Am thinking about starting a project I had in mind for some months now - making drones for my Bb practise set. I’m short on money and can’t afford “professionally made” drones, so making them by myself should be a logical consequence (and less expensive of course. And more fun.). I already turned and partially reamed a flute on a lathe (with guidance by Mr. Rogge) and didn’t found that woodturning stuff too difficult. And since drones are not much more than some hollow sticks with fancy tubings attached to them (ha, ha), that should be manageable…I think.
I know that there are hobby makers lurking around here, so I hope some of you might share your experiences with making piping stuff. What tools (beside a basic lathe and the corresponding woodturning tools of course) did you use? Did you roll the tubings yourself or purchased tubing from the local DIY store? How did you bend the tubes for the bass drone?
You’ll find a good bit of info on yahoo’s amateur bagpipe makers group.
Go through the list of posts and you will find most of your questions answered.
Marc
I made my own set of drones to go with my penny chanter practice set. I don’t have a lathe or any experience turning wood, so I used brass tubing inside of CPVC pipe (painted black with some white plastic “mounts” to make it look decent). It’s not the prettiest halfset you’ve ever seen but at least the drones match the chanter.
I spent some time trying to figure out how to bend the tubing for the bass drone slide, and I eventually decided to make an “H” slide because I was using thin-wall tubing that I didn’t expect to bend very well. I took my time shaping the cross-piece to fit perfectly over the holes drilled in the sides of the tubing, and I got a friend to help me solder it in place. It turned out reasonably well. You might want to consider that as alternative to a U-bend.
Funny how people just love to take on a tradesman’s job…because there can’t be much to it…but they never do their own dental work, or spey their own dogs, maybe never change the oil in their cars, but are happy to beat a working man out of his day’s pay…
Funny how people just love to take on a tradesman’s job…because there can’t be much to it…but they never do their own dental work, or spey their own dogs, maybe never change the oil in their cars, but are happy to beat a working man out of his day’s pay…
Couldn’t aggree more!!!
Or the lad who just got the practise set 6 months ago and is going into the studio to make an album to get festival work with…
Hmm…either I do it myself and take the tradema’s job, or I don’t do it and take his job anyways since I simply can’t afford buying what I’m going to make myself.
It is useless to make such a remark. Honestly, do you (Island Piper) really think that somebody making a home made set of drones is really going to harm or cut into anybody’s pipe making business?
Actually DIY neutering has been done. My mom’s brother’s stuffed a tomcat into a boot and took care of it themselves because the family couldn’t afford a vet. But all of that is besides the point.
Good luck on the drones! Keep us updated. Hobby pipemaking is fun, albeit tedious and painstaking. You could check out Chris Bayley’s site too: http://www.bagpipeworld.co.uk/Plans/Uilleann-key%20.htm
I’ve also heard rumor of a CDROM by Sean Reid that could help. I haven’t got a hold of it yet myself.
http://www.smallparts.comSmallparts.com has an excelent selection of “telescoping” tubing. It is precsision tubing. One of these times I plan to make a GHB conical bore chanter with the stuff…
I havenet heard of it being done.. But I see no good reason why you couldnt try making a drone with tubing. Not too unlike the “kitchen pipe” thingies some GHB players have. [/url]
