Jerry R. Pearce
03-04-2003, 09:58 AM
Sorry Bob but I didn't see the instructions about a ne thread. THis question is for Mr Kron and may I first say thank you to Mr Kron for coming on the forum and giving us the benefit of his insight and understanding. Many of the old pipe makers are no longer in business, makers such as RGL and Grainger & Campbell. Do you have access to the dimensions of the ferrules and ring caps of these pipes in order to do refits or is it much harder to do a refit or repair to a bagpipe made by another pipe maker especially if the maker is no longer making pipes. I do not like the thought of just ordering a new bass or tenor drone stock from someone over the phone or by email. How do I know that the new part will perfectly match the part that I am replacing and that the combing and beading will be exactly the same as the rest of the parts on my instrument. These were all reputable pipe makers and those of us who have an instruent made by RGL or when Donald MacLeod was in charge of quality control at these makers have very good instruments but I cannot go back to the original maker of my instrument to get anew part made or a repair or a refit should I want to go in that direction. Does this make it more difficult for us who have these instruments to get this done or for you as a pipe maker to do the work or is it simply a matter of knowing what these makers did and how they did it? Chhers
How do or would you handle a refit to pipes made by a pipe maker who is no longer in the business. I handle it the same way I handle any request for a retrofit: I'm always reluctant. See my response to the "adding silver" topic.
Do you have access to the dimensions of the ferrules and ringcaps used by this particular pipe maker? I do have a lot of detailed drawings with dimensions from many, many makers from particular sets that I have worked on or that were worked on in my firm. However, the dimensions (especially outside dimensions) at the same maker, during the same year, week, etc. can vary widely. The dimensions you mention are easily measured when the pipes are in the hands of a good maker.
How do I know that I will get a part that perfectly matches the same part that I may be replacing in terms of the size and specific features such as the combing and beading? Ask around. A good maker will have not just his own proprietary tooling, but also enough tooling to replicate *anything* ever made. This includes all sizes of reamers, gun drills, combing tools of various thread pitches and leads, different beading tools etc. Our shop is well known for our high-end repair, replacement, and restoration work.
What is your view on reaming a set of drones to improve the sound and harmonics of the drone? My personal opinion is that you should leave the pipes the way they were made, but there are way too many variables to give a definitive answer here.
Cheers Thanks.