hello all.
I’m preparing the designs and materials to make a bellows and a bag. I’ve been working off multiple designs found on-line and a few things do not match up or seem to be missing in what I’ve found.
A few quick questions that someone here might be able to answer:
-Should a valve be installed in the bag as well as the bellows or is the valve on the bellows enough?
-Would I be better off using a true metal hinge to connect the two wood sides of the bellows or should I use a thick piece of leather on the outside to keep the wood stable?
Pointers on connecting the blow stock and the chanter stock would be helpful too. I get the concepts but am not completely sure how its going to turn out.
I’ve never played a set of pipes so this all may seem very presumptuous but a lack of funds made this project and a David Daye chanter the only way I was going to get off the ground with my desire to play this instrument. Thanks a bunch for anything.
Definately install a valve in the bag, or rather, not quite on the bag but on the tenon of the airpipe that fits into the bag.
Opinions vary. I’ve had both metal hinge and leather. Some prefer the metal hinge as it allows for more efficient pumping (more air per pump of the bellows). I prefer leather as it gives more play - my arm/shoulder don’t have to adjust to the bellows: the bellows will adjust to my movement.
I find a good “blowing gear” very, very important. Especially the bag. The tighter the better. The McHarg bag is tight but I find it a bit big. 3/4 would be sufficient. A bag that is as tight as a tire of course is best, but it shouldn´t be a tracktor´s tire either cause air (unlike liquids) can be compressed. Wish that more pipers at tionóls would allow others to try their gear with their own chanters inserted. Eventually you will come across a set that nearly plays itself - with your own chanter in it (People with swollen bellys caused by Arthur Guinness or Ronald McDonald might have problems).
I second this. Most metall hinges can´t cope with the slight side-movements and might cause troubles in time. Besides (IMO): The simpler the better.
I´ve made several bellows and agree with PJ but if the leather of the gusset is thick enough (2 or 2 1/2 mm) the stability and, in consecuence, the effectiveness doesn´t rely on how strong the hinge is.
I´ve had a bellows with strong leather hinge (4.5 mm thick) and thin gusset the result was a bellows that doesn´t take advantage of the pump action. (of course I throw it to the bin) and made other two bellows from which I´ll post some pics soon
I hope it help
I have made both hinged and unhinged bellows and definitely prefer being unhinged
I’d argue against the metal hinge for two reasons.
A fixed metal hinge restricts lateral movement of the clappers in accordance with the variability of how the arm moves. The arm wants to move about and not be restricted to one movement.
The metal will likely will come in contact with the mainstock and perhaps drones or regulators at some point, with resulting damage. Wood vs metal, metal wins. I have a nice scratch on my bass drone to prove it.
A stout leather hinge (like you describe) or a wood bearing, as is described in the DM Quinn Pipers review articles seems preferable, at least for me. Both allow lateral movement. If I remember, the DM Quinn article has a good discussion of this.
