Over hemped stock

[piobaire mor]

I seem to have terribly overhemp my drone stock in the cup with the result that it will not budge at all. I'm
after spending an hour trying to turn it but to no avail, tried heating to metal of the cup a little but didn't help. Has anyone any ideas or remedies for such a thing. Appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.

[WannabePiper]

I seem to have terribly overhemp my drone stock in the cup with the result that it will not budge at all. I'm
after spending an hour trying to turn it but to no avail, tried heating to metal of the cup a little but didn't help. Has anyone any ideas or remedies for such a thing. Appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.

put it in the freezer for a bit?

[piobaire mor]

Tried it, didn't leave it in that long though just in case. How long could you leave in it for?

[The Blacksmith]

You might have to leave it somewhere dry for a while, the hemp sucks up moisture and swells.

I don't think the freezer trick will work if the cup is brass, it will shrink more than the wood.

Tim

[PJ]

Do NOT heat it. Don't FREEZE it either. If you have a dehumidifier, put the bag and stock in the same room as the dehumidifier and close the door. Leave it a few hours and then try it. Make sure you take the drones and reg, and, obviously the reeds, out of the stock before doing this.

[WannabePiper]

The dehumidifier is probably the best solution, if available, but the freezer did work well for me a couple years ago, and my stock cup is brass.

[CHasR]

failing all else, and you *really* need it out PDQ,
untye the brass sleeve from the bag,
hemp 'll dry faster & will be easier to muscle loose.
Of course, have everything on hand to re-tye it back in before going that route.
& I have the same arrangement on my pipes by the way
Overhemping the mainstock in a brass sleeve is a lesson once learned, never forgotten:
believe me, ive been there done this too

[Ceann Cromtha]

Oh yes, indeed. Who hasn't had this problem this time of year?

Go to the uilleann piping supply store (Home Depot or Lowes) and get a set of adjustable rubber wrenches like these:

http://www.johnsonsvarietystore.com/ser ... ber/Detail

Good luck.

[misterpatrick]

I had this problem last year when the humidity went up. I pulled all the drones and regs out, stuck it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for an hour and it loosened right up.

[Cathy Wilde]

Fire up the woodstove for a couple of days. And mark your 2012 calendar for "hemp removal day" sometime in March.

FWIW, when I did my most recent round of "stockpiling" just before St. Pat's I used fine cotton thread, and that seems to have made the transition a little easier. (So far, anyway.)

[tansy]

try it using dish washing type rubber gloves. gives you great advantage over the bare hands.

[PJ]

By the way, thanks for the heads-up. I took a few strands of hemp off the mainstock of my pipes yesterday. It was just beginning to get tight.

Now I just have to set my alarm for November to put the extra hemp back on ...

[Cathy Wilde]

I just wait for the drones to "calve" off the mainstock and hit the guitar player in the knee. That's MOST alarming.

[PJ]

You should place something between you and the guitarist to protect him. Something soft which, if it gets broken, won't cause too much fuss - like a bodhran player!