RELEATHERING
As with any pipe organ, after a period of many years, generally 50-60, the leather inside the needs to be replaced with new. Often times we are able to take certain divisions offline during the releathering process so as to leave the client with a still partially playable instrument and continue the releathering process in phases, so the entire organ will not be down for months at a time. We releather all makes and any sized organ from a modest 10 rank organ, to a substantial instrument of over 50 ranks. Releathering is a crucial part of a pipe organs maintenance and will keep the organ playing for another 50 plus years. Below are a few samples of before and after on several types of pipe organs we have releathered.
A 1960's stop control switch from an Aeolian-Skinner showing the tears that have developed, rendering the entire stop dead.
The same Aeolian Skinner stop switch releathered and ready for installation
Pouches on a 1959 Casavant organ that have reached the end of their life and have developed tears and holes. These leather pouches are removed and replaced with new leather to give the organ another 50+ years of life.
The old pouches are removed and replaced with new ones, pictured here on the same 1959 Casavant.
A unique offset chest from a 1920's Wangerin organ undergoing releathering
a 1920's Casavant pedal pneumatic taken apart, showing the complexity of the pneumatic with 2 valves, and covered with 100 years of Detroit coal
Reassembling the finished Casavant Primary blocks with all new gaskets, valves, and pneumatic leather
1920's Wurlitzer pneumatics before relethering
The same Wurlitzer chest, with relethered penuamtics, new gaskets, felt, and pallet leather, ready for reinstallation
Showing original 1920's pneumatics from a Barton theater organ, and the releathered units below