I’ve just developed a slow leak in the bellows. I’ll do the soapy water spray to see where the leak is. I assume I can use some “goop” to seal it by removing the valve and pouring the stuff into it, shaking to coat it uniformaly and then applying pressure to seal it. So what makes a good bellows sealer?? I know NoE has used a murphy’s soap solution (need proportions/ingredients if that is an appropriate sealant) as a bag sealant.
Fel - did you check your bellows inlet valve first? This is always a good idea - it’s an easy problem to fix and is usually the culprit with leaky bellows.
Check the valve first (and outlet connector), but before you use soap bubbles to look for the leak, try just using your ear. As for sealing, there are lots of recipies. 100% lanolin (melted then poured in) works. It’s sticky, sticky, gooey stuff. Seals well & is good for leather.
Dionys
Fel-
Yeah, what Pat said 
I used Royce’s formula to season my bag: 3 parts pure flax soap (e.g. Murphy’s Oil Soap–the liquid type) to 1 part vegetable shortening (I used Crisco). Maybe Royce can comment on suitibility of this recipe for bellows.
No E
I like 3:1 melted beeswax and Crisco, poured in warm. Less smell and will not make the outside of the leather greasy. Check the valve first.
Ted
When I removed the valve housing from the clapper, I noticed that the leather valve was concave towards the outside due to the return pressure from the bag. I assume that this is normal. I also noticed that when I sucked on the valve, it is not really sealing completely. I suspect this is the root of the problem, but I have not checked the seams of the leather against the clapper as yet. The valve face is reasonably smooth so the valve should seal. My 1/2 set is about 4 years old and was bought used from the original owner who didn’t play it very much. Does this mean that I need a thicker piece of leather for the valve so that the seal does not deform as much or is a slow leak “normal”?? When I just use the chanter, the bellows seems ok wiith no noticible increase in bellows effort. Since I just got the drones working, I can’t tell if the bellows is affecting the amount of air that I am pumping into the bag.
I cut a scrap of leather the exact size of the original leather flap and contact cemented it to the back side of the original. I quess it just depends on how thick the leather is. Mine was a little thin, Also, a little neatsfoot oil helps seat the leather without any leaks.
Jim
i’ll try that- thanks
Two things, one, check the seating surfaces for irregularities like nicks, divots, scratches, rough surfaces etc. Then take the valve and set it upon a flat, very hard surface, and lay the heel of your hand into it so the leather is flattened hard as hell along the sealing surface. A little light oil like neatsfoot will help soften it, but no heavy oil should contact these surfaces or it will stick. The other thing is to insert or wind-in a bent piece of flat brass shim stock so it prevents the valve from flapping open more than about 30-45 degrees. Maybe less, depending on the size of the opening, the smaller, the more it may have to open to pass air freely.
You don’t want it staying open any wider than it has to travel, so it opens and shuts easily and immediately, without shooting half the air out before clapping shut, and without fighting you to open.
As far as the bellows seasoning, I’d just thicken that up to 1 part Crisco or other vegetable shortening to 2 parts pure flax soap or Murphy’s Oil Soap. Neither of which mind you, actually are oily, and neither of which in my experience have ever greased through the leather, and in fact I use this instead of neatsfoot oil and any beeswax concoction because neatsfoot oil is designed to shoot right through leather and it always oozes through to the outside. (Depends a lot on your leather though.)
If you really have a bad seam, particularly with a sewn bellows, you may have to go the neatsfoot oil and beeswax way.
Royce
Just found the leaks- one rather large one at the exit to the blow pipe and one smallish one on the valve body sealing surface. Bluu-tak fixed the blow pipe exit and some re wrapping worked.
thanks for all the help to everyone