Specialists in making
organ mixture pipes
Why Mixtures are the most challenging pipes to make
Shires are specialists in making Mixtures – perhaps the most challenging organ pipes to manufacture.
For the layperson, a mixture is a type of compound stop that sounds a combination of pitches, most often octaves and fifths. They are used to add brightness and richness to the sound.
When starting a new rank, marking out the bodies and feet consistently to a given scale can be confusing, unless the pipemaker is highly experienced.
It takes many years to become proficient at marking out. It also takes patience, calmness and determination to be able to stay at the bench for the long hours it takes to complete multiple ranks. To ensure consistency, we always have just one pipemaker making one mixture.
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We believe that our colleague George Harry Fowler has made more mixtures than anyone alive. His consistency and quality has shone throughout a 63-year career. He has made them for most of the cathedrals in this country and also for abroad – and he continues to do so.
1. Rolling up the feet
​We call this process, rolling up and knocking down. Knocking down refers to beating the edges of the metal so that they meet flush, ready to be soldered. George is using his rounding block with grooves to allow the mandrel to fit flush. The block also rounds the foot after soldering. Most of our blocks and mandrels are over 100 years old. His beater is made from lignum vitae, a hard wood that sinks in water. George has had it since the start of his career.
2. Flatting upper and lower lip
George uses a traditional flatting tool to form the upper and lower lip, this mixture has a quarter mouth. The foot and body of the pipe are put on to the tool and pushed down with a polished burnisher. The upper lip is usually pushed flat without a curve. However, the lower lip on the foot has a slight curve when looked at from the side. Flutes usually have more of a curve on the lower lip than a standard principal pipe.
3. Preparation of the languid
George is planing the back of the languid. The metal he is planing has notches on it. Each one marks one languid.​ He is planing the back of the languid thinner than the front, this helps when fitting the foot to the body. After this is done, the required angle is planed on to the front edge of the languid, in this case 60 degrees.
4. Tacking on the languid
George tacks a languid on to the foot. Before he applies a tack he checks the windway is correct and level. We usually judge windways by eye. As a guide, it is usually the same thickness as the lower lip. When it has been tacked on, excess metal is nipped off and filed to an angle which allows the foot to sit inside the body when assembled. Finally, the languid is sweat on, that is, sealed with solder ready to be soldered to the body.