Al Sefl's notes on how to pack pipes in pipe trays.

 

 

1) A fully loaded 2 manual console with a full combination action can weight

800+ pounds.  Get a serious furniture dolly and pray there are no stairs.

 

2) Pipe trays (crates) are made of 1x8 or 1x10 or 1x12 shelving pine sides

and ends with a 3/8" minimum bottom and top of plywood.  Skids of 1x2 pine

furring strips crosswise every 2 feet will give further support and

protection to the pipes inside.  Attach swing up type handles to the ends for

lifting.  8' trays will work for almost every rank and can sometimes hold

more than one rank.  Bugle screws (deck or drywall) hold well.  Longer trays

with less height are needed for 8' strings and shorter trays are fine for Vox

Humanas & Kinuras. 

 

3) Label everything as it comes apart with masking tape so you know how it

goes back together.

 

4) Move the console and the blower first.  They go most forward in the moving

van and if you make a quick stop these heavy items won't crush anything. 

Don't worry about acceleration while loaded, with 4 tons of organ that won't

be a problem.

 

5) Pipes going into trays should be packed chromatically with the open ends

up against the wood ends.  That way a sudden bump won't damage the toes. 

Pipe mouths should not be against other pipes and are best arranged to not

come in contact with anything else.  In some instances the mouth may be put

to the side or even upward where no force will deform it.

 

6) Use a good quality of brown paper packing and not newsprint which is acid

bleached if there is any chance of moisture or long term storage.

 

7)  Pipes may be placed with a row or two of smaller pipes above larger pipes

except the very delicate and soft-thin walled strings that are sometimes

found.  Layers are separated by a layer of paper.

 

8)  Putting smaller pipes in larger pipes works for woods but when pipes

slide one into the other and the inside pipe hits the languid, it's revoicing

time again.  All it takes is a slight tilt of the tray or stopping the truck

too fast.

 

9)  On reed ranks with separable sockets and shanks make sure the heavy reed

blocks and their boots are packed so they cannot get ballistic within the

tray.

 

10) Its late and I am going for another Scotch on the rocks but I must

confess that I have forgotten no less than 100 more important points.

 

11)  Oh Yeah!  Don't use mouths as hand holds to lift pipes, either wooden or

metal.  And, don't use pipe feet as handles either.  Nothing can ruin your

day more than standing there holding a pipe foot of an 8' octave Open

Diapason that wasn't soldered all that well.  Likewise don't lift wood pipes

with the wooden pipe feet or stoppers..........

 

12)  When you get ready to work on it, use nothing but HOT GLUE!  NO WHITE

GLUE from Elmers or any other Home Depot product.