RCO Day: Discover York Minster

[John Robinson]

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The other interesting thing which came to minbd, were the rival 32ft pipes elsewhere. Am I wrong in thinking that the 32ft front at St.George's Hall, Liverpool, is copper witb black decoration?

 

The other remarkable 32ft front was that made of cast-iron at Leeds Town Hall.

Finally, did a British organ-buiilder EVER make a tin 32ft front for domestic use?

That is perhaps the most striking thing about the Bavo-orgel, but at least we have the satisfaction of knowing that the tin was mined and smelted in Cornwall, and hasn't crumbled since.

 

MM

 

(Sorry for snipping!)

 

A very interesting question. I've a feeling that we'd be very lucky to find a 32' pipe in tin: it would cost a bomb. Pipe metal, perhaps?

 

Another question. Were the Leeds cast iron pipes treated (galvanised? could they do that in the mid-19th century?) to prevent rust, or just painted?

[ajsphead]

(Sorry for snipping!)

 

A very interesting question. I've a feeling that we'd be very lucky to find a 32' pipe in tin: it would cost a bomb. Pipe metal, perhaps?

 

Another question. Were the Leeds cast iron pipes treated (galvanised? could they do that in the mid-19th century?) to prevent rust, or just painted?

We do have a 32' tin front.

 

The RAH.

 

AJS

[MusingMuso]

(Sorry for snipping!)

 

A very interesting question. I've a feeling that we'd be very lucky to find a 32' pipe in tin: it would cost a bomb. Pipe metal, perhaps?

 

Another question. Were the Leeds cast iron pipes treated (galvanised? could they do that in the mid-19th century?) to prevent rust, or just painted?

 

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The 32ft pipes at Leeds TH have always been heavily painted, and at the last re-build, the colour was taken back to what it was originally.

 

Cast iron sounds terribly difficult to work, but apparently it is easier to work than sheet steel if it soft enough and ductile enough. I wonder if they copied Mr Hill's machine?

 

RAH......I should have recalled that fact about the 32ft front. It's just that they look dull, and could easily be plain-metal if we didn't know better.

 

Is that still the only one?

 

MM

 

 

PS: It is very unlikely that the 32ft pipes at Leeds were galvanised. The process has been around over 150 years, and the patent was 1937, but galvanising involves pickling, heating up the zinc and then hot dipping. Cast iron, even in sheet form, is pretty good at resisting anything beyond surface corrosion, as many old bridges demonstrate along the canals and railways.

[Graham Powell]

RAH......I should have recalled that fact about the 32ft front. It's just that they look dull, and could easily be plain-metal if we didn't know better.

 

Is that still the only one?

 

MM

 

The organ in the Methodist Central Hall, Westmister, has a 32' front (the Violone). Sorry, I don't know which metal was used....

 

Graham

[John Robinson]

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The 32ft pipes at Leeds TH have always been heavily painted, and at the last re-build, the colour was taken back to what it was originally.

 

Cast iron sounds terribly difficult to work, but apparently it is easier to work than sheet steel if it soft enough and ductile enough. I wonder if they copied Mr Hill's machine?

 

RAH......I should have recalled that fact about the 32ft front. It's just that they look dull, and could easily be plain-metal if we didn't know better.

 

Is that still the only one?

 

MM

 

 

PS: It is very unlikely that the 32ft pipes at Leeds were galvanised. The process has been around over 150 years, and the patent was 1937, but galvanising involves pickling, heating up the zinc and then hot dipping. Cast iron, even in sheet form, is pretty good at resisting anything beyond surface corrosion, as many old bridges demonstrate along the canals and railways.

 

Yes, Porthead, I too had forgotten about the RAH. How could I?!

 

Back to Leeds TH. I'd heard that cast iron can develop surface rust, then deteriorate no further. I suppose it would depend on how thick these pipes are. Presumably they are painted on the outside only, and have a rusty coating on the inside! I must prefer the present/original colour, by the way; I understand that prior to that they were a horrible greenish colour (?)

[MusingMuso]

Yes, Porthead, I too had forgotten about the RAH. How could I?!

 

Back to Leeds TH. I'd heard that cast iron can develop surface rust, then deteriorate no further. I suppose it would depend on how thick these pipes are. Presumably they are painted on the outside only, and have a rusty coating on the inside! I must prefer the present/original colour, by the way; I understand that prior to that they were a horrible greenish colour (?)

 

 

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Yes, many bridges made from cast-iron are in good condition after 200 years. (Ironbridge springs to mind). The Forth Bridge on the other hand, being the first ever STEEL bridge, requires constant maintenance and re-painting, but is, of course, a much stronger structure than an equivalent cast-iron bridge.

 

For some peculiar reason, I am quite into bridges and bridge engineering....I blame Meccano for it.

 

I'm not sure about the green pipes, but I hope it wasn't the sort of green they used for park benches!

 

MM

[ajsphead]

====================================

 

 

The 32ft pipes at Leeds TH have always been heavily painted, and at the last re-build, the colour was taken back to what it was originally.

 

Cast iron sounds terribly difficult to work, but apparently it is easier to work than sheet steel if it soft enough and ductile enough. I wonder if they copied Mr Hill's machine?

 

RAH......I should have recalled that fact about the 32ft front. It's just that they look dull, and could easily be plain-metal if we didn't know better.

 

Is that still the only one?

 

MM

I know it doesn't go all the way down, but St Giles Edinburgh is another candidate, and the only one I can think of in strictly ecclesiastical setting. From recollection the tin looking 32' front at Liverpool Met is made from zinc sprayed and lacquered to look like tin to match the 8' tin basses.

 

I think we were overcome by the cheapness of zinc. It couldn't have been from the ease of working, or in some cases the delightfully zincky sound.

 

AJS