What is your opinion on uniqueness?

Jonathan · Post by **Jonathan** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 11:52 am

PJ wrote:That's nice. I presume some sort of treatment has to be applied to the spalted wood to ensure it doesn't continue to rot.

I'm pretty sure that if it's kiln dried or even air dried, the fungus stops growing. Correct me if I'm wrong!

Uilliam · Post by **Uilliam** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 12:48 pm

All this energy being expanded talking about something which is largely out of view under your arm seems pretty unique to me :roll: :roll:
Uilliam

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 1:12 pm

CJ,
I've been using highly figured wood on my bellows exclusively. I just think it looks better. I've made three in birdseye maple for members of the forum and they all liked the effect. This was the last one:

I have a piece of Afican Mahagony that is absolutely fantastic, but I'm concerned about structural strength with the wavey grain pattern. I'll be laminating the Mahagony to a piece of 1/8"ply for strength. This should also work if you think the wood is to porous or brittle.

A lot of work for something you stick under your arm.....yes. But they don't have to look like they could be used in a forge.
Jim

Patrick D'Arcy · Post by **Patrick D'Arcy** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 1:15 pm

Here's a Michael Hubbert bellows in tiger striped maple (I think) and some European box and African horn on the inlet valve:

PD.

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 1:29 pm

I can't find an emoticon for <drool>.

djm

CJ DIXON · Post by **CJ DIXON** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:10 pm

Wonderful feedback all, thank you. Any bellows that would be fabricated would of course be consistent with regard to airtightness and functionality. It seems that uniqueness indeed plays a very influencing role when purchasing an Uilleann component. If the choice is given between two components that are equal with regard to quality, functionality and/or tone and one is made in a way, whether it be materials or design, that is unlike any other, the tendency to purchase the unique would be high. Would this be a correct statement?

All the best,
CJ

CJ DIXON · Post by **CJ DIXON** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 8:40 am

I am going to make a bellows out of the spalted Maple in the near future. I will post a picture here of it when it is completed.

Slainte,
CJ

PJ · Post by PJ » Fri Mar 11, 2005 12:13 pm

Looking forward to seeing it.

By the way, I've just managed to mop up all the drool off my keyboard after looking at Gil Hocker's engraved full set. It has redefined the word 'unique'.

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 9:06 pm

Eh, you guys are quite flash, ain'tcha? I agree with Uilliam for once: it's just a pump. Not exactly critical matters.
John Pedersen used to make bellows with a Celtic cross type engraving in the face. Some old sets had parquetry of snails, roses, that kind of schtuff. Maybe I'd be up for an inlay of the SubGenius or something. I saw a bit of spalted maple once that had an image of the Virgin Mary blowing chunks...

Uilliam · Post by **Uilliam** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 3:44 am

Kevin L. Rietmann wrote:Eh, you guys are quite flash, ain'tcha? I agree with Uilliam for once: it's just a pump. Not exactly critical matters.

I saw a bit of spalted maple once that had an image of the Virgin Mary blowing chunks...

Actually Kevin I agree with quite a lot of what ye say including this of course,but we we wouldna want to be accused of being pedantic killjoys and stopping people drooling over clapperboards or engraving on sets et all would we now ...no no no, :roll: Agreed???
Slán Agat
Uilliam

liestman · Post by **liestman** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 5:43 am

CJ and all,

Here is a photo of my two favorite bellows. They are for Northumbrians but also have worked well for uilleanns as they are larger than typical. The left is Canadian spalted maple. The right is ebony. Ebony is a little heavy, but it matches the rest of the set and is unique in its own way. For all my bellows I laminate the purdy wood onto aircraft birch plywood so that there is no problem with leaky woods and also to conserve the nice wood. (Even so, the ebony bellows is kinda heavy!)

Cheers.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 5:51 am

Nice work Mr. Liestman.

rorybbellows · Post by **rorybbellows** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 4:24 pm

In my opinion the uniqueness should come not from the materials but how they are used .I think it would be a crime to take a beautiful piece of wood and nail leather to it with uphostery nails
Remember you are making bellows for musicians not blacksmiths

RORY

Jim McGuire · Post by **Jim McGuire** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 5:18 pm

Parts in almost every manufacturing endeavor, from pipes to electronics, is a small part of the overall product with labor being 80-90%. So, selecting different woods for bellows seems to be perfectly appropriate and well within reason. Sourcing parts like wood with the internet seems 'easier' than ever compared to, say, twenty years ago.

Someone eventually will add 100 hours of carving or whatever to one set of bellows and that's OK for them to do that, too. People always linger over my Taylor bellows. Go figure.

CJ DIXON · Post by **CJ DIXON** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 8:54 pm

Very nice Spalted Maple you have there Mr. Liestman.

All the best,
CJ