I was working today making reeds for my smallpipes. Now that I seem to be able to make a pretty good uillean reed, I thought I would replace my plastic crap reed in my smallpipes with a nice cane reed.
Trouble is, I’m not sure about the staple diameter. I have what I think to be the staple of the reed that came with the instrument some years ago, but I’m not sure. I used it and it was all right… I guess…
I have an idea in my head that there is some standard ratio for all pipes,
chanter bore diameter at reed placement :: reed staple diameter
Anyone know if this is so? Is there a relationship, regardless of type of pipes, between staple diameter and chanter bore diameter that I could use to calculate the proper diameter of the staple when the specifications for reeds for a given set of pipes is unavailable? (The maker of my smallpipes has disappeared…)
I am hoping some knowledgeable parties on this forum will save me the trouble of measuring sample chanter bores and reed staples…
No expert I, but isn’t the staple supposed to be a continuation of the bore? In that case, I would suspect the inner diameter of the staple at its widest point would be the same as the chanter bore at the reed seat.
If there were some mystery calculations to be had, I would think they would be:
1). calculate length of staple per chanter
2). calculate size of staple eye, height and width, per chanter
3). calculate rate of staple taper per chanter
I do not know of anyone having published these calculations. Everyone seems to create multiple test staples until they find one that works consistently for their particular chanter design. Imagine if you could actually calculate these numbers in a reliable way per chanter! But then, some would say that is sacrilege.
I use 3/16 o.d. 5/32 i.d. tube, 7/8" long staple tapered just at the end to about 1/8" or even 3/32" , head about 7/16 wide, blade’s scraped down between .012 to .015… I also use a wire bridle …
Work to be done for someone more mathematically able than I…
But you must be right. There must be some constant relationships or ratios that can be calculated. There are so many variables, though.
I reeded the smallpipes today with dimensions I got from what was left of the old ruined reed I got with the pipes. The reeds need to be so very weak for smallpipes or drones stop (well, the ones I have stop anywayand I’m not getting myself into natural drone reeds).
Next question: I’m assuming that a conical bore only serves to amplify and that a cylindical bore behaves the same, only does not amplify. That is, the bore does not affect tuning (save for its length). Is this so? My smallpipes have a cylindrical, straight bore.
Are all UPs conical bore?
As for the reed being a continuation of the chanter, I thought of that, but then I got thinking about the space needed for thread/twine that the pipe maker must have included in the seat for the reed.
One nice thing about my GHBs – the reeds are fairly standard. Almost any mass-produced reed will fit in my chanter and play adequately. I’m settling in to be comfortable making UP reeds now, though. That’s one reason I resisted buying a set for many years: didn’t think I could learn to make reeds. I’m tryinjg to apply the principles to making smallpipe reeds, thus the questions that come out in my posting today.
That would be entirely necessary for playing in pipe bands. Since UPs are still very much a solo instrument there is so much more room for individual pipemakers to express themselves, and so many reedmakers scratching their heads and wondering what the #@%! the pipemakers were thinking.
