The foundation of the bagpipe is the bag itself. The bag acts as a reservoir for air, receiving amounts blown into it and transferring a steady supply to the reeds. The bag also “manages” moisture that is blown into it, contained within your breath. A properly functioning bag should be airtight. It should also allow (or help) the piper to maintain the proper moisture level within the reeds at all times.
Five stocks are tied or fastened directly to the bag. Air enters the bag through the blowpipe stock and exits the bag through reeds contained within the drones and chanter.
Periodically, it is wise to test the bag to determine if indeed it is airtight. Remove the chanter and three drones. Place corks into the open ends of the drone and chanter stocks. The best corks are made of rubber and readily form an airtight seal when inserted into the stock. These corks are available through any bagpipe supplies dealer or at your local wine-making supplies store. Blow into the bag through the blowpipe until the bag is fully inflated. Place the bag under your arm and press it against your side. You can also put the inflated bag on the floor and kneel upon it with one knee. The bag should remain fully inflated, as theoretically the air has nowhere to escape. Wait about 20 seconds or so. Try to blow into the blowpipe again. If the bag is airtight, you should not be able to blow additional air into the bag.
If the bag does not remain fully inflated, then the search is on to find the leak or leaks. Use a systematic approach:
- Check the corks to ensure the seal is tight.Make sure that there are no cracks in any stocks. Check around the top of each stock for small hairline cracks. These may open when corks or drones are inserted.
- Make sure that the blowpipe valve is functioning properly. It should close quickly and seal tightly, allowing little or no air to escape back up the blowpipe. There are a number of flapper-valves that will get the job done. Back in the old days, we would cut a valve from leather and work with it until it settled and would form a tight seal. There are both simple and more highly-engineered valve contraptions these days, all of which will work well if properly installed and maintained.
- Check around the base of each stock. They should be tightly fastened to the bag and no air should be escaping where they are each fastened to the bag. Some bags use rubber grommets and hose clamps to attach the stocks to the bag. Leaks can develop if the grommets become unattached to the inside of the bag. Otherwise, simply ensure that the clamps have been tightened sufficiently. If your stocks are tied directly to the bag, just ensure that the seal is tight. The stocks should not move when twisted. If so, you’ll need to re-tie the stock.
- Check the bag itself. Each type of bag seems to have its own particular vulnerability. Hide bags may leak down the seam. Sheepskin bags may develop a thin spot, where seasoning bleeds through and air escapes. Gortex bags can develop leaks almost anywhere, as the enzymes from our breath will break down those properties within the material which make it airtight. A particularly vulnerable spot is that area just beneath the blowpipe stock. These bags may also leak around the zipper or clamp.
- Check to make certain the bore of your stocks is concentric. It the wood has moved and the bore is no longer concentric, air will escape. Sometimes this is not evident using rubber corks. By rotating your drone tenon within the stock, if non-concentric you will experience a tight-loose-tight sequence as the parts move against each other. If there are issues with the stocks (cracks or non-concentric bore) it will be necessary to repair or replace the stock. In very rare instances, there may be a worm hole in the wood that has slipped through quality-control. It happens. Unless you are skilled, experienced, and have the proper equipment, you may have to send the faulty part to a maker for repair or replacement.
- On one occasion, in what I consider to be a very rare instance, I found a wormhole within one of the stocks. It was small and difficult to see, however indeed air was escaping, making the bagpipe very difficult. In such a case, the stock should either be repaired or replaced.
In any respect, the leak must be located and addressed. The bag must then either be repaired or replaced.
