Anatomy of a WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ

The rebuilding process.

NOTE:- Anyone wanting shortcuts or quick tricks to use to speed up the rebuilding of an instrument should look elsewhere - or buy an electronic instrument.

A pipe organ is mechanically a simple device, there are just a lot of very simple parts in it. It just takes care, a little manual dexterity, observation of how it was done, resisting the tempation to "improve" on what was done, duplicating the original work as closely as possible and a lot of time and patience to restore an instrument. Most people with average manual skills should be able to do most of the mechanical restoration work. There is nothing like a few years of experience working on instruments to gain the understanding of how these things work to give the reasons why things should be the way they are. Understanding how and why it works helps to understand what was done and what needs to be done to make it work as it should again.

Pipe organs do seem to have a mind of their own. A perfect replication of previous work does not always guarantee the same result but it does give the best chance. This is where the art of organ building deviates from the science. Sometimes it is a very black art which can make it so interesting, and so frustrating.

The pipe work is not something that anyone without very considerable training and experience should attempt to work on.

The first actions toward rebuilding.

Restoration begins.

Refinishing.

Restoration begins on the working parts.

Glue.

Pipe Chest restoration begins.

More Offset Chests

Some Traps.

Valves.

Glockenspiel.

Xylophone.

Chimes.

More Traps.

Preset Actions.

Stop Rails.

Switch Stack.

Relay.

Manual Chest.

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