Chest and Console building

Following a busy Easter tuning Season, our shop is back in full swing. Chest framing has been built and assembled, and the curved Cherry stopjambs and other console parts are taking shape in the woodshop as well.

Each one of the holes in these Cherry stopjambs:

Will receive a Harris Precision Products drawknob unit:

Fitted with one of these Cocobolo drawknob stems:

The bulk of the existing pipework has been brought to the shop from storage, where it will be cleaned, fitted with new tuning slides, and planted on the chests.

Organ Demolition, Part the Second

Two weeks back a group of intrepid volunteers joined several Walsh Organs staff members in demolishing the existing organ structure, including the wooden casework and the plaster walls and ceilings that constituted the organ chambers. This was grueling work, and St. Elizabeth's parish members showed their mettle with reciprocating saws and sledge hammers in hand. Here was our fearless group at the beginning of the day on Friday:

We immediately commenced work on the demolition, taking out the remaining wood casework and inner plaster walls first.

Quite a bit of dust was settling in the church throughout the day:

Near the end of the day the ceiling of the former Swell chamber (on the left as you look up to the Gallery) was taken out.

Brian, St. Elizabeth's Choir Director, inspects our progress. He spent most of the time at ground level leading the volunteers operating the lift. Rather than carry all the debris down the winding staircase, we elected to use a 26' lift for anything that could be brought down over the front of the Gallery.

At the end of our work on Friday, all that remained of the former Swell chamber was a pile of debris and some holes in the wall where the ceiling was attached.

Organ Demolition, Part the First

With organ design and construction underway in the shop, the next step is to remove the existing instrument. We began this phase of the project Tuesday the 11th, with the removal of pipework and dismantling of the organ.

Here, Adam wraps treble pipes in the Swell division:

A stack of pipe trays ready to be lifted down over the Gallery, and the Great division main reservoir:

Mike removes the winding from the Pedal division:

And James dismantles the Great windchests:

Façade pipes, swell shades, and a casework panel removed, we are now able to hand out pipes and pieces from the Swell Division:

The existing Swell division has its pipes removed,

Walkboards and racking removed,

And the chest are sawn in half down the middle and removed.

Mike is carrying a walkboard from the Swell division into the hallway through the existing organ case. The new organ, while being considerably larger, will provide significantly improved Gallery floor space, as its case will not extend farther than the back half of the existing case. The existing hallway will now be in open space.

The final van load from this week's demolition work:

Chest Construction and Organ Removal

Our last post showed the bench under construction. Here is the completed bench, ready to be sanded and finished:

The main windchests for the organ are now taking shape as well. The toeboard blanks shown in the last post have been cut, drilled, burned, sanded, and finished for the Choir division:

And the Choir action board is marked and drilled:

The action board will next be attached to the chest frame, sanded and finished, and be fitted with actions for each pipe.

On site, we will be beginning removal of the existing organ case in early January. Just this week the present organ received what will probably be its final tuning. Here are some more pictures of the current instrument:

The organ's powerful 16' pedal reed has been removed and is currently being reconditioned for use in the new organ.

Walsh Organs has already supplied the organ with a new Great Division several years ago, which will also be reused in the new organ, however the present Great Principal chorus is being moved into the Swell, and the new organ will feature a of new chorus, based on a 16' Violone (in the façade) and 8' Diapason.

Chest and Console Construction Underway in the Shop

Following our client meeting in August, and having received the lumber for the project, wood milling and construction of the console, main chests and reservoirs is coming along in the shop.

The 2" thick poplar will be used to make glue-ups for toeboard blanks. The organ's pipework will stand atop these toeboards.

Michael shows the finished glue-ups. Once the chests are built, the toeboards will be cut to length and width out of these blanks, drilled, sanded, and finished.

Also going through the woodshop right now is St. Elizabeth's new Console. Poplar and Mahogany stock is milled for the console frame, body, and interior, and the new Mahogany bench. Here, Adam is at work on the bench frame and top.

First Client Meeting

Back in August we had our first meeting with St. Elizabeth's Organist, Director of Music, Choir Director, and Rector. Following finalization of the façade layout,we reviewed our plans for the organ, had a shop tour, and made a trip to The Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli, PA, where we recently installed a new 4-manual console and antiphonal organ.

We also discussed material and finish options for the console, casework, and manual and pedal keyboards. We are pleased to announce that St. E's has opted to have the console and case built of Mahogany. This organ is going to be as striking visually as it will be tonally.

1000 Board Feet of Mahogany in our wood room:

The plan for St. E's Façade, which includes portions of the Great Diapason and Violone:

Welcome to the blog for St E's New Organ

St. Elizabeth's Roman Catholic Parish in Wilmington, Delaware, has chosen our firm, C.M. Walsh Pipe Organs, to build a new, three-manual, 58-stop pipe organ in the church's rear gallery. We are very excited about this project, and are currently planning and beginning construction in our workshops in Collingdale, Pennsylvania.

Above you can see a digital rendering of the new organ, which will feature a case and matching console of white oak. Below is a picture of the existing organ.

We will be using this blog throughout the course of the project to provide (approximately) biweekly updates on our progress.

Thanks for visiting, and come back soon.

You can find out more about us at our website.