Cprk instead of hemp?

lundblad · Post by **lundblad** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 9:42 am

Don't know if this have been discussed before, but since I'm a curious basmati I want to know the reasons why hemp is used instead of cork on the sliding joints on the pipes.
I have been thinking of making a replacement on my C. Roberts set. Anyone got any comments about this? like why I should not or why I should?

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 9:44 am

I like both type of joints, but for ease and speed of replacement, waxed hemp works the best for me.

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:08 am

I find that cork leaves a horrible after-taste, when compared using hemp in your pipe.

(You ARE talking about smoking, right?)

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:09 am

Serious answer: wrapped tenons are easy to do at home if needed; they're also more historically correct. Cork tenons tend to last longer but require professional atention (though whenever i mention this, someone will come out and say he or she fixes cork tenons at home using hobbyist store cork sheets and sandpaper).

Calum · Post by **Calum** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:35 am

GHBers went through a bit of a craze for replacing hemp with cork about ten, fifteen years ago now. The simple reason they stopped using it is that pipers never break down their instruments after playing, unlike every other woodwind player out there. So what happens is the cork gets compressed over time and ends up becoming loose, whereupon you have to...add hemp.

Cheers,
Calum

lundblad · Post by **lundblad** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 3:05 pm

But compared to GHBers Up:s are dry...wouldn't that be an issue to have in mind?

marcpipes · Post by **marcpipes** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 4:01 pm

Dental floss works well too.
Marc

Calum · Post by **Calum** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 1:30 pm

The issue (as I understand it, I never want to bother trying the stuff) was that never breaking the pipes down, keeping the cork under constant compression, is what causes it to become loose over time.

One option if you're looking at this kind of thing might be rubber O-rings - a few pipers have tried this and the only issue seems to be wood movement.

Cheers,
Calum

Gwenael · Post by **Gwenael** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 3:19 pm

I've had countless recorders and one clarinet that used cork at the joints, and most of them have gotten damaged over the years. I'll admit to not putting lubricant often enough. My instruments that use hemp have never caused me any trouble. I've never had to intervene on them, but my recently acquired UP practice set is far from being tight. Where do you guys get your wax from? They don't seem to sell Babybel in Florida. Nor do they sell Brie au lait crû, Cantal, Emmental and Reblochon for that matter... *sigh*

Guenael

BZH29 · Post by **BZH29** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 4:32 pm

Guénael ,
A Concarneau en Bretagne tu trouveras de la poie ! http://www.sonerien.com
The best mixture I Know is 1/3 Brown ( or black ) Wax ( Poie in french ) - 1/3 Bee Wax -1/3 Paraffin Wax .
Je peux aussi t' envoyer un camenbert au lait crû !
Jean-Luc

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:31 pm

Run your hemp through a cake of Beeswax a few times and you ought to be set. You can find it any craft store like Michaels, or Walmart has it in their craft section.

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:42 pm

Wasn't there another thread on hemp a while ago??? I think also the use of "cobbler's wax" a black tarry substance was written about as well. I saw that Benedict Koehler pulled out some "Barbour" cotton thread to use as a wrap for the drone reeds he made. One of the other folks wondered if that was the same Barbour that made a waxy greenish field coat???

djm · Post by **djm** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:09 pm

There's several options for wax. The black tarry cobblers wax is available from highland piping supply shops, but is too thick and brittle by itself. You should melt this down 50/50 with beeswax. Some use the wax from cheese, like Baby Bel, as mentioned above, to thin cobblers wax. This black stuff is what is used on thread for binding reeds.

For joints, just beeswax is fine. You can also use waxed dental floss. You don't have to use pre-waxed thread. You can also use any plain fine thread to wrap first, and then just wipe a light coating on the outer layer of thread with a bar of beeswax. You can get an air-tight seal with just thread on the joints, but the wax holds the thread in place. Wax causes joints to stick, so you eally don't want that much of it on joints that will be moved, like the tenons on your drones where you will be moving them to tune.

djm

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:21 pm

What i use in my flutes, is the stuff sold in hardware stores as toilet bowl gasket. No kidding. It's made of beeswax, but softer than the beeswax cakes they sell to use to lubricate screws. About $2 will last you many years. Don't get the fancy new ones, just the simple wax ring kind.

Like this, but get the wax kind (not polyurethane), and get one without the rubber ring. I'm not sure if it works for pipes, but works great for thread tenons in flutes.

Chadd · Post by **Chadd** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:58 pm

glauber wrote:What i use in my flutes, is the stuff sold in hardware stores as toilet bowl gasket

Given the quality of the playing I often send through my pipes, it would seem appropiate for the joints to be sealed with this stuff.