Hey all,
I am fortunate enough to have a couple nice working reeds for my B chanter. What are the thoughts on playing unused reeds? Just plug 'em in once a month and play a few tunes? Give them a good crow? I’d like to keep them happy and healthy when I’m not using them.
I also have a sticky F nat key. While it sounds like a great thing to say to the ladies, in reality it’s more of an annoying affliction. It stays open slightly and is slow in closing. I’m not sure if it is the spring or the wood although it’s dry here so so I kind of doubt it’s the wood. I’ve read some of the threads that using almond oil can do the trick, but was at the Indian grocery today and it was $10 which is a bit more than I felt like spending.
Any other oils work? I picked up some ghee, I could just slather the whole chanter in ghee and some ginger pickle and call it lunch but don’t think that’s going to help my poor key.
Before you do anything else, take the key off, clean the key and also the key blocks and bed with white spirit or similar, and polish the sides of the key. In most cases that should do. If not, have a look at the key bed, sometimes the spring can dig a notch into the bed and gets stuck there. If you feel the key spring is weak, you should consult your pipemaker, different spring materials require different methods of strengthening.
What’s the best way for removing the key? A paperclip or similar and push the little, um, metal thingy out?
It dependes what type your key is. If it is pillar mounted, the pivot (the metal thingy) should have a tiny slot on one side for a very small screw driver, if this is the case, you just unscrew it and it will come out. If it is block mounted, you first have a look at both ends of the pivot. If one end is bigger or flat or has a bend on it, this is the side that comes out, so you push from the other side with whatever you have handy which is smaller in size, a paper clip might do fine. If both ends look the same it doesn’t necessarily mean they are - many pivots are very slightly tapered to prevent them from falling out during playing. The thicker end is usually the one that’s up in playing position, so in case of a long F key to be worked with the little finger of your top hand it is likely to be the end at the back of the chanter. If in doubt, CAREFULLY try both ways, whichever feels easier is probably the right way, and keep in mind which way the pivot has been in so you don’t reverse it when reassembling.
What’s the best way for removing the key?
Hammer. Preferably a big one.