Demonstration of old techniques for making bagpipes

**KiltedKnome** · 7th April 15, 10:46 AM

I was watching the YouTube video on a Tudor Monastery Christmas, part 4, when there was this short demonstration of the techniques used to make bagpipes in Tudor times. The relevant section is at around 4 in the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWQqcDnemvk

**Tenmiles** · 7th April 15, 11:07 AM

Wow, I need to watch this whole show!

**StevieR** · 7th April 15, 11:23 AM

There are several BBC series' on similar themes, featuring the same archeologists and all are excellent viewing. The last one, "Secrets of the Castle", where they join (for a short time) a twenty five year project that is building a medieval castle from scratch only using building techniques available at the time, is particularly good:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04sv5nc

**The Q** · 7th April 15, 11:49 AM

This is one of several series, the lead characters are professional Archaeologists or Historians Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn and Tom Pinfold, Doing Experimental Archaeology.
There has been,

Tales from the Green Valley (2006)
Victorian farm (2009)
Victorian Pharmacy (2010)
Edwardian Farm (2010)
Wartime Farm(2012) (WW2)
Tudor Monastery Farm(2013)
A Tudor Feast at Christmas (2006)
A Victorian Farm Christmas (2009)
Tudor Monastery Farm Christmas (2013)
and Secrets of the Castle
I've watched most of them and generally they are enjoyable, the Christmas titled shows are one off specials.
The Secrets of the Castle series is slightly different In that they joined a 25 year French project to build a castle! using only original methods! (with the odd bit of safety gear around)

sorry for the odd lines and squares I tried some copy and pasting that didn't work to well

**KD Burke** · 8th April 15, 05:51 AM

One of the low-boiling controversies among pipers now is the use of computerized lathes to make pipes. Some contend that "real" pipemakers don't rely on technology to do their work, but turn by hand and eye to achieve an artistic result. On the other hand, I don't know of any mainstream pipe makers ("real" or otherwise) who would willingly return to a springpole lathe and a spoon drill!

That takes talent!

**HootinHoller** · 8th April 15, 07:37 AM

I'm replying so I can find this later tonight when I'm not sneaking a peek from work. ;)

**Tenmiles** · 8th April 15, 10:54 AM

Thanks for all the details! My wife and I started watching Tudor Monastery Farm last night.
I'd not even heard of these, or the Castle project, but I'm quite pleased now to have done.

**OC Richard** · 10th April 15, 04:24 AM

I've seen various videos of modern pipemakers using that same tool to create the bore.

Of course they're using a lathe to spin the wood, but the technique is the same.

About CNC v hand turned, my view is that a bore is a bore, and the wood doesn't care how it was created. The important thing is that the bore is the right ID and length.

Handcrafted bagpipes can sound mediocre or awful, CNC made bagpipes can sound great. What makes a great-sounding set of pipes is having the right specs.

Ditto the visual look of pipes: a handcrafted set can look butt-ugly if turned to ungainly shapes, a CNC turned set can have an elegant classic profile, if such is programmed in.

The influence of the material itself is debated. I know I had two sets by the same maker, one in African Blackwood and one in polypenco/delrin. The bass drones, having identical specs, sounded identical. The tenor drones sounded a bit different, but had different specs.

Yet I also play flute and headjoints made to the same specs by the same maker, but of different woods, have clearly different tone colours and playing characteristics.

**The Q** · 10th April 15, 05:11 AM

As far as pole lathes are concerned my Next door neighbor has one. He builds houses (or did he's just retired) in a historical style, though recent regulations on energy conservation have altered what he can do. He's been known to turn stair spindle etc for these houses.

He did have a lady come to him to have alterations to her 16th century house (he also repairs churches and old houses) he had to point out he had built her house ten years before!
His own house is thatched, has mullioned windows, leaded glass in diamonds in them, oak stairs, and no ceilings, just the boards of the room above.. Until his wife had cancer a few years ago the only electricity in the house was for lighting! His house was converted from three pantiled 1 up 1 down labourers cottages.

I have a wood lathe and trying to make some bag pipes are on the bucket list, however there are lot of must do's above that!