Allow me to gush just a bit...

Uilliam · Post by **Uilliam** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:24 am

The seller ended this listing early because the item is no longer available for sale.
frae EBay... guess Doc was just havin a bad day wot wi xmas coming up etc...
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 8:59 am

I had a moment last week where I very nearly became rational and gave up piping for more responsible pursuits.

Not to worry, the feeling passed.
When you put something on eBay and get strong waves of nausea I guess that means you're not ready to sell....just couldn't do it.

Just found this thread this morning. I had no idea my piping career was of such interest. Maybe I should write a book.

Doc

Uilliam · Post by **Uilliam** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 12:05 pm

Doc Jones wrote: Just found this thread this morning. Doc

it was yersel that started it

Uilliam

PJ · Post by PJ » Sat Dec 16, 2006 12:51 pm

Doc Jones wrote:I had no idea my piping career was of such interest.

Oh, it is. If you quit, it's curtains for us all!

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 3:03 pm

Uilliam wrote:
Doc Jones wrote: Just found this thread this morning. Doc

it was yersel that started it
Uilliam

Correction:

I didn't realize it had been resurrected until this morning.

I've been daily shipping 15 or so flutes, answering 50 or 60 emails and talking to 3 or four spouses that have no idea what they want for their musical mates for Christmas. Oh, and then there's my veterinary practice...

The worst of it is I'm trying desperately to die of a head cold and having no luck whatsoever.

PJ wrote:
Doc Jones wrote:I had no idea my piping career was of such interest.
Oh, it is. If you quit, it's curtains for us all!

PJ, when I write my book you can write the forward.

Doc

bcpipes · Post by **bcpipes** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 6:55 pm

The chanter (bottom right) was in ABW as, according to BC, the Kingwood was difficult to work with. Pity, as it's a gorgeous looking wood.

Not so much that it was difficult to work with, In terms of lathing and cutting. It is a difficult wood to accurately finish the bore, and consequently didn't make a very good chanter. Grain fibers were very long and tough and tended to finish "hairy". It was, however, within tolerance of consistency for regs and drones.

DarthWeasel · Post by **DarthWeasel** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:26 pm

Is it possible to "coat" the bore with something and the then ream it again to give it a smoother surface? Just curious.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:06 am

DarthWeasel wrote:Is it possible to "coat" the bore with something and the then ream it again to give it a smoother surface? Just curious.

Possible? Yes.

It's done on the Japanese Shakuhachi. However, those are made from porous bamboo. Unless the coating material has good penetrating properties and you have 2 reamers designed for this process, so the coating is substantial and doesn't get reamed away, what works in theory could fail in application.

From this website: http://www.shakuhachi.com/TOC-MM.html

I read somewhere clarinets or some other wooden band instruments have coated bores.

Beau Comiseau · Post by **Beau Comiseau** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:17 am

simonknight · Post by **simonknight** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 7:35 am

Tony wrote:
I read somewhere clarinets or some other wooden band instruments have coated bores.

Bassoons have a hard rubber liner for part of the bore which is either glued in or on the best instrument cast into the bore around a mandrel. It's quite thick, 3-4mm. The reason for the liner is that maple eventually gets hairy as a result of water damage which destroys the tone. It's important that it is acoustically well bonded to the maple. Some of the tone holes are also lined with rubber, nickel silver, or silver.

Instruments made out of ebony, rosewood or blackwood (a few bassoons, oboes and clarinets) don't need this.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 7:41 am

Are bassoons made from white (soft) maple or rock (hard) maple?

simonknight · Post by **simonknight** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:39 am

The best instruments are made from mountain maple that grows in Bosnia, Berg Ahorn (Acer pseudoplatanus), which is also called sycamore maple. The riegal or curly variety looks and sounds the best (and is the most expensive). It's steamed then air dried for 7-12 years before the bores are drilled over a period of another couple of years.

Fox the Amrican maker also uses Black Maple (denser), Big Leaf Maple (less dense), Red Maple (a cheaper version of Berg Ahorn), and Sugar Maple (very durable).

Denser wood generally produces an instrument that is less flexible. This dredges up the old argument that the material has no effect on the sound. Fox makes instruments with identical bores and different maples - the density of the wood definitely makes a difference.

An important characteristic of the maple used is that it must be machineable since the key posts are screwed directlly into the wood.