I posted a month or two ago about my dad dropping off my great grandfathers bagpipe. Many thanks to my anonymous expert for cleaning them up for me and inspecting the damages. Here’s what he said:
“Thank you for the opportunity to document your bagpipe.
1) The shellac finish has been removed. All beading and combing was cleaned of sediment and debris. Every scribe line and individual comb was cleaned to the bare wood.
2) The exterior was polished with super-fine steel wool.
3) The exterior was oiled with very fine natural bore oil. Three applications were applied.
4) The nickel tuning slides and ferrules were cleaned with steel wool and with Flitz. As this was a war time bagpipe, the nickel is very low quality. Blemishes exist.
5) The ivory rings were cleaned and oiled. The patina remains.
6) Tuning chambers have shrunk and will no longer accommodate the tuning slides. I would beginning by opening the tuning chambers slightly. Perhaps polishing the inside would be enough. I haven't worked with these hempless tuning slides and would probably consider a more conventional approach (convert to hemp).
7) There is an issue with the tuning slide lodged inside the bass top section.
8) There is a hairline crack under the ferrule on one tenor drone.
9) The blowpipe stock is cracked and needs to be replaced.
The wood itself is very good. Gaboon Ebony I believe. The beading is consistent and the combing is shallow. Try to maintain the bagpipe in a hospitable environment and oil the exterior twice yearly. You'll never replace the ebony.”
So what’s the next step? I couldn’t immediately continue the process due to funds. Probably a 1000k job I would think?
