[ Ref. Michael Taylor's query in 010804 MMDigest]

Any wood finish will work on wood pipes.  The finish is for appearance
only.  On reproduction work, shellac is quite standard and is also easy
to apply or repair.  Normally, the inside of the pipe is sealed by
rolling the entire piece with glue during assembly.  Porous woods,
minor defects, or slight imperfections in the joinery will prevent the
pipe from speaking well.  Sealing the inside eliminates these problems.

John M. Nolte - Nolte Organ Building
1643 South 38th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53215