For everybody interested by pipemaking, here is a link to the french forum, showing my work and processes.
Texts are in french, but the pictures often talk by themselves:
http://uilleann-pipes.clicforum.com/t1100-Le-petit-atelier-de-BLB.htm?start=60#p12887
I’m deeply influenced in my job by the technics employed in classical instruments making.
So that gives only one point of view, but I think it could be of some interest to share it among this community filled by do-it-yourself passionates. 
Very interesting ,but what motivates your pipemaking ? At the end of the day all pipers want is a well made ,but ultimately, a good sounding set of pipes.
RORY
We can considere that this technical part, mainly about metal work, is actually half of the job.
The second half is , as you said, all what is concerning reeds and sound.
Pipemaker means in fact at least two different jobs.
In this link, I only give a little view of the " surface".
The improvements my technical means allow must be considerered as details. All the basements have been accomplished by the ancient pipemakers, and it is a big deal for me to rediscover how they did.( especially reeds…).
To be perfectly clear, there’s a great gap between the organologic aspect of my pipes, and my sound and timber tastes .
Remember that the work T. Bhoem did on the flute was to enhance the sound and range of the instrument. The mecanic devices was a way to achieve that.
This is not at all my purpose. All I try to do is to make the “beast” easier to handle.
In another words, we could say: If the story had been different, these pipes could have exist at the end of the XIXth century.