Wild Air

 

It is proving to be a busy (and exhausting!) summer.

Polishing pipes

Robert polishing a rank for the Shelbyville organ

In the midst of several projects that are happening in the shop, we are making some important changes to our facility itself. We are moving our CNC router shop to our new (a few years ago) back building, which has been finished inside and provided with all the comforts of home (electricity, heat, and air conditioning). The CNC machine is about 5′ wide and 10′ long, and weighs as much as a car, but without the wheels. Along with it will go the equally large vacuum laminating machine and the big table saw.

The idea is to get the big dust-makers out of the main shop so we can do “clean” work there, including wood finishing, console work, pipe reconditioning, and wiring. In the past, we have had to set up the shop for each of these processes, and, while we were spraying finish, for instance, would couldn’t run the CNC because of the dust. We have finally decided that we cannot afford what Winston Churchill called “this lush disorganisation.” We are also adding a 12′ x 32′ outbuilding to use as a staging area when we are loading trucks and trailers.

Meanwhile, we have continued to progress on several projects, most notably the new Shelbyville organ. The job of just cleaning up the old pipes seems endless, but it’s actually going pretty well. Cory has also stripped the console for the Shelbyville organ, ready for it to be refinished. More about that in a future posting…

Work is coming along very nicely on the 4-manual E.M. Skinner organ at High Street United Methodist Church in Muncie. This is the last phase of a 3-phase project that we began in 2008. It is a magnificent instrument, and the only truly Romantic organ in the area. The work now is centered on the Choir division, which will be finished before we start “tuning season,” this fall. After Christmas, we will rebuild the Echo division and install a new Trompete en Chamade, which is being custon-built for this organ. The pipes will be brightly-polished copper, and should look stunning.

We have been working with First United Methodist Church in Connersville, IN, on the visual arrangement for their new organ, which is next up after the Shelbyville organ is finished. They have approved our design, and it is posted in the News section of our website,

www.reynoldsorgans.com. Their console will probably come out next week so it, too, can be stripped and prepped for rebuilding.

Stripping Shelbville Console

Cory strips the (nasty) old finish from the Shelbyville console.

I have been working to complete our renovation of the organ at First Friends Church in Noblesville, IN. This organ is getting a really beautiful solid walnut console that we rebuilt in the shop. The console is done and in place. Part of this project also involved installing new reservoirs and wind lines. When we started working in the chamber, we decided to improve the internal arrangement of the organ, and to replace two windchests. I have also reconditioned most of the pipes in the organ to put them in “new” condition. All in all, this “little” job (the organ is only 9 ranks) has been the mouse that roared!

Next year, we will be building a new 47 rank pipe organ for Plainfield United Methodist Church. It’s a huge job, and we have been doing the preliminary work for that, including meetings with the church and the various vendors that will be involved.

Mom wants us to come to Florida for a vacation. I want to. I need to. To understand what is stopping me, please see above. Doin’ my best, Mom!

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