Oil and cleaning of pipes

[Mac59]

I was hoping to get feedback on how often one should oil and/or clean the drone channels etc. of the pipes...thanks.

[Peter Finlay]

I have been cleaning and oiling my pipes every six months. I recommend you use almond oil or bore oil.

[William J Hunter]

Mac59,
You might try reading the "maintanance of pipes" article on the MacLellan Bagpipe website. It contains a lot of valuable information on oiling your drones, etc.
www.wjhmusic.com

[MDPiper]

It all really depends on the climate that you are playing in. Here is an extensive paper on the topic explaining why to oil the pipes, what type of oil to use, and how often to do it.

http://www.thebagpipeplace.com/school/page12.html

[Pip01]

Greetings, Mac59,

Ah... Buffalo... lot's 'n lots of snow... and a winter
filled with heat pumped into your abode... and with
varying degrees of humidity in the house (usually
tending to the dryer side of the scale...)

Were I there, I would oil them at least once a year,
and usually around September, or October, to get
them ready for your "dry" season...

But... 6 pipers usually equals at least 15 opinions on
matters such as this... :) ('Twas ever thus. :)

When... you elect to oil, were I you, I would use The
Doctor's Bore Oil... and would trust no other.

Regards and Good Luck with it all,

Pip01

[Andrewman]

Originally Posted by MDPiper

It all really depends on the climate that you are playing in. Here is an extensive paper on the topic explaining why to oil the pipes, what type of oil to use, and how often to do it.

http://www.thebagpipeplace.com/school/page12.html

Thanks for the link - very interesting stuff!!!

[keydetpiper]

This is a topic that pops up on the forums here fairly frequently, and there's a lot of archived conversations (or arguments) that you can dig through.

Personally, the only time I have oiled my pipes is before I started playing them, and that was only because they hadn't been played for 20 years. Playing regularly year-round reduces the need for oiling.

That said, give them a good coating once a year or so couldn't hurt anything. Let the oil sit on the pipes for a good hour, wipe off the excess, and leave the pipes sit for a day or so before you play them. Pay special attention to the blowpipe and stock, since that sees the most moisture during playing and will tend to dry out if you don't give it the proper love.

And now I'm ready for everyone to tell me I'm wrong. Go ahead, but don't expect me to listen.

[Kirby Allen]

Originally Posted by keydetpiper

This is a topic that pops up on the forums here fairly frequently, and there's a lot of archived conversations (or arguments) that you can dig through.

Personally, the only time I have oiled my pipes is before I started playing them, and that was only because they hadn't been played for 20 years. Playing regularly year-round reduces the need for oiling.

That said, give them a good coating once a year or so couldn't hurt anything. Let the oil sit on the pipes for a good hour, wipe off the excess, and leave the pipes sit for a day or so before you play them. Pay special attention to the blowpipe and stock, since that sees the most moisture during playing and will tend to dry out if you don't give it the proper love.

And now I'm ready for everyone to tell me I'm wrong. Go ahead, but don't expect me to listen.

My blowpipe stock on the inside and the blowstick are the only pieces that look "dry" compared to the rest of my pipes, they would be the part to oil no matter what!

[snowbear]

It's a bit personal with oiling. I oil the wood whenever I see the need for it.
When the woods looks too try, I put some oil on.

Blowpiece and my practice chanter seat is most frequently oiled. Other than that I do it once or twice a year.
But think twice before oiling the chanter. It's normally not a very good idea, but I hear about people all the time who fall into the trap.

[Gr8_Piper]

I once asked Jimmy MacIntosh about this. His answer was that he never oiled his pipes. However, I do oil mine about once a year the inside of the drones and the blowpipe. Better safe than sorry.