In this day in age where pipe organs are expensive we realize that quality and longevity are very important to our clients, therefore we strive to obtain the finest materials possible. Because we feel that even though better quality materials are expensive, it saves the client money in the long run by providing longer-lasting components with reduced maintenance.

Williamson Warne & Associates strive to obtain from sources worldwide the best materials that we can at the most competitive price. Though we are conservative and have top quality and longevity in mind, we are continuously searching for better materials and techniques in helping our organs to perform their best for as long as possible.

Type of materials used in organbuilding.

Bone
Bone is a type of hard endoskeletal connective tissue found in many vertebrate animals. Bones support body structures, protect internal organs, and (in conjunction with muscles) facilitate movement; are also involved with cell formation, calcium metabolism, and mineral storage. The bones of an animal are, collectively, known as the skeleton...
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Cloth
Rubber cloth is a material usually made from cotton or other cloth materials, and either coated with a layer of rubber, or the cloth material is impregnated with rubber. There are a variety of different types of rubber cloths, depending on the application)...
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Felt
Felt is normally a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers. The fibers form the structure of the fabric. It can be cross-stitched, known as woven felt, to add additional integrity. Felt is used in organbuilding for gaskets, bushing, spacers, lining material for blower boxes, or in racking of pipework...
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Felt
Felt punching

Gold
Gold articles are found extensively in antiquity mainly as jewelry e.g. Bracelets, rings etc. Early gold artifacts are rarely pure and most contain significant silver contents. This led to the ancients naming another metal - electrum, which was an alloy of gold and silver, pale yellow and similar in color to amber...
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Phosphor Bronze
Phosphor bronze is an alloy of copper with 3.5 to 10% of tin and a significant phosphorus content of up to 1%. The phosphorus is added as deoxidising agent during melting. These alloys are notable for their toughness, strength, low coefficient of friction, and fine grain...
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Sheet metal
Sheet metal is made from steel that has been galvanized Hot dip galvanizing is the process of applying a zinc coating to fabricated iron or steel material by immersing the material in a bath consisting primarily of molten zinc...
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Steel
Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. Carbon acts as a hardening agent, preventing iron atoms, which are naturally arranged in a lattice, from sliding past one another...
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Wood
Probably the most used material in organbuilding. It used in practically every portion of the organ from casework to console, from chestwork to structure, and from winding system to pipework. Different types of woods are selected depending on the usageWood can also be finished in a variety of ways using a selection of stains and/or dyes, fillers and finishes.
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Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, a solid-solid solution. Typically it is more than 50 % copper. Some types of brass are called bronzes, despite their high zinc content...
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Copper
The use of copper in antiquity is of more significance than gold as the first tools, implements and weapons were made from copper. From 4,000 to 6,000 BC was the Chalcolithic period which was when copper came into common use. The symbol for copper is Cu and comes from the latin cuprum meaning from the island of Cyprus...
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Glass
Natural glass has existed since the beginnings of time, formed when certain types of rocks melt as a result of high-temperature phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, lightning strikes or the impact of meteorites, and then cool and solidify rapidly...
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Ivory
Ivory is a hard, white, opaque substance that is the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals such as the elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth, etc. Prior to the introduction of plastics, it was used for billiard balls, piano keys, buttons and ornamental items. The word "ivory" was traditionally applied to the tusks of elephants...
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Pipe metal
Metal used for the making of organ pipes. It is made from a combination of tin, lead or a combination of these 2 metals. On occasion other trace elements are added, such as antimony or bismuth. Generally the higher the tin content of the pipe, the brighter the tone, and the higher the lead content the more mellow the tone. Pipe metal is also used in the making of metal tubing for transmitting wind)...
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Silver
Although silver was found freely in nature, its occurrence was rare. Silver is the most chemically active of the noble metals, is harder than gold but softer than copper. It ranks second in ductility and malleability to gold...
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Synthetic materials
Synthetic, or man-made materials, are used in organbuilding today. Generally referred to as 'plastics', they have gain acceptance in the organbuilding community.
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>What is a solid surface

Zinc
Metal used primarily in the construction of larger organ pipes. Zinc is the third most used nonferrous metal (after aluminum and copper), of which the U.S. consumes more than one million metric tons annually...
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Canvas
Canvas, strong, coarse cloth of cotton, flax, hemp, or other fibers, early used as sailcloth. Left in its natural color, bleached, or dyed, it has a wide variety of uses. In organbuilding, it is used for heavy duty hinge materials in reservoirs and bellows, and is also cut into strips and used for tying up and securing pipework.

Cork
Cork material is a subset of generic cork tissue, harvested for commercial use primarily from the Cork Oak tree, Quercus suber, with Portugal producing most cork worldwide...
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Glues
Historically, glue only refers to protein colloid adhesives prepared from animal  tissues, such as hide glue, bone glue, or fish glue...
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Leather
 Leather is derived from the processing of animal hides and skins into a usable material known as leather. Leather in organs is used for many purposes, from leather diaphragms and pouches, to corners on reservoirs to gasket material. It has qualities that it is air-tight, will remain pliable, and is reasonably long lasting. It has been used successfully for centuries within pipe organs...
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Rubber
Rubber is an elastic hydrocarbon polymer which occurs as a milky emulsion (known as latex) in the sap of a number of plants but can also be produced synthetically. The major commercial source of the latex used to create rubber is the Para rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis (Euphorbiaceae)...
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Stains
Wood stain is a type of paint that is very "thin," that is, low in viscosity, and formulated so that the pigment penetrates the surface rather than remaining in a film on top of the surface. Stain is predominantly pigment or dye and solvent with little binder, designed primarily to add color without providing a surface coating.

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