J. Dunbar Bagpipe Maker Ltd.
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    Bagpipe Repairs and Restorations

    At Dunbar Bagpipes, we are very proud that Jim McGillivray has chosen us to do the majority of his vintage bagpipe refurbs and repairs. If you know Jim, then you will know that he is very particular regarding what pipes he sells and expects nothing but the best from our shop. If you are looking for a quality set of vintage bagpipes or would just like to see some samples of our work, please visit Jim's Vintage Bagpipe page.

    With over 60 years of bagpipe making experience, we have come into contact with pretty much most makes of bagpipes. We have tooling to match most makes and if we do not have something that matches your set, we have the capabilites to make it.

    Here are some examples of the work that we can do on your bagpipe:

    Complete Strip and Refinish - most bagpipes are in good shape and do not need repair work done to them but the finish is either chipping or has worn off. We will completely strip off all of the old finish, inspect the bare wood for any problems and then refinish the pipes with our hand rubbed wax finish.

    Crack Repairs - cracking is fairly typical on old pipes. If your pipes are African Blackwood, we can seal the crack using a glue/dust combination. Once complete, it is extremely difficult to tell that there was ever a crack. If your pipes are ebony or cocuswood, the best method of repairing cracks is to invisible whip them. As glue does not bond well with these materials, invisible whipping ensures that the cracks will not leak air. Invisible whipping involves turning down the combs on the bagpipe and then wrapping where the combs were with a very strong, thin string. Once this is done, we then fill in above the string with glue & dust. Once this sets, we then re-comb the section so when done, it is difficult to see that a repair is done to it.

    Pin-To-Joint Repair - a common repair is a broken tuning pin. Rather than replacing the entire part, we can do a repair which just replaces the tuning pin itself. Basically, we cut off the broken pin flush with the top of the projecting mount. We then bore and tap down inside the projecting mount and then thread in a new pin. Once the bond has set, we then turn down the outside of the pin to match the original and polish the bore to ensure that both the old and new bores match up as perfectly as possible.

    Part Replacement - there are times where a repair is not feasible or advisable. We have a supply of most types of wood as well as tooling for most makes of bagpipes. We will attempt a repair first but if it is better to make a new piece, we can match most original parts.

    Upgrades - many people love they way their pipes sound but are not real happy with the look of them. We have the capabilities to replace your current ferrules, projecting mounts, ring caps or tuning slides, etc. with just about anything you would like. We can deal with silver, mammoth ivory, imitation ivory, nickel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass and have even re-mounted bagpipes with moose antler.

    This is just a small sample of some of the repair/refurbishing work that we do. If you are having any problems with your bagpipes or just want to "fancy" them up, please feel free to contact us.
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