The "primary" is the mechanism in the chest which is activates notes on the chest to play from a signal from the keyboard. Ernest Skinner's mechanism is Electro-pheumatic, meaning electrically activated, but air-powered. A small magnet pulls a armature valved which exhausts a small pouch in the primary. This in turn, pulls open a larger valved which collapses a larger pouch. This pouch then pulls open a larger valve which can exhaust a channel for the note on the chest. All the sets of pipes have a pipe above this channel which have their own valves. The channel has to be large enough to exhaust all of them. (Sometimes as many as 10-12.) The chests at Grace Episcopal were releathered by Moller in the early 70s. The organ had come due for restoration already because the tanning process of the leather in the 70s just has not provided the lifespan and durability of the original 1920s leather or current leather.
The primary in place in the organ. Note the Direct Electric magnet assisting the secondary valve as a temporary measure until it could be releathered.
Primary after arrival at the shop and the first cover removed.
The two faces separated. Several pouches were so weak that they tore when their valves were removed.
Starting to scrape off the pouches.
Cleaning off the fiber disks to be reglued to the new pouches.
Ken removing the old valve nut and straightening the valve stem.
Gluing the fiber disks on the new pouches.
The valves with new and old nuts. These were new valves made by Moller in the 70s.
Ken winding off the old nuts, straightening the valve stem if needed, and putting on the new nuts. Note the marked ruler for the valve distances.
Gluing on the prmary pouches.
Halfway done.
Gluing on the secondary pouches.
All the valves done and waiting.
The finished secondary pouches.
The Primary and Secondary Halfs brought together.
Screwing in the primary valves while putting a back pressure on the pouch.