Wood

I make my pipes in a variety of woods from imported timber such as African Blackwood, Ebony and Honduran Rosewood to locally grown timbers including Laburnum, Apple, Yew and Holly. I also use Boxwood sourced from the wider UK. The choice of timber has a significant bearing on the tonal character and quality of an instrument. For example, African Blackwood being the hardest and denset wood I use produces the most volume whereas woods such a Boxwood and Laburnum are slightly quieter and produce richer harmonics.

Stability is very important in woods used for making pipes so all the imported timbers I use are kept for several years to ensure they are completely seasoned. When I source local wood it is often as complete trees or logs. These require careful cutting and seasoning over a period of around 5 years. 

Mounts and ferrules can be made in a contrasting wood to set off the main timber in the instrument. For these I like to work with woods like Cocobolo and Boxwood which, as well as providing a visually pleasing contrast, are also hard enough to give protection to the main timber in the instrument. 

WOODWORKING - a selection of photographs showing some of the woodworking processes.