Great Highland Bagpipe Capstone Print Packet

Generated: 2026-05-08

Packet folder: `/mnt/c/Users/Tony/Documents/GitHub/great-highland-bagpipe`

File Map

design.md

Project intent, catalog metadata, assumptions, and validation plan.

Great Highland Bagpipe Build Packet

Intent

Build a first-pass engineering packet for a complete Great Highland Bagpipe set

that exposes the system interactions: chanter bore and reed, drones and drone

reeds, bag pressure, stocks, blowpipe valve, tuning slides, sourcing,

maintenance, and validation. The goal is not to claim a finished concert-grade

set from formulas alone; it is to define the measured build loop that gets from

workbook geometry to a playable, serviceable prototype.

Catalog Metadata

Design Inputs

Governing Model

The Great Highland Bagpipe is a coupled reed/resonator/reservoir system. The

packet intentionally uses different first-order models for different

subsystems, then validates the coupled result under pressure.

Chanter

The chanter is a conical bore driven by a double reed. A conical reed pipe

behaves closer to an open-open pipe for pitch than a cylindrical stopped pipe,

but tone holes, reed compliance, and bore taper dominate the final intonation.

The workbook dimensions and measured practice-chanter hole positions are the

starting geometry.

f_chanter ~= c / (2 * L_eff)
L_eff ~= c / (2 * f_target)
c = speed of sound in inches per second

Worked example from the workbook:

Low A = 480 Hz
c = 13510 in/s
L_eff = 13510 / (2 * 480) = 14.073 in
Workbook physical full chanter length = 14.5 in

The difference between effective and physical length is expected because the

reed seat, conical end behavior, bell flare, and tone-hole network all shift the

effective acoustic length. Final tuning must start with undersize holes and

open them by measurement.

Drones

The drones are cylindrical single-reed pipes, closed at the reed end and open at

the top. They are first-pass stopped pipes with odd-harmonic emphasis.

f_drone ~= c / (4 * L_eff)
L_eff ~= c / (4 * f_target)

Worked examples from the workbook:

Tenor drone A3 = 240 Hz
L_eff = 13510 / (4 * 240) = 14.073 in

Bass drone A2 = 120 Hz
L_eff = 13510 / (4 * 120) = 28.146 in

The workbook's physical sections intentionally exceed or subdivide these

effective lengths because tuning chambers, hemped slides, reed seats, and cap

geometry move the acoustic endpoint.

Bag Pressure And Reeds

The bag is a pressure reservoir, not just a container. The reed only oscillates

inside a stable pressure window. Pressure changes can sharpen or destabilize

the chanter and drones, so every tuning row in `validation.csv` includes

environment and pressure notes.

cents_error = 1200 * log2(measured_hz / target_hz)
pressure_target = 18-25 inH2O for first prototype testing

Empirical Correction Guard

No Native American flute K2 correction is applied here. This packet uses

first-order conical/stopped-pipe estimates plus measured GHB-specific

validation rows. Any future correction must be derived from measured chanter,

drone, reed, and pressure data from this family.

Chanter Scale Table

Subsystem Interfaces

Hardware Alignment

Build Strategy

Prototype order is deliberately reeds-first and pressure-first:

1. Buy three chanter reeds and one synthetic drone reed set.

2. Buy a synthetic zipper bag and blowpipe valve before final tuning work.

3. Build a practice/prototype chanter in cherry, walnut, ipe, or Delrin.

4. Validate bore, reed, and hole tuning before building African blackwood.

5. Build one tenor drone, then duplicate it after measured success.

6. Build the bass drone after slide and reed behavior are stable.

7. Tie in stocks, run leakage tests, and maintain a tuning/pressure log.

Assumptions And Unknowns

Validation Plan

Validation starts with the subsystem, then moves to the coupled system:

1. Bench leak test every stock, reed seat, slide, and bag tie-in.

2. Measure pressure at start, normal play, and cut-off for chanter and drones.

3. Tune drones without the chanter, then add chanter and listen for beating.

4. Record note frequency, cents error, pressure, temperature, humidity, reed,

and corrective action in `validation.csv`.

5. Repeat after 24 hours to catch hemp compression, bag leakage, and moisture

effects.

bom.csv

Starter bill of materials with part categories, quantities, drawing refs, and notes.

sourcing.csv

Supplier/search tracker with specs, price/date fields, lead time, substitutes, and risks.

cut-list.csv

Rough/final stock sizes, material, grain/orientation, operations, yield, and offcuts.

drawing-brief.md

Manufacturing drawing and technical product sketch brief.

Drawing Brief

Drawing Set

Standards

• Units: inches with metric equivalents added later where useful.
• Default tolerance: +/-0.005 in for turned acoustic features; +/-0.015 in for

decorative exterior features; fit-specific tolerances must be measured from

purchased reeds and bag hardware.

• Critical dimensions must trace to `great-highland-bagpipe-design-table.xlsx`

or measured supplier parts.

• Any reed-seat or stock dimension not measured yet is marked "measure chosen

part" rather than guessed.

Chanter Notes

The tone-hole coordinates in the workbook include measured practice-chanter

locations and first-pass target full-chanter values. The drawing must show

undersize drill diameters and leave final tuning by measurement.

Drone Notes

Drone drawings must show effective acoustic length separately from physical

section length. Tuning slides, reed seats, and cap geometry move the acoustic

endpoint.

assembly-manual.md

Shop-facing sequence, tools, fixtures, safety, tuning, finishing, and maintenance notes.

Great Highland Bagpipe Assembly Manual

Shop Principle

Do not build the ornate final set first. Bagpipes are a pressure-coupled reed

system; a beautiful bore that cannot be tuned with the chosen reeds is scrap.

Retire reed, pressure, and leakage risk before committing expensive blackwood.

Tools And Fixtures

• Lathe with chuck/collet support, tailstock drill chuck, live center, and

steady rest for long sections.

• Step-drill set, long bits, reamers, bore gauges, and a purpose-made chanter

taper reamer.

• V-block or indexed drill fixture for chanter tone holes.
• Manometer for bag pressure.
• Calipers, small bore gauges, tuner, tape, beeswax, waxed hemp, and leak-test

solution.

• Reed-seat and tenon/socket gauges turned from stable offcuts.

Phase 0 - Buy The Coupling Parts

1. Buy at least three commercial chanter reeds before finalizing the reed seat.

2. Buy a synthetic drone reed set.

3. Buy or borrow a synthetic zipper bag and a blowpipe valve.

4. Measure reed body/staple diameters and update `validation.csv`.

Phase 1 - Prototype Chanter

1. Rough-turn the blank oversized and leave holding allowance at both ends.

2. Establish the bore datum from the reed seat end.

3. Step-drill conservatively, then ream to the planned taper.

4. Turn the exterior only after the bore is confirmed straight enough.

5. Drill tone holes undersize using the datum plan in `drawing-brief.md`.

6. Fit a commercial reed and check Low A at stable pressure.

7. Use tape and incremental enlargement to bring the scale into range.

Phase 2 - Tenor Drone Proof

1. Build one tenor drone bottom and top.

2. Bore the bottom and top to the workbook dimensions.

3. Turn the tuning slide with planned hemp clearance.

4. Fit a tenor drone reed and find the slide range for A3.

5. Log reed setting, pressure, temperature, and cents error.

6. Duplicate the validated tenor.

Phase 3 - Bass Drone

1. Build the bass bottom, middle, and top as separate sections.

2. Use a steady rest and center-drill strategy for the long middle section.

3. Bore slightly conservatively where reaming or sanding is planned.

4. Fit the bass drone reed and confirm A2 with usable tuning travel.

Phase 4 - Stocks, Bag, And Blowpipe

1. Batch-turn five stocks with tie-in grooves.

2. Turn the blowpipe body and fit the one-way valve.

3. Tie the stocks into the synthetic bag.

4. Leak-test each stock before inserting reeds or drones.

5. Assemble all pipes with hemped joints and repeat the leak test.

Phase 5 - Tuning And Balancing

1. Tune both tenors together at stable pressure.

2. Add the bass drone and tune it against the tenors.

3. Add the chanter and tune Low A against the drone reference.

4. Work upward through the chanter notes, changing one variable at a time.

5. If pressure changes shift multiple notes together, correct pressure/reed

behavior before changing hole geometry.

Maintenance Loop

• Before each session: inspect reeds, check hemped joints, confirm blowpipe

valve seal, and run a short pressure hold.

• After each session: dry moisture from blowpipe and stocks, inspect reed

seats, and loosen any joint that became too tight.

• Weekly during prototype: repeat drone tuning and bag leak validation.
• After 24 hours: recheck pitch because hemp compression can change slide

position and air leakage.

Stop Conditions

Stop and redesign or rebuild the affected part if any of these occur:

• Chanter bore wander is visible or pitch errors cannot be corrected with hole

size/tape.

• A stock tie-in leaks after two attempts.
• A tuning slide binds before reaching target pitch.
• A reed only speaks outside the expected pressure range.
• Any crack appears around a bore, stock groove, or slide socket.

validation.csv

Target/measured values, tolerance, environment, result, and tuning/build action log.

supplier-rfq.md

Supplier email/request-for-quote starter.

Supplier RFQ - Great Highland Bagpipe Prototype

Hello,

I am sourcing parts and blanks for a first-pass Great Highland Bagpipe prototype

build. Please quote current price, availability, lead time, and shipping for the

items below. Substitutions are welcome if they preserve the stated critical

dimensions and material behavior.

Quote Items

Critical Questions

1. What are the actual dimensions and tolerances of the reed bodies/staples?

2. Does the synthetic bag ship with stock collars or tie-in instructions?

3. Are blackwood blanks waxed, kiln-dried, and suitable for long-bore turning?

4. Are substitutions available in Delrin/acetal for prototype work?

5. What is the current lead time and return policy for reeds?

Thank you.

visual-bom-brief.md

Art direction for an image-forward visual BOM.

Visual BOM Brief

Goal

Create a single-page visual BOM that helps a builder see the entire bagpipe as

an interacting pressure/reed/bore system before opening the spreadsheet.

Required Panels

1. Full system hero: bag, chanter, two tenor drones, bass drone, blowpipe, and

five stocks labeled.

2. Chanter exploded view: reed, reed seat, conical bore, tone holes, sole.

3. Drone exploded view: reed, bottom, tuning slide, top, cap/sound exit.

4. Bag interface: stock tie-ins, blowpipe valve, pressure path.

5. Maintenance parts: hemp, beeswax, spare reeds, manometer, tuner.

Image Requirements

• Replace the current SVG system map with shop photos once parts exist.
• Photograph each reed next to calipers before fitting.
• Photograph one hemped joint before and after wax compression.
• Include a manometer photo during the pressure validation test.
• Avoid mood-board imagery; every image should identify a physical part or

validation step.

Layout

• Black-on-white shop-packet version.
• Separate recruiter/site version with the same labels and a single hero image.
• Every part label must map back to `bom.csv` item IDs.

great-highland-bagpipe-starter.wl

Wolfram starter for physics, optimization, visualization, and validation.

(* Great Highland Bagpipe Wolfram starter *)

ClearAll["Global`*"];

cInPerSec = 13510;
lowA = 480;

justScale = <|
  "Low G" -> 8/9,
  "Low A" -> 1,
  "B" -> 9/8,
  "C written C#" -> 5/4,
  "D" -> 4/3,
  "E" -> 3/2,
  "F written F#" -> 5/3,
  "High G" -> 7/4,
  "High A" -> 2
|>;

fChanter[lenIn_] := cInPerSec/(2 lenIn);
lChanter[f_] := cInPerSec/(2 f);
fDrone[lenIn_] := cInPerSec/(4 lenIn);
lDrone[f_] := cInPerSec/(4 f);
centsError[measured_, target_] := 1200 Log2[measured/target];

chanterTable = KeyValueMap[
  {#1, #2, N[lowA #2], N[lChanter[lowA #2]]} &,
  justScale
];

droneTargets = {
  {"Tenor A3", lowA/2, N[lDrone[lowA/2]]},
  {"Bass A2", lowA/4, N[lDrone[lowA/4]]}
};

pressureWindowInH2O = {18, 25};

Dataset[AssociationThread[
  {"Note", "Ratio", "TargetHz", "EffLengthIn"},
  #] & /@ chanterTable]

Dataset[AssociationThread[
  {"Drone", "TargetHz", "EffLengthIn"},
  #] & /@ droneTargets]

(* Suggested next cells:
   1. Import measured validation.csv rows and compute centsError.
   2. Plot chanter just-intonation targets against equal temperament.
   3. Model pressure sensitivity by fitting measured pitch vs inH2O.
   4. Use TransferFunctionModel or NDSolve for a reed-pressure toy model.
*)

README.md

Project artifact.

Great Highland Bagpipe

> A system-of-systems engineering packet for a full Great Highland Bagpipe set:

> chanter, drones, reeds, bag, stocks, blowpipe, pressure regulation, tuning,

> sourcing, maintenance, and validation.


GitHub Repo Metadata

**Description:** Parametric Great Highland Bagpipe build packet covering the

chanter, tenor and bass drones, reeds, bag pressure, stocks, blowpipe, tuning,

maintenance, sourcing, and validation.

**Suggested topics:** `great-highland-bagpipe`, `bagpipe`, `woodwind`,

`reed-instrument`, `parametric-design`, `acoustic-modeling`, `cnc-lathe`,

`woodturning`, `wolfram`, `instrument-making`, `build-packet`

What This Is

This repository turns the Great Highland Bagpipe workbook into an L2/L3-candidate

packet. It treats the instrument as an interacting set of subsystems rather

than a single pipe: the conical double-reed chanter, two tenor drones, one bass

drone, three drone reeds, one chanter reed, five stocks, blowpipe valve,

reservoir bag, hemped tuning slides, and a maintenance/validation loop.

The design starts from `great-highland-bagpipe-design-table.xlsx`, which uses a

modern GHB Low A of 480 Hz, just-intonation chanter ratios, and first-pass

dimensions for a full chanter and drone set. Formula-derived dimensions are

marked as first-order estimates until confirmed against a physical reed, bore,

and pressure setup.

Packet Map

• [`design.md`](design.md) - governing acoustic model, subsystem interfaces,

pressure model, assumptions, and hardware alignment.

• [`bom.csv`](bom.csv) - bill of materials with part categories, operations,

drawing references, and substitute rules.

• [`sourcing.csv`](sourcing.csv) - supplier/search tracker with current-check

fields left for purchasing.

• [`cut-list.csv`](cut-list.csv) - rough and finished stock sizes for chanter,

drones, stocks, blowpipe, mounts, and fixtures.

• [`validation.csv`](validation.csv) - tuning, pressure, leakage, fit, and

maintenance checks.

• [`assembly-manual.md`](assembly-manual.md) - shop sequence from reeds-first

testing through final maintenance.

• [`risks.md`](risks.md) - acoustic, structural, ergonomic, supply, and

fit/finish risk tests.

• [`drawings/`](drawings/) - first-pass dimensioned SVG sheets.
• [`cad/`](cad/) - parametric OpenSCAD master starter.
• [`site/`](site/) - static build-log site generated from the packet.

System Architecture

Build Order

1. Buy reeds and bag first, because the acoustic system cannot be validated

without real pressure and real reed behavior.

2. Turn a practice/prototype chanter in cherry, walnut, Delrin, or ipe before

committing African blackwood.

3. Validate the chanter bore and note holes using tape and incremental

enlargement.

4. Build one tenor drone, tune its reed seat and slide behavior, then duplicate

it.

5. Build the bass drone after tenor tuning and leakage are stable.

6. Turn stocks and blowpipe, tie into the bag, and run full pressure tests.

Status

License

[CC BY 4.0](LICENSE) - see LICENSE for details.

family-spec.csv

Project artifact.

photo-shotlist.md

Project artifact.

Photo Shotlist

Before Cutting

• Purchased chanter reeds with calipers on staple OD and blade width.
• Synthetic drone reed set with reed body diameters measured.
• Synthetic bag laid flat with stock-hole layout visible.
• Wood or Delrin blanks next to ruler and moisture/label info.

During Build

• Chanter blank between centers before drilling.
• Bore drilling setup with tailstock and support.
• Tapered reamer entering the chanter bore.
• Tone-hole drilling fixture and front/back datum marks.
• Hemped drone slide before and after waxing.
• Stock tie-in before cover installation.

Validation

• Manometer connected during pressure test.
• Tuner reading for Low A with pressure noted.
• Drone tuning slide position for tenor A3 and bass A2.
• Leak-test bubbles or pressure decay setup.
• 24-hour retest setup.

Finished

• Full set assembled on bag.
• Chanter detail with reed.
• Drone tops and mounts.
• Maintenance kit: reeds, hemp, beeswax, tuner, manometer.

risks.md

Project artifact.

Risks - Great Highland Bagpipe

Acoustic Chanter Bore And Reed Do Not Agree

**Symptom:** Low A speaks, but the chanter scale cannot be brought into tune by

normal tape and hole enlargement.

**Mechanism:** The conical bore, reed compliance, tone-hole network, and bag

pressure form a coupled system. A first-order `c/(2L)` estimate does not capture

the full behavior.

**Test:** Build the prototype chanter in low-cost material, record every note at

stable pressure, and compare cents error against `validation.csv`.

**Mitigation:** Keep holes undersize, test with multiple commercial reeds, and

adjust bore/hole plan before using blackwood.

**Severity:** High - human decision required before final-material chanter.

Structural Long Bore Wanders Or Cracks

**Symptom:** Chanter or bass middle section shows off-center bore, thin wall, or

cracking during reaming/turning.

**Mechanism:** Long small-diameter bores in dense wood create heat, tool wander,

and hoop stress. Blackwood is hard and expensive but not forgiving.

**Test:** Bore and ream a prototype blank, then measure wall thickness at both

ends and inspect for heat checking.

**Mitigation:** Use headstock-supported drilling, clear chips often, prototype

in Delrin/ipe/cherry first, and reject blanks with runout or checks.

**Severity:** High - human decision required before final-material bore work.

Ergonomic Pressure And Reach Fatigue

**Symptom:** The set can be tuned on the bench but is tiring or unstable during

real playing.

**Mechanism:** Bag size, blowpipe length, stock placement, chanter hand spacing,

and reed strength interact with player posture and arm pressure.

**Test:** Run a timed 10-minute playing simulation with manometer readings and

note any hand stretch, neck/arm fatigue, or pressure instability.

**Mitigation:** Start with a known synthetic bag size, use medium reeds, keep

the practice chanter step, and adjust blowpipe/stock ergonomics before final

decoration.

**Severity:** Medium.

Supply Reed Or Bag Substitution Changes The Whole System

**Symptom:** A substitute reed or bag part fits mechanically but changes pitch,

pressure threshold, or stock layout.

**Mechanism:** Reed body/staple dimensions and bag stock-hole positions are not

universal across makers. The acoustic and mechanical interface can shift.

**Test:** Measure purchased reed bodies, staple OD, bag stock layout, and valve

fit before cutting reed seats or tying in stocks.

**Mitigation:** Buy coupling parts first, update drawings from measured parts,

and keep supplier substitutions out of final dimensions until measured.

**Severity:** Medium.

Fit/Finish Decorative Mounts Lock In Before Tuning Is Stable

**Symptom:** Ferrules, imitation ivory mounts, or engraving prevent later slide,

stock, or bore corrections.

**Mechanism:** Decorative parts can hide joints, limit slide travel, or make a

prototype feel "finished" before acoustic validation is done.

**Test:** Assemble and tune the plain prototype for 24 hours before installing

permanent decorative parts.

**Mitigation:** Make mounts removable in prototype, omit engraving until the

validation report is clean, and keep slide access visible.

**Severity:** Low.