Drones - Cork or Thread

[Johnniez]

Hi
I have a set of pipes and they use cork in the drones. But I find them very stiff to move the drones when tuning..

Is there a difference in the performance of cork or thread.. I been thinking of changing them to thread or hemp. So they can work similar to my McCallum GHB drones.

Any thoughts on this from anyone? Should I or shouldn't I ?

Thanks
Johnnie

[KevinCorkery]

I have a Childress set of drones and had the same question. I procrastinated to the point where the tenor drone would slide down by itself while playing. On my teachers advice I changed all the slides and mainstock joint to dry thead. On the tenor I had to use plain sewing thread as there wasn't much of a gap in the slide.
So far I have had no more troubles in the year or so since I switched.
Best wishes,
Kevin

[macwarner57]

Cork is a tricky thing on bagpipes. In flutes, it's used since the instrument will be (should be) disassembled after each performance- giving the cork a chance to expand back to it's full size. If the cork is left compressed it will shrink and become loose and useless after a time. In my mind, there are only a few joints in the pipes that I don't mind disassembling every time I pack the instrument (chanter inlet tube, outer bass bend slide, maybe mainstock) so cork on small drones seems odd. If your cork is already compressed, try warming it gently with a lighter, it might sponge back up again.

Another consideration is cork grease. This feeds the cork to some extent and will give you the smoothest, highest quality seal possible. And it doesn't have to be fancy or expensive- a simple stick of plain chapstick or lip balm will work wonderfully. Just rub a small amount on your corked tenons every other performance and you should be good to go.

FYI: Susato has been selling lip balm that was declared "unfit for human consumption" as cork grease for decades. They buy it in bulk from the producers, who otherwise would be throwing it out. What's truly hilarious are all the people that order it direct from Susato like it's some sort of magic substance. You can buy it in any drugstore.

In the end, I prefer dry thread on my tenons, but cork carefully looked after is just as good.

[hpinson]

Recommendations on the right stuff in terms of thread type, and US and UK sources?

Ted Anderson has posted extensively on this topic in the past. Search this and the other sites.

No Teflon tape please! Causes more problems than it solves.

[straycat82]

Cork and PFTE (teflon) Tape are both more trouble and risk than they're worth. Using dry hemp works just fine and lasts long when applied and used properly. Cork and Tape have been touted as easy or maintenance-free but based on experience I'd avoid them. If anyone wants a maintenance free instrument the pipes ain't it

A couple good things to keep in mind when using dry hemp: get yourself some cobbler's wax or similar compound to run the first layer of hemp through so that it has something to grip it to the bare wood. I've found that if you don't, sometimes the hemp will start to spin around the wood and that can make it difficult to use your slides if they're snug because the hemp moves instead of the slide. This is especially needed if the wood is smooth and/or polished.
I also keep both a thick and a thin hemp/thread handy (I've used mostly the yellow stuff NPU sells). Sometimes one more pass of thick hemp makes the joint too snug though it may be too loose without it. The finer cotton thread (typical craft store stock) is a good way to get that extra snugness while allowing an easy-to-move joint. I've tried both 100% cotton thread and poly blends. The 100% cotton tended to break easier and fall apart quicker from slide use. The poly blend (still mostly cotton) was stronger to the use and abuse. I've heard flax yarn is also a good tuning joint wrap. Apparently it can be very snug to keep joints together but is silky enough to slide extremely easily for tuning (not recommended for non-moving joints).

[Johnniez]

Hi
I have a set of pipes and they use cork in the drones. But I find them very stiff to move the drones when tuning..
Thanks
Johnnie

Hi and thanks for all the help but only thing I must add is that I do not have a problem with looseness its tightness that is the problem as I stated in my first post to which I have put up my quote at the start of this reply..

They are so tight that when I hold the tenon end I can barely move the tenor and the baritone. The bass is fine as it has thread instead of cork..

So I think I will remove the cork and use the combinations of thread as in light and lighter thickness. Seems to be the consensus here. And for me its no big deal to do and thinking on how the bass drone slides it would be wonderful if the other two drones did the same.

Thanks a bunch fella's appreciate it..

Johnnie

[WannabePiper]

Since it's too tight, you can also just sand the cork down a bit and re-grease it before resorting to stripping it all off. If you still don't like it you can still take the cork off.

[Johnniez]

Been at it most of day and night but finally got it done. Cleaned all the inner tubes really well.. Gave two tenons a good cleaning then a little lick sanded off the cork and then used lip balm as suggested.. They be working tickety boo now and slide as smooth as a babies rear end.. When not dirty that is. !! .. lol..

Thanks so much guys..Makes such a huge difference how they perform. Pipes are Full D set of Childress ABW, Brass and Stag Horn and be 10 years old.. Still in awesome shape.. And sound great !

Johnnie