I’m in need of making a replacement blowpipe flapper on one of my sets… was curious if there were any tricks to fabricating one…
On this one, the leather has been thinned to make the hinge for valve and is held on the end of the blowpipe with a tiny wood screw. I’m curious if people thin the leather before or after cutting the piece to size… What’s the best way to thin down a piece of leather? Scrape it with a safety razor blade?
I know, its a lame question, but you never know… better to look stupid once than to waste a morning going about the solution the wrong way…
One Synthetic replacement trick. Take a Bicycle inner tube, deflated of course. Lay it flat. right along the edge, there is a nice natural bend. Cut somewhere in the region of the bend.
Silicon sealant goop stuff.. at least I think this is how it works.. administer a blob of goopy stuff onto wax paper. put wax paper over the top and roll it out with a rolling pin (or something that approximates rolling pin) until desired thickness is achieved, . let it dry then cut it to size.
On the modern side. Many GHB valves nowdays, like the Beck Valve for example. (which Mr. Beck uses in his neoprene bellows, that he claims can power a GHB) incorperate a good old fashioned rubber valve thingie as seen in Mine safety appliance type products. I.E. Gas masks. The thingie is round and held in place in the middle. IT can be seen in action if you look at a respirator mask in the hardware store.
Michael, There are several different arrangements used by pipe makers, but with the arrangement you have, I’ve always used thin leather to begin with…leather from a lady’s purse that is finshed on one side and soft on the other (so thin and soft you can almost wad, or compact, this leather up into a ball).
I use an exacto knife, or razor, to slice 1/2 through the finished side to make the hinge, then tie the extension to the side of the wooden pipe which should be flattened with the soft leather towards the hole. The slice should fit right to the edge of the pipe, facing up. There should be an angle at the end of the pipe so that the flap doesn’t have to hinge 90 deg. It’s more like a 70 deg. bend so that the leather hinge lets the flap close easily. 90 deg. bends can keep it from closing when back-air pressure is applied. Yes, the pipe is cut to that angle.
Some pipers treat (soften, seal-wax, oil) the soft leather where it meets the wood, to assure a closure, but not so much that it sticks. I never use anything…I just press the soft leather to the wood, and hold, till it assumes the shape of the wood.
