Hi Guys, I am busy making two sets of Leo Rowsome drone's from plans on Chris Bayleys web site, they are turning out quite nicely, Set 1. I have used Madagascan rose wood which will turn black with age and it is my favourite wood, It also gives a more strident sound than ebony, Set 2. I'm making out of holy dyed black, Holy gives a much warmer sound that ebony. I'm useing sheeps horn for some of the decor pieces which I was giving, but! I can't decide which metal to use for the fittings?, I like brass and nickel silver but can't make my mind up which to use, Is it not that crucial or is just a matter of what's easiest and what is available, I sure if the makers of old could have obtained good quality brass or nickel silver tubing in different sizes they would have certainly have used it, I would have also have thought that in the old days in Ireland materials and tools would have been much more scarce and would have to be made by hand, May be this is why more older sets are made with brass fittings, "Any comments on your choice and why." Thanks Stew.
Tell us something.: I used to play pipes about 20 years ago and suddenly abducted by aliens. Not sure why... but it's 2022 and I'm mysteriously baack...
stew wrote:....I sure if the makers of old could have obtained good quality brass or nickel silver tubing in different sizes they would have certainly have used it, I would have also have thought that in the old days in Ireland materials and tools would have been much more scarce and would have to be made by hand, May be this is why more older sets are made with brass fittings, "Any comments on your choice and why." Thanks Stew.
So if tubing is readily available now, why do pipemakers painstakingly roll ferrules from sheet stock??
Special diameters?
Tapered ferrules?
Or just being authentic to the original methods of pipemaking??
Hi Tony, I think its being authentic to the older ways of pipe making,
when I said tubeing I don't mean the cheap thin gauge tubeing, I mean
Quality gauge tubeing, all the best Stew.
Tell us something.: I used to play pipes about 20 years ago and suddenly abducted by aliens. Not sure why... but it's 2022 and I'm mysteriously baack...
Ferrules are tapered. That's why they are hand-made versus tubing. If tubing were appropriate, regardless of how good the quality of the tubing is, it would have been in use for the last 50 years. Quality sets have tapered ferrules friction-fitted. Its one of those things you should look for when buying a set.
djm
I'd rather be atop the foothills than beneath them.
The type of metal seems to be more a matter of taste. Nickel-silver is a bit more brittle to work than brass, I am told. Beyond that, there is no difference other than appearance (and possibly a bit more costly).
djm
I'd rather be atop the foothills than beneath them.
Yes, I'm curious, too. Who are these big-name makers who don't roll their own ferrules? I know a couple of makers worked in steel in the past but got out of it as it was too much work and hard on the tools.
djm
I'd rather be atop the foothills than beneath them.
