Pipes & Supplies

View Pipes & Supplies PDF

Organ Supply Industries is proud of the high quality, American-made pipework we provide for our customers. Each pipe is carefully crafted to your specifications by our experienced pipe makers in our workshop, then carefully voiced to your instructions. A check sheet is provided for metal flues, wood pipes, and for reed pipes to assist you in preparing your custom order. The following construction information outlines some of the many variations in details that can be provided for each kind of pipe.

Metal Flue Pipes

Pipe Metal Alloys

Metal used for organ pipes consists of alloys of tin and lead in various percentages. The metal compositions used are selected for visual or tonal reasons.

The basic organ metal alloys are:

Common Metal     30% tin, 70% lead, planed on top side

Spotted Metal       50% tin, 50% lead, planed on linen side

Plain Tin                    75% tin, 25% lead, planed on both sides

Antimonial Lead   94% lead, 6% antimony

Zinc

Large bass pipes, customarily longer than 4' C, are generally made from organ quality zinc. Zinc can be finished in several ways depending on the visual result required. Zinc pipe standard finish is aluminum colored lacquer which approximates the color of natural zinc. When zinc pipes are exposed or to be used in a facade, they can be finished in gold or aluminum colored lacquer or highly polished and lacquered to look comparable to polished tin pipes.

Wood Pipes

Wood pipes are constructed from top quality, clear poplar with hardwood windways and caps. They are provided unfinished, or finished clear lacquer, shellac, brown stain, or to a color sample. Wood pipes are available in most wood species and to custom scales.

Reed Pipes

Reed pipes are built from spotted metal (50% tin). Resonators longer than 2' C on Trumpets and Oboes are traditionally of two piece construction with spotted metal bells and zinc stems. Full length spotted metal resonators can be provided for 8' and 1/2L 16' reeds. Full length 16' octaves are made from zinc with spotted metal tuner inserts. Spotted metal bells can be provided. Common metal or antimonial lead can be used in place of spotted metal.

We also offer repair and revoicing for all pipework, a complete line of pipe making supplies, and slide tuners.