Julian Goodacre explains the process of seasoning his mouth-blown and bellows- blown bagpipes and bellows. This is Video 1 in his series Me Bagpipes and How I Make 'em.
Wonderful information Julian, thanks very much for doing this. Can you share why you have the smooth side out on your bellows blown bags? Is it just so the wax sticks and seals better?
hi i have a Persian bagpipe which is a sheep skin I think. I can not find any instructions on the internet about how to look after it also no teacher available. do i have to oil the skin from outside as well? sheep skin is not as thick as cow skin. can i apply your instructions to my bagpipe? when i got it in the post it was a bit oily and very soft but now is becoming so dry. I am concern that it becomes too hard so i placed it in a plastic bag. then i got worried it can become mouldy so i am keeping my instrument in the fridge until i get some advice.
Hi Julian Thank you very much for sharing these techniques. Very well presented. If I use the RG Hardie to season a bellow blown bag and also the bellow itself, would it be something bad instead of using the olive-wax mix? I've been trying to find almond oil to buy to help bellows valve to work more promptly as you've shown. I found 'sweet almond oil 100% pure', saying it is for skin use purposes. Would you be against using this this type of oil? By the way, I have a Jimmy Anderson smallpipes, would you know this maker? I quite like the drone sounds but I've heard better chanters Thanks!
i've just tried the trick of filing the valve on my Irish pipe bellows, but it's still no better. I think the leather on the valve is absolutely done. Whether I meant to do that I don't know, as they were made by another maker but I've tried it anyway
Ware do you get the little files that you put the seasoning into? I’m on about when you season the mouthblown pipes. I have had my mouth blown Cornish pipes for nearly a year now, I havn’t seasoned the bag yet, up until now, it has been airtight. The times when I thought it needed seasoning, it didn’t, and it was in actual fact that the chanter was loose in the stock witch made it leak. But, now the leather inside is hardening and making that scratchy noise as you rub the 2 surfaces together. How long does it take for a bag to become mouldy? I don’t want that happening at all, and from now, I won’t be playing my Cornish pipes until the leather has been seasoned.
I read this today Fatima and I am so HAPPY to hear from you!..... Please email me at julian@goodbagpipes.com I want to hear all the news from your family.
