I do not know if this is an old trick, or if I am a smarty pants. I think I found a good way to get moisture to the reed.
My reed was getting dry from the winter weather. It was getting quieter and weak. I know about putting a damp sponge in the bellows, but the distance from the bellows to the chanter seemed too far.
So I took off my chanter cap and fit a very small damp paper towel into it. That way moisture would be near the reed, and not that I am lazy, but it was reall easy to do.
It worked very quickly. I am now going to cut a sponge to replace the paper towel.
Has this been done before? Is there any danger in this?
I have a fantastic new Ray Sloan chanter that is so wonderful. I would not want to ruin any part of it.
I can’t think of why it would not be safe. Could a sudden change in humidity kill a reed? 
No expert here, but could the paper towel/sponge become dislodged and fall, smack right onto the top of the reed? Especially with the bouncing that the chanter does, the vibration in that area, and the air flow/pressure forcing anything right into the reed? I know dust can get in there…
There is a tube under the chanter cap that goes into the chanter stock that would stop anything from falling onto the reed.
If you do not have a tube inside a sponge the right size would work. Also you would not want anything that would be dripping wet. 
You’re not going to get much water capacity in such a small sponge, especially with air flowing past it. Also, the nearer the source of moisture, the more exposed to sudden local changes in humidity - which can indeed stress or damage a reed. It seems unwise to me, especially given the possibility that despite your intentions, a drop of moisture is dislodged directly onto the reed.
…billh has spoken. 
A local piper got a bag with a zipper installed. He installed a GHB moisture control system and replaced the canister with a large sponge. He injects water into the center of the sponge. Two hoses from the sponge go to the chanter stock and mainstock. Air must go through the sponge to get to the stocks. The system was originally designed to keep excess moisture from the reeds, while he is adding moisture with it. Seems to work OK for him.
I wouldn’t mind getting a really good look at Mick or John O’ Brien’s bellows-humidification setup. Mick showed us his last spring but I couldn’t quite wrap my brain around it at the time; I was too busy being in awe. It involves Velcro and a flap or pocket over the intake valve plus a damp washcloth or Humidipak … it’s quite elegant, and since it’s all black and under the elbow you didn’t really notice it.
Anyone know one of those fellas well enough to get a good picture or “how-to?”
-Violin dampit in bellows.
-Cello dampit in bag.
For gigs and such.
Dang I know it was too good to be true.
I guess in an emergency I would do it though.
Back to the bellows sponge.
I second the damp-it motion. They keep the moisture away from the wood/leather which is mucho importante unless you are a fan of mold and fungus (cheese and mushrooms are exempt from this statement)
NoE showed me a groovy trick where you tie thread around the damp-it so that you can leave a bit hanging out when you replace the bellows inlet valve. It removes the ugly truth of inner bellow exploration!
Patrick
I and my pipes are happy to live on the coast, where heat and dry air are not a problem. Those living in dry areas have to battle with lack of moisture. Not many dry or hot days in Ireland, where the instrument developed. Just very thankful not to have to deal with dryness most days. Humidifiers, dampits, mold, fungi, sponges? Must be really dedicated to try to make them play where they don’t like the weather.
It’s been 30 below in Quebec for the last few days and the cold snap will continue until Sunday (when it rises to a balmy -15). At that temperature, there is 0 humidity. So my wife gets treated to a regular morning piping concert in her bathroom while she showers!
Wow,KINKY.(couldnt resist it PJ).
Loïc Blejean showed us a really effective system when he was here around Christmas time. He added an extra hole next to the air intake hole and made a threaded cap from some plumbing parts. He can attach the damp-it humidifier to the cap and insert it into the bellows really quickly and easily. During the concert he would occasionally remove the damp-it and soak it in water then put it back, only took a minute or so.
I like the idea of using the GHP moisture control system in reverse!
John
A small sponge could safely be put around the bottom of the reed surrounding the staple without danger of mishap. It may also have the added advantage of counteracting the loose fitting shrunken chanter tenon, though it might be a bit much depending. I usually just pour a tablespoon or so of water into the bellows intake hole and shake it, and the same with the bag… a bit cavalier perhaps but it works…
Great idea! I will give it a go. I ended up having to play whistle at session tonight after both of my reeds dried up.
I do have a Dampit in the bellows. At least I like my whistles.
Hi there,
It can’t be too damp. Even if you soak the reed in water, it’ll dry out fast in the chanter, the amount of air pumped by the bellows in a couple of minutes is impressive.
As John said, I recently experimented dry winter in Utah. Coming from Brittany, where it’s as damp as Ireland, the reeds could have had a hard time (or even no sound at all) without an humidifier.
I modified one of my home made bellows, I added an extra hole to insert a copper nipple (plumbing section, in any hardware store). The dampit goes in there, I screw the copper plug in, and air tight we go. I soak the dampit in a water bottle as often as needed, every ten minutes when in Utah…
Thanks to this system, I kept the pipes in tune, full tone, when we did this interview on KRCL in Salt Lake City, and had to play a couple of sets live in a really, really dry studio:
https://soundcloud.com/loicblejeanlouisabennion/itw-krcl-salt-lake-city-22-12
Loïc.
This sounds very effective…
I just want to point out that precious few reeds, if any, would survive soaking in water with any amount of air going through it afterwards, and it would take much longer than a few minutes to dry out a reed profoundly…
A picture is worth a thousand words! Thanks for the link to the great sound clip, it was great having you and Louisa visit and hearing you perform - it was an awesome show!
John