Descriptions of the equipment and supplies I sell.
BRITTON, Tim, My Method: a step by step guide for constructing reeds for the uillean pipes, revised and expanded edition, 1994, 39 pp. I once sold this useful book, but no longer. Tim has a newer edition out; why not buy it from the source? Click here
CHANTER TUBE CANE from Spain. 24 mm diameter, give or take a millimeter or two. Approximately 15/16 diameter. Minimum tube length 4. If you require a longer minimum tube length let me know.
DIAL GAUGE with wooden attachment. For measuring slip thickness. Dial reads in thousandths of an inch. Dont drop it.
DRONE CANE - Over the years cane tubes in the sizes appropriate for drones have become increasingly expensive and more difficult to obtain. I have given up trying to stock drone cane to sell and when my supply is exhausted, thats it. Presently I have only bass drone size to sell, 7-8 mm diameter. It is from Spain.
IN-CANNEL GOUGE - This is a top-quality German-made gouge. I sell two different widths of gouge, but the curvature of the cutting edge is almost identical for both widths. The radius of a circle of this curve would be a bit smaller than 5/8". The 16 mm gouge is about 5/8 wide, the 25 mm about 1 wide.
Gouge width is a matter of personal taste; I prefer the wider gouge, but thats what I started out with.
Careful! The gouges are sharp. Slather the gouge with WD-40 or similar product from time to time or it might rust.
MANDREL for tube staples. I make them of 5/32 drill rod for D chanter reeds, 1/8 drill rod for C chanter reeds. About 6" long. Slather the mandrel with WD-40 or similar product from time to time or it will rust. Click here for measurements of mandrel tapers.
PLEXIGLASS AND PVC TUBES - A set of four, each about 8 long. Diameters are 1 ½, 1 Ύ, 2, 2 3/8.
QUINN, David, The Pipers Despair: a manual of reedmaking for the irish and northumbrian bagpipes, third edition, 1999, 43 pp. paperback with comb binding, 11 x 8 ½
REAMER for brass tubing. With a screwdriver handle, tapers from about 3/8 to 1/8 over about 2 5/8.
SHARPENING STONE - Conical shaped, about 6 long. For sharpening the in-cannel gouge.
SHOOTING BOARD - I make them of hardwood and brass screws. Working length is 4 ½.
TEFLON TAPE - Like plumbers use. A spool has about 260 of ½ wide tape.
TUBING CUTTER - For cutting to length the tubing for staples. The cutting process leaves a ridge on the inside edge of the tube end, which should be removed. Do this with a file (a hassle) or the reamer described above.
WAXED THREAD, NYLON - This product is called beeswaxed Nyltex. I sell it in 25 yard spools, color white. Thickness is very approximately .030 (thirty thousandths of an inch). It is very strong. I use it for binding reeds, and in different colors, tieing in stocks, and as wrapping on tenons.
WHITMER, Nick, The Driving Wheel: making scottish smallpipe reeds, second printing with revisions, 1998, 21 pp. paperback, 8 ½ x 7
YELLOW HEMP - Described as a 1 ounce kop, a spool about 2 Ό long. Unwaxed, yellow. About .010 (ten thousandths of an inch) thick.
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