Hello MMDers,  After reading all the different points of view concerning
restoration of pipes in fair organs I thought I would share mine.  As
for the interior pipes in organs I've never been commissioned to
restore or replicate from any style.

For the last 23 years my area of expertise has been restoring and
replicating European antiques and the case work of automatic musical
instruments.  This requires that, in most cases, I need to replicate
missing parts to complete the project back to original condition.

The two fair organs that I have restored (a Wurlitzer style 150 and a
North Tonawanda style 192) both needed galleries, finials and more than
half the front facade carvings.  The key is finding somebody that has
the original parts that will allow me to borrow them to use as a
pattern.  There a several collectors out there who are glad to see
instruments being restored and are willing to help (for free, if you
can believe that!).

For me, in replicating anything it is simple: you use the same type of
wood, the same type of tool used in the original (I hand carve all
carved parts), create custom router bits to match existing moldings if
necessary, and match new veneer to old veneer.  (There are lumber
companies that get wood from around the world)

So the way I see it, it takes more time to replicate something back to
the exact original, the way it should be done, whether it's an organ
pipe or a carved gallery.

It's always faster and cheaper to build something close to what your
copying, compared to replicating the original and hoping that nobody
has noticed the difference.  Maybe that is where the problem lies.

Thanks,
Ricky Diggs
Custom Woodworking