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The organ pipes
There is a large variety of different pipes. The labial or the lingual pipes are about 85% of the whole pipes of an organ. Mostly they are made out of metal, especially tin-lead-alloying, but there are wooden made pipes also.
Organ builder and art craft
The art craft of an organ builder and a pipe builder has basically remained the same throughout time. Only one major modification is worth mentioning: until the 19th century the organ builder created his organs on his own and in particular even the necessary pipes. With the beginning of the industrialization era the pipes builder job was specialized.
Short pipes create high tones, long pipes deep tones. Depending on the pipe form, if it is cylindrical or cone-shaped, if the pipe is open or covered, which form and dimension the lip opening has, the tone height and tone colour are also influenced.
Also the reed pipes or the flue pipes create many varied tones, influenced by whether their diameter is bigger or smaller, their body form is cylindrical or funnel-shaped, only to name the most important differences.
The vast majority of the pipes are made out of a tin-lead-alloying, rarely copper or zinc is used. The required alloy of tin and lead is mixed in the melting furnace, under addition of traces of antimony, copper and other protected materials, which are regarded by conscious pipe builders as secret.
The melting is poured on the casting bank. In this way the metal can widely solidify itself without strain, and raw plates are created. These are planed on the desired thickness.
The geometrical execution of the to be built pipes are drawn on an appropriate plate piece and accordingly cut. Furthermore the piece is rolled, soldered up and rounded. The clean soldering is the main work of a pipe builder and requires a certain and calm hand.
The aptitudes and pretences on a prospective organ builder
The work on an organ is so multifaceted, that they demand high pretences from the specialist. Because each organ is unique, an organ builder must know the different principles and methods, in order to apply these to the given instrument.
Main material is wood, especially massive wood. The processing of massive wood requires certain material know-how, because the work is carried out under influence of fluctuation due to temperature and humidity. The building of the wooden casing requires the organ builder to be familiar with all the techniques of massive wood processing. Due to the dimensions that differ for each organ and each space in which it is being housed, even on the pipe building no continuous automated work is possible. The organ builder learns how to build wood as well as metal pipes.
The actual construction of the organ comprises of the building of the individual parts like, claviature, tone control, wind chests, wood and metal pipes, blowing equipment, and casing. The work on each part requires special standards. Multifaceted knowledge and experience are very useful.
The production of all individual parts of an organ is carried out by various workers and in the end there are all assembled to form a working instrument. Working as a team is an important aspect and must be harmonised.
For the transport, the instrument is again taken apart. Only at the final location is it definitive mounted. Also here the intonation (tone colour creation) and the tuning take place. The tuner must be a good organ builder, because he is the last person to work on the organ and must be capable to correct the technical deficiencies which he recognises. Again and again the organ builder is confronted by existing instrument, with maintenance work, cleaning, revision and tuning. Even this job can be stimulating, because sometimes an old instrument can reveal interesting aspects of the past, but only if one can observe and listen closely.
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