so freaking expensive these days. Why don't you use something cheaper like brass? Oh its because your obsolete productions methods won't allow for it.

[@richardreece7360]

Obsolete except it's still happening in dozens of factories around the world. The material the pipe is made from affects the sound. The lead/tin ratio is chosen especially for each rank to ensure the proper mix of voices.

[@tomoostink]

Keep your mouth shut if you don't know shit. Brass pipes are manufactured also. The methods allow it. The choice of material is related to music style and the desired timbre.