Work on restoring the Capri organ’s Glockenspiel is now complete, thanks to our organ maintenance team of volunteers and master organ builder Richard Larritt.
The Glockenspiel has 37 pneumatic motors which operate under wind pressure to make hammers hit the metal bars in order to make sound. Each of the pneumatic motors is covered in leather to allow for movement, and it is this leather that is aged and which needs replacing. The process is as follows.
All motors are carefully removed from the frame and the old leather is peeled off. The wooden parts of the motors are refurbished ready for new leather to be stuck on. New leather strips are cut to size and meticulously affixed to the wood. The leather being used is kangaroo glove leather. It is very supple, strong and is long lasting. The motors are then glued back onto the frame and the hammers reattached. The entire frame is then remounted onto the Glock, after which adjustments to the operation of the motors and hammers are made.
The glockenspiel is now back in place, with some fancy new lighting, as seen at the end of the video below.
You can now make tax-deductible donations to the organ fund, which is used exclusively for the restoration of the mighty WurliTzer theatre organ. Click here for more information.