Pipes, fabrication standards

MattMads · Post by **MattMads** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:13 pm

As a newbie to piping, I was wondering if there is a set of fabrication standards for bags, bellows, chanters drones. In other words will one makers bag receive another's chanter, bellows? Are the connections standard in north America and UK?

tbjack · Post by **tbjack** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:22 pm

Standardisation in uilleann pipes - now that is a novel idea.

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:11 pm

MattMads wrote:Are the connections standard in north America and UK?

No, nor in Ireland. There's always a good chance that things will fit together, or can be made to fit, but no guarantees.

PJ · Post by PJ » Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:23 pm

The majority of makers make a bag/chanter connection at something around 3/8".

pflipp · Post by **pflipp** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 5:54 am

Thank-you for asking a question that I didn't really dare to ask, because I don't know much about piping yet.

But since we're here now, allow me to elaborate a little on the original question:

So OK, the size of the bag opening for the chanter stock is about 3/8". Next, is there any common size for the stock to windcap connection? And for connecting the windcap to the chanter proper? Because I see a lot of people selling separate chanters here, or separate bags-with-stocks, so I'm curious as to how they expect the buyer to assemble parts from different sources.

The same questions apply to the drones and regulators: are drone stock cups, stocks and individual drones and regulators to a certain amount interchangeable?

It feels quite like a newbie / FAQ question, but I do like to browse the internet a bit, and haven't found an answer yet.

MattMads · Post by **MattMads** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:50 am

Well it sounds like it is up to the maker. I would have thought that there might have been some kind of convention. Thanks for the replies.
Matt

PJ · Post by PJ » Mon Oct 03, 2011 8:05 am

pflipp wrote:So OK, the size of the bag opening for the chanter stock is about 3/8".

I didn't write that. I wrote that the majority of makers use something about 3/8". Meaning that the air-intake on the chanter top will be of approx. 3/8" brass, but will be wrapped in waxed threat to make it fit snugly into the chanter stock on the bag.

pflipp wrote:Next, is there any common size for the stock to windcap connection?

This is what I was referring to, so see above.

pflipp wrote:And for connecting the windcap to the chanter proper?

This varies more than the chanter stock/air intake. I've seen it vary from 15 to 17 mm.

pflipp wrote:The same questions apply to the drones and regulators: are drone stock cups, stocks and individual drones and regulators to a certain amount interchangeable?

I don't know of any "standard" used by pipemakers for either mainstock cups or for drones/regulators. You'll frequently hear that someone has put regulators by maker X with drones (and stock) by maker Y but I imagine that maker X would have checked the dimentions of the stock.

pflipp · Post by **pflipp** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 8:27 am

Oh, right, I get it now. I should have guessed it from the given size alone, but I'm not so good with fractions of inches. Never mind!

Christian Tietje · Post by **Christian Tietje** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:20 am

another project for a worldwide ISO-Standard: interchangeable reeds where ever you stay in the world! Go to a pipes-workshop and buy a reed that fits regarding diameter of staple, lenght, width and cane, unique for all chanters! Same for bag & bellow-joints, chanter connection to bag! How nice would it be to test a chanter with standardized pressure! And what about cane: may the spanish cane be EN-standardised!

What about these measurements in international Millimeters instead of inches? Who uses still inches, pounds, gallons and feet?

rorybbellows · Post by **rorybbellows** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:39 am

Christian Tietje wrote:another project for a worldwide ISO-Standard: interchangeable reeds where ever you stay in the world! Go to a pipes-workshop and buy a reed that fits regarding diameter of staple, lenght, width and cane, unique for all chanters!

Once all humans have been standardised,then there maybe a chance.

RORY

PJ · Post by PJ » Mon Oct 03, 2011 11:24 am

Christian Tietje wrote:another project for a worldwide ISO-Standard: interchangeable reeds

I think we're more likely to see World Peace and a unified field theory first.

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 2:48 pm

Until then, the world makes do with Teflon tape and waxed hemp

deisman · Post by **deisman** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 5:22 pm

Right-on Cat! here's to the H.E.M.P. standard...

Have
Enough
Material &
Patience

an seanduine · Post by **an seanduine** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 12:26 am

Very much in the vein of the old Midas Muffler commercial:"We''ll make it fit!"
If the teflon and hemp don't work, get a BFH (Big Frapping Hammer).!
If that doesn't do it, get a bigger hammer.
And finally, if that doesn't work, get a Porta-Power. . .

Bob

Hans-Joerg · Post by **Hans-Joerg** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 3:13 am

The conception of interchangeable reeds seems to have existed in the "flat-system". All flat chanters (Bb, B, C, C#, NBD) use a fairly similiar taper and (normally) all "flatreeds" are (without bigger modifications) fairly easily interchangeable (a flatreed quite often works in the whole "flat-family" of chanters - e. g. Bb AND NBD). There are exeptions, though. For sure - with the invention of CP these exeptions have become standardized

.

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