Seeking Stop key (still)

Uilleann Pipes
21

Thanks PJ

Any idea which works best

22

In fact, thanks Chris Bayley.

I don’t know which one works best. Mine is closest to type C. It works fine.

You should also have a look at Nick Whitmer’s valved chanter top.

23

While all those styles can work, they are pretty daunting for home-builders and not something that can be retrofit onto an existing cap.

There’s another design, which basically turns the end mount/cap of the chanter top into a two-way rotary valve. (This requires a “T-style” chanter cap, not a “swan neck” style). You can probably make such an end cap yourself, if the existing “cap” mount is removable. The new end piece requires a long plug that goes into the cap as far as the T junction, thus blocking the flow of air completely. Then you can bore a diagonal hole (or two intersecting holes) in one side of the “plug”, so that air only can flow when it’s rotated to the proper orientation.

This is not a totally maintenance-free solution, since the cap/plug fit must be just right, to allow rotation without blowing out into the air at an inappropriate moment… but the pro models are not totally foolproof either. And of course, if your existing mount was attached with tight thread binding/packing, you can always revert if your homemade stop key proves troublesome.

Bill

24

much like this:

http://www.uilleannobsession.com/docs/patrick_hutchinson_valve.pdf

T

25

Thanks TommyK!

I was hoping somebody would turn up the diagrams/etc., I couldn’t remember where I’d seen this design.

I also, as it happens, saw a similar thing, possibly inspired by the Hutchinson cap, on a chanter of unknown provenance, >25? years old.

Bill

26

Not dissimilar to the Pat Hutchinson idea, here’s the photo of the Kenna (?) set from the front of the Drones and the Chanters Vol 1.:

The chanter top has a switch type valve similar to the fillowing image from the website of Chris Bayley, which I believe CB made:

27

Very informative! Neat to see some cool alternatives! I’m still holding out for a key… (Have I learned nothing?! :stuck_out_tongue: )

28

Bill mentioned a mechanism “possibly inspired by the Hutchinson cap” from 25 years ago. Flattering, but unlikely, as yer man only started playing at about that time. As Peter Laban pointed out the last time this topic came up, many people have invented and re-invented this independently, usually to meet their own needs at the time.
It still works perfectly by the way.

29

Aha! Mystery solved :slight_smile:

t