I've always been fascinated by pipe organs and thought I might try my hand at making a pipe or two. I'm going to be building up North soon and if I like it, maybe I'll include a loft in the shop. :)

A lot of uncommon tools and materials are used, so I've been accumulating them when I see them. Many can be fabricated, but for some like the iron, there is no substitute for the real thing.

This iron was extremely tough to find in the U.S., even with the internet. The only supplier I found that actually had one was wholesale only and wouldn't sell to an individual. I started an email exchange with a builder in Washington and he offered to buy one for me, but then I found another builder closer but by chance I found another one relatively close by. I also picked up a slab of marble on Craigslist for the casting bench and have been accumulating tin and lead. There is also the sizing (resist) made of gum arabic, calcium carbonate (chalk), and stearine candles for the flux. Definitely not something commonly found in Home Depot.

Tom