Just as the other thread got me thinking about how much I would love to apprentice, (hint anywhere 
)
How would drop what they are doing now and go apprentice? with who? to start your own shop or just for the skill?
For me, I am at a point where Iām graduating in april and have everything wide open after that so would be more then willing to go anywhere to learn, 
, more I think about it the more It sounds good, perhaps I should write some pipemakers?
anywho
how about you guys?
I would definitely love to do that. Iāve always loved making things, and making something with the complexity and beauty of this instrument is something that I would find extremely satisfying. Since I hate the classes Iām taking right now (physics and calculus, oh so fun :roll: ) I wouldnāt give a second thought to leaving where I am now if a pipemaker asked me to apprentice. Gotta do what you love, right?
-Mike
I would apprentice in a New York minute, and consider that the next anniversary of my birth will be #47.
Of course, this requires at least one prerequisite:
Hitting the lottery.
Iād give my leftā¦no, waitā¦Iāve been down this road before. Suffice it to say that I would certainly love to apprentice in Uilleann pipemaking, but it is something that will require all of my timeā¦and I just do not have the savings to support myself, wife and dog during my apprenticeship.
However, it is a dream of mine. And if one works hard enough at their dreams, they do come true.
The apprenticeship will cost you relatively nothing compared to the costs of purchasing all the tools, machines, gizmos, etc that youād need to make pipes once the apprenticeship is over.
Of course, it would be nice to turn wood, work metal, and other materials to make pretty instruments. Donāt even give it a second thought until you learn to make good reeds for any decent chanter you might encounter at tionols. Then, youāll be ready to apprentice. If you canāt make good reeds then how would you know that you had made a good pipe??? 
Absolutely. Although, wouldnāt apprenticing also cover learning how to make reedsā¦providing you didnāt already? The reeds are THE most important part of the pipes, and my guess is (though it is an uneducated one) that one of the first things, if not THE first thing you would learn is their construction and tuning.
I would love to. But giving up my job is not too practical now that I have kids. I told my wife about a dozen years ago, which was before she was my wife, that I might quit my work and get into wooden ship building. I love working with wood and love the nautical aspects. There is a school in one of the New England states that teaches this. At the time she said āsure, whatever you want to doā, but then theyāll say things like that Before you are married. She also said that she would never want to move back to Texas. I heard her last night trying to talk my daughter into the idea.
I just hope your wife doesnāt read on this forum.