Custom bagpipe chanter reed protector

**416 Rigby** · 4th January 16, 11:31 PM

I've been playing on a old wood lathe that my boss gave to me. It's been a blast turning keychains, razor sets, and other small items. I made some pipe chanter caps for my teacher and a couple of my friends. I think they're pretty cool. First one is maple burl for my teacher:
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These are spalted maple:
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I'm going to make one for myself from black and white ebony.

Something different that you don't see every day. This is fun stuff.

**416 Rigby** · 4th January 16, 11:43 PM

Here's a shot of the top ends, complete with Christmas bling.
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**Blupiper** · 5th January 16, 11:49 AM

Beautiful work, sir. Where do I sign up?

JMB

**416 Rigby** · 5th January 16, 07:17 PM

Thanks. My goal is to perfect my methods to make an heirloom quality cap, to include buffing and waxing the inside as well. I just love beautiful wood. The aviator in me won't go away...I'm a detail freak and a perfectionist. I'll get there.

I also made up a set of stocks for an old Ross bag to use as a goose. These are Bocote.
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**OC Richard** · 6th January 16, 07:04 AM

Lovely work!

I too would be interested in getting two or three of those! Particularly in a lightweight but hard wood like Maple perhaps.

I've discovered, the hard way, that the ID of the cap (protector) should be scarcely larger than that of your stock.

I have several of those caps, in polypenco/delrin, and tend to prefer the thin-walled ones because they're so much lighter to carry around in the pipe case (delrin being very dense and heavy).

But! The other day I paid the price, because the thin-walled ones have much larger IDs, meaning that if the screw gets a bit loose the cap can get tilted to one side, and it happened, and ruined my very best reed!

Dawned on me that I want the narrowest possible ID so that the cap stays on straight and can't hit the edge of the reed blade.

**416 Rigby** · 7th January 16, 10:24 PM

Thanks, gents. For a "beautiful wood freak" like me, there's something very cool about these things. Plus, I like things that are unique that you don't see every day. I would imagine you'd get quite a reaction from your band mates if you pulled out your chanter with one of these on top.

Would the two of you be interested in assisting with some development details and field testing? I want to be comfortable with quality of design, dimensions, and durability before I actually sell something to somebody. I sent each of you a PM.