Laukhuff Closing

I do not mean to say at any time that pipe organ building is an easy profession. It never was. It is still worthy for some of us to pursue, even if not full-time, with its rich history.

Laukhuff GmbH, a German firm that many see as integral to pipe organ building, closed for good last month. You could source anything from small parts to complete organs - not me - through them. They provided me with small action components and one keyboard. Their blowers for making the organ wind were the best around.

We will all be thinking about how to replace their loss in the work we do. However, finding an alternative to replace those small parts may not be so difficult. For example, I solids modeled all the action components I used to construct my instruments several years ago, and they now form a helpful library of parts.

One solution? I can export any part found in my library to a firm specializing in additive manufacturing and have new components produced not of nylon or plastic but metal.

Although I have not done business with a lot of them, there are other firms to take up the slack, and I should start doing my homework as we want to begin building soon.

Posted July 5, 2021 11:32