A flat set of uilleann pipes in C, plumwood with brass & imitation ivory mounts. I made this set in 2001.

The current state of the project: (Hasn't really changed much since the last update.)

Here is an end-on view of the drones. I forget who it was that once described the pipes as a "hive of honeyed sound," but i quite like the image. So i make my bag covers out of this fabric with little bees on it.

The chanter is one i got some years ago from B.C. Childress. You can see in this picture that it's quite curved. Despite that, it plays just fine, and it will be the basis for the chanter i end up making for this set.

Here is a detail of the mainstock and tenor drone. You can clearly see the beautiful colour of the plumwood in the drones. The mainstock is made of cherry wood.
This image shows the two wooden bends in the bass drone. I learned this technique from Rob Moore. He's the only maker i know who uses wooden bends, and i think it looks really elegant.

Here's a detail of the drone ends. I'm quite pleased with the way they turned out, sort of a tip of the hat to the 19th century makers. Not really very flashy by today's standards, but simple & elegant.

The next step is making reamers for the chanter & regulators.I'm currently going through all my measurements & drawings of pipes in C, to figure out exactly what bore profiles i need.

Last updated on 14th March 2004, by Penny.

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