Apprenticeship training course

Organ builder (level 3)

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Information about Organ builder (level 3)

Design, manufacture and assembly of the components required in a pipe organ.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • Health & safety legislation and regulations in the work environment (in particular those relating to working at height, heavy lifting and noise abatement)
  • The methods of safe handling of materials and work processes that ensure the safety of self and others
  • The safe and sustainable disposal of waste materials
  • Properties, uses and limitations of materials used in organ building
  • The respective advantages and disadvantages of softwoods and hardwoods
  • The purposes of different grades of leather
  • The tonal qualities of pipes made from different metal alloys
  • Techniques for protecting, moving, handling and storing resources
  • The key hand and machine tools and equipment used
  • The principles of how the tools and equipment work, are prepared, maintained and safely used (including how to sharpen chisels and hand planes; the different cutting actions of band, cross-cut and rip-saws)
  • How the material must be presented to the tools and equipment in each case
  • The importance of using the right combination of guards when creating mouldings using hand-held and fixed routers
  • Employer’s quality standards how to apply and monitor including methods of recording work.
  • The elements and principles applicable to the design of pipe organs
  • The historical and contemporary contexts of organ building
  • The different forms of action & mechanisms and how they are developed and applied
  • The key differences between rebuilding, restoration, conservation and reconstruction and their respective advantages and disadvantages
  • How to diagnose, analyse and assess for manufacturing and maintenance options
  • How to diagnose faults (such as electrical or pneumatic actions) during maintenance visits and plan for their repair
  • Relevant applied mathematics & science (including metric & imperial dimensions/measurements, geometry, lever law, musical theory, acoustics and electric circuitry)
  • The anticipation of risks and resolution of problems
  • Knowing when it is appropriate to seek advice from other craft specialists and experts
  • Technique for staining, polishing and finishing

  Skills

  • Maintain correct standards of health and safety for self and for others, using safe working practices such as when handling heavy components
  • Prepare and maintain materials, tools and equipment appropriately and safely, always fitting guards to machines as required
  • Identify and minimise hazards and risks in the working environment, e.g. casting and soldering, or when treating timber with volatile compounds
  • Create and interpret technical specifications, drawings, and other written and verbal instructions (such as cutting lists, rollerboard layouts and soundboard plantings)
  • Identify and respond to problems appropriately (including testing and adjustment); seek advice and guidance when appropriate
  • Select and use the appropriate processes/techniques to undertake organ building tasks from inception to realisation
  • Select and use correct materials as required by the specific task
  • Select and use correct tools and equipment as required by the specific task
  • Construct timber components such as soundboards and wind trunking
  • Use leather to make pneumatic motors and hinges and gussets in bellows
  • Connect and test low-voltage electrical equipment
  • Make wooden pipework
  • Make metal pipework
  • Put pipes onto speech and tune them
  • Lay bearings for tuning
  • Put individual pipes and complete ranks back into tune
  • Identify and resolve action faults in existing instruments
  • Remove and dismantle components safely and systematically
  • Re-assemble components and test that everything is working properly
  • Select appropriate stain/polish for finishing woodwork
  • Applies quality assurance checks throughout the organ building process
  • Follows policies and procedures; has consistent attention to detail
  • Communicate and work effectively with others as part of a team

  Behaviours

  • Takes ownership of work
  • Committed to continuous professional development
  • Acts in a professional manner. Be courteous, respectful and professional whether workshop or site-based
  • Team focussed and works effectively with colleagues and others
  • Accepts change and is adaptable to meet customer needs
  • Champions and promotes pipe organ building
• Apprenticeship category (sector): Creative and design
• Qualification level: 3; Equal to A level
• Course duration: 36 months
• Maximum funding: £24,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Organ Builder
  • General Organ Builder
  • Organ Tuner
  • Voicer
  • Pipe Maker
  • Designer

View more information about Organ builder (level 3) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.