Household products useful to a piper.

[pancelticpiper]

I've spent a large amount of time in three different piping traditions, and it struck me how each one was centered around a different common household product:

Highland pipes: electrical tape

Uilleann pipes: rubber bands

Bulgarian gaida: plastic bags

Many years ago I was playing Boehm flute a bit and one of the high trill keys was leaking so I threw a rubber band around it. I was out somewhere playing and somebody looked at my flute and said "you must be a piper!"

[rorybbellows]

Pipe lagging as below ,makes a good protector cover for your chanter and other types of plumbing pipe are good for reed storage. All available from your local plumbing shop .


RORY

[Kevin L. Rietmann]

Schrunchy elastic bands for tying up a ponytail work a lot better than rubber bands for holding down recalcitrant keys, they don't break down over time. I don't know if a hobbyist's wood lathe counts as a household product but I've found my useful for all sorts of jobs, making plugs, bellows valves, mandrels, sanding cylinders, what have you.

[geoff wooff]

I have recycled hotwater cylinders on several occasions to utilise the Copper sheet that they are made from. Perhaps this is why I arrived at using 0.7mm thick Copper for my Staples .

Another household item that can be recycled for pipemaking are old Spoons and Forks. Much of the EPNS cutlery has been thrown out in favour of Stainless Steel and these rejected pieces can render suitable crossections for Key making. In fact I used this source of Nickel silver for key making for many years untill moving back to Europe I was able to find a supplier of 4 and 5mm thick sheets.
To use this old cutlery , that can be found in secondhand ( junk, antique,charity, ) shops, flea markets,garage sales, etc etc.. look for heavy quality pieces that can be forged or soldered together. Quality will vary and you results may do also.

[PCL]

Razor blades!

[Tony]

Toothpaste does a great job at polishing metal parts and it smells nice too!

[Kevin L. Rietmann]

My copper sheet for staples was originally flashing on a roof.

[Ceann Cromtha]

Schrunchy elastic bands for tying up a ponytail work a lot better than rubber bands for holding down recalcitrant keys, they don't break down over time. I don't know if a hobbyist's wood lathe counts as a household product but I've found my useful for all sorts of jobs, making plugs, bellows valves, mandrels, sanding cylinders, what have you.

The best rubber bands I've ever used I've made by cutting an appropriate section out of a bicycle tire inner tube. (This is also much more aesthetically pleasing than anything else I've seen.) If you get a skinny one, it's ideal for the purpose you mention. You can use other sizes for other purposes as well. I got mine by going to a bicycle repair shop and asking to buy an old one. The mechanic told me to wait and came out with a handful of ones that had been replaced and gave them to me free of charge. One tube is probably a lifetime supply.

[dow]

The best rubber bands I've ever used I've made by cutting an appropriate section out of a bicycle tire inner tube.

Yeah, but it's really hard to get those cyclists to stop long enough for your to cut a new band when you need one.

[An Draighean]

The best rubber bands I've ever used I've made by cutting an appropriate section out of a bicycle tire inner tube.

Yeah, but it's really hard to get those cyclists to stop long enough for your to cut a new band when you need one.

A Pakistani chanter through the spokes of the wheel will stop them in a hurry when necessary.

[dow]

A Pakistani chanter through the spokes of the wheel will stop them in a hurry when necessary.

So that's what they're good for. Finally we know.

[Ian Lawther]

I recently needed to make a good seal while capping an unused gas pipe and immediately went to my pipe case, not my tool box, to get PTFE plumbers tape.......

Ian

[giles b]

Chairs, without arms, are pretty handy.