Project Updates

These photos show the restoration of the Choir division (pipes played by the bottom keyboard) wind chest and restoration of the primary valves of the Swell division (played by the 3rd keyboard). Restoration of the E.M. Skinner organ is now more than 50% complete.Just as described in the Nov 13 update, the Choir division wind chest has been completely restored. Here we see it upside-down with all c...

The Swell division (pipes played by the 3rd keyboard from the bottom) is so large that it has two main wind chests that the pipes live on. Restoration of these chests involves complete disassembly and removal of all moving parts, cleaning the chest inside and out, renewing the shellac finish, replacing all perishable materials (such as leather and rubber cloth), polishing or replacing all metal co...

The crew at Quimby has been hard at work restoring the mechanics of our Skinner’s Solo division.Restored pouch boards for the Solo sitting within their chest. Each of these little leather pouches with a felt and leather valve at its center sits directly below an individual pipe. When the corresponding note is played at the console, the air channel below the pouch is exhausted, which causes the pou...

E.M. Skinner Op. 459 arrived safely at the workshop of Quimby Pipe Organs. The entire dismantled organ was placed in secure, climate-controlled storage at QPO awaiting rebuilding.Console of E.M. Skinner Op. 459 with all interior components removed. Large, wooden bass pipes can be spotted at back-right, stacked horizontally.Stacked trays of pipes, with at least seven wind regulators in the foregrou...

E.M. Skinner Op. 459 is now completely removed from its original home in Watertown, MA and now on the road to the shop of Quimby Pipe Organs in Warrensburg, MO. E.M. Skinner Opus 459, packed in a semi-truck, leaving its Watertown, MA home of 99 years. ......