Blowpipe Problem
by Jesse
(Unknown)
Question:
Hi Sir. I am a beginner on piping which i know not much but to ask the question ........... I Blow into my bagpipes and i read there's a stopper in the blow pipe , I fill the bag with air and get my drones going but when i get ready to blow again air leaves out the blowpipe with a sputter feel on my lips when i get ready to blow again the air in the bag needs filled again. Is my stopper bad or am i not forcing air enough in the bag? Sorry for the inconvenience. Thank u Sir. Jesse
Bill's Reply:
Thank you, Jesse, for your enquiry. I am assuming that the valve you have is a flap valve that is not operating properly. Remove the blow stick and blow through it then suck back to find out how much the flap is not covering the hole at the bottom as it should to prevent air escaping when taking a quick breath when playing.
If the flap of the valve is of synthetic material it should not need some moistening at first, as would a leather valve. I think the matching of the valve for the flap to close the air properly and needs to be realigned to fit over the hole. The binding that holds the valve would have to be removed; the stem of the valve placed in a way to allow the valve flap to function properly; place some few strands of binding over the stem to hold in place while you test much as mentioned almost at the beginning of this. When the placement is correct re-bind the blow piece joint to fit firmly, yet without being too tight in case too much moisture swells the binding and cracks the wooden stock.
If you would like more information on the blow stick and the flap valve, I can send you a page with illustrations to help further, providing I have your e mail address.
I trust this helps. Any further questions or clarification, please do not hesitate to ask.
Best wishes,
Bill Robertson.
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