Visit Our Workshop

Fratelli Ruffatti, ca. 1960.
Over half a century in the same location.

Welcome to our workshop! Here you will see some interesting and important aspects of our daily work. It is a family run shop, where Piero and Francesco Ruffatti are personally and deeply involved in all phases of planning, construction, quality control, and voicing of their instruments. In addition, you will see that, instead of being outsourced, the most important components of our instruments are manufactured in house, thus obtaining the ultimate control over the many variables that “make the difference”.

We were among the first in the world, years ago, to apply CAD techniques to pipe organ design. Today, we utilize the latest 3-D computerized techniques for the architectural planning of our instruments.

Michela Ruffatti at design computer

A Tiny Tour

The woodworking department is where entire instruments are assembled prior to shipping to their final destinations.

The woodworking department is where entire instruments are assembled prior to shipping to their final destinations.

Basilica Quartu St. Elena organ during pre-assembly in the Ruffatti factory

Basilica Quartu St. Elena organ during pre-assembly in the Ruffatti factory

Our beautiful mahogany pipes are lovingly crafted with skill and precision.

Our beautiful mahogany pipes are lovingly crafted with skill and precision.

From those the size of a pencil to these 32′ giants, all of our pipes are made by hand in our factory.

From those the size of a pencil to these 32′ giants, all of our pipes are made by hand in our factory.

Wood carving by hand is a specialty at Fratelli Ruffatti.

Wood carving by hand is a specialty at Fratelli Ruffatti.

The individual fitting of each pipe on its rackboard.

Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

A complete metal shop allows us to manufacture in-house a myriad of metal components

A complete metal shop allows us to manufacture in-house a myriad of metal components

Manufacturing the iron structural supports for one of our instruments

Manufacturing the iron structural supports for one of our instruments

Each reed block is individually shaped on the lathe.

Each reed block is individually shaped on the lathe.

Our console and assembly department.

Our console and assembly department.

Re-leathering a wedge-type bellows for the restoration of an historical organ.

Re-leathering a wedge-type bellows for the restoration of an historical organ.

Gluing pneumatic valves.

Gluing pneumatic valves.

Pipe metal sheets are cast over the marble table just as our predecessors did centuries ago. The only difference: strict health safety measures for protection of personnel.

Pipe metal sheets are cast over the marble table just as our predecessors did centuries ago. The only difference: strict health safety measures for protection of personnel.

The shaping and soldering of metal pipes is entirely done by hand.

The shaping and soldering of metal pipes is entirely done by hand.

Pipe voicing: the cutting of the mouth’s “upper lip”.

Pipe voicing: the cutting of the mouth’s “upper lip”.

The preliminary voicing of the pipes. It will be performed once again at final destination, to adapt the sound to the room acoustics.

The preliminary voicing of the pipes. It will be performed once again at final destination, to adapt the sound to the room acoustics.

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