Reedmaking Tips

[Kevin L. Rietmann]

Pictures of reeds are great and all, but you still have to make the godforsaken things. I'm much more interested in the methods used, and cures for problems, etc.

Here's two more tips:

1) The hand drill I use comes loose easily; I wrap a bit of string on the threads to keep the mandrel clamped tight, so it doesn't come loose halfway through winding.

2) Regarding what Lewis is getting at - when making reeds, I draw initially purely using the air in my mouth, which has much stronger pressure, to see if a reed is beginning to sound at all. If I can sound a nice crow using the air in my lungs, which is much weaker, then it's a good sign that the reed will be playable. Maybe this will depend on the person, I'm not sure.

How about a page with a bunch of links to discussions on this forum involving reedmaking? They don't necessarily have eye-catching topics, you know - I didn't even look at that yak about narrow bore (D?) chanters until today. My mind's made up about them - they rock. It's like a flat chanter, only, you know, in D. What could be cooler? Dude.

I figured it would be just 8 pages of Royce's froth, which seems to be the case, but you're also gabbing about bridles and the like. Howzabout one of you devotees hunting down that kind of stuff and linking it all up? Maybe making an anthology page of some kind. A valid long-term resource out of all of this would be great, don't you think? A year from now if someone wants to learn something about bridles and does a search here, they're going to completely pass over that post - and you will have left him in the lurch, in a sense.

[Evertjan 't Hart]

The pictures on these two sites look remarkably similar.

Are they good friends, or is someone doing a naughty?

A naughty...

[mukade]

The pictures on these two sites look remarkably similar.

Are they good friends, or is someone doing a naughty?

A naughty...

Harummph!

Anyway, nice site Evertjan. The new one is looking even better.

I am just starting out with reed-making, so I am pleased to have such a lot of good sources.

Mukade

[Joseph E. Smith]

djm wrote:"Joseph, didn't Evertjan already do this? (can't find the link, now)"
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Why, yes, yes he did... and I thought them great cut away photos of the reed. But I was thinking of something other than a profile shot...something that would show the inside surface of the reed.

Kevin L.R. wrote:"1) The hand drill I use comes loose easily; I wrap a bit of string on the threads to keep the mandrel clamped tight, so it doesn't come loose halfway through winding. "
============================================

A technique I am not certain I could be comfortable with...being mostly thumbs and all. For me, having my fingers on the reed at all times while tying allows me to more accurately judge the tension of the tie. Still, I may give it a try someday, once I exorcise the dinosaur mentality I currently possess.

[AlanB]

Mighty reed pics Evertjan!! Have you tried this with a crap reed to note any difference of the internal shape?? (Given that obviously it's not a true reflection as the reed, as tension is missing).

Alan

[John S]

Hi Kev, I to use scissors to adjust the length of my GHB and Bombard reeds, and I have no problems.

John S

[snoogie]

I'd be happy to do the editing and work with Dale to post a reedmaking FAQ similar to what we already have as the FAQ on Upipes on this forum.

We could call it Reedmaking 101 and pull together some of the old posts on:
1) Where can I get reedmaking supplies?
2) What books should I get...are there any videos?
3)...?

Regards,
Gary

[djm]

Hey, Tony found the cut-away I was referring to. Great job, Tony!

I really like Alan Moller's mandrel-on-a-hand-crank idea. One of those "to do" projects someday. I am hopeless at hand-winding. Joe Kennedy wraps his reeds by hand perfectly and wouldn't do it any other way, but when he watches me trying to do the same thing he gets this incredulous look in his eyes ....

I'm all for Snoogie doing a Reed FAQ, as he did such an excellent job on the first one. Good for you, Gary!

djm

[Evertjan 't Hart]

Mighty reed pics Evertjan!! Have you tried this with a crap reed to note any difference of the internal shape?? (Given that obviously it's not a true reflection as the reed, as tension is missing).

I've made the pics just to illustrate the difference of the 'traditional' reed internal shape and the chamber reed internal shape. As you stated it's of course not a true reflection but it was not made with diagnostic intentions. The picture is one of a serie for my reed making website. There will be a section on the importance of the internal volume of the reedhead. A topic for some reason neclected in all the printed reed making manuals.

Evertjan

[tommykleen]

I (like most men) am a visual creature. I need to see what people are talking about.

Two bits:

I use garden pruners for cutting back reed blade tips. The kind where the jaws meet paralellelly :roll: . Got this tip from Andreas "Der Schnitten Macher" Rogge. Seems like there would be less tork on the blades.

Winders: I fashioned a winder out of an old desk-mount pencil sharpener. I have inserted a madrel into it. Problem, locking in the mandril. Looking for tips. I will try to take a snap and post later.

t

[Lorenzo]

Professional Detroit Supercut scissors have a very fine serrated edge to insure there's no slipping. The down side with all scissors and toenail clippers is that they mash the cane just a little...as seen under a microscope.

Don't forget about old/new single hollow ground razors (concave on one side) for shaving the cane. I like them better than double hollow ground knives, and so does tok. We've covered a lot of this ground before I know, but I think it's even a bigger deal to have the best handheld shaving knives.

A nice pro trimming knife with a hand-size wooden handle (used by the oboe profession) on a convex hardwood cutting block works best and leaves no signs of a crushed edge. This block is about the size of a 50¢ piece or silver dollar and about ¾" thick.


The nice thing about an oboe knife is that everything is steady and the blade is solid and heavy duty, unlike an exacto knife or razor blade.


Of course a double reed tip cutter (guillotine) is best if the reed is alrady tied.


Medical and dental scissors are nice to. I have a nice collection of unique shaped suture scissors I use for cutting the winding.

[Lorenzo]

I use garden pruners for cutting back reed blade tips. The kind where the jaws meet paralellelly.

I thought an edurcatered fool like you might use a paper cutter, you know...the guillotine slicer, the kind you see at the library?

[Steve Pribyl]

Lorenzo,
Are the cutting blocks which are shown on your message commercially available? The image looks like it has part numbers next to the blocks. I need one.

Thanks,

Steve

[Lorenzo]

Yes. I forgot to post the link. http://www.forrestsmusic.com/

Kinves and cutters at http://www.forrestsmusic.com/knivesandcutters.htm.

BTW, if you right click on any image then left click on "properties" it will give you the source.

[Matt Schibler]

Regarding reed winders: I believe the the reed winder sold by NPU does have a mandrel end on it. I bought one from them last year.

To find it on the NPU site, click Resources, Mail Order Catalogue, click the dropdown box in Type, and choose Reedmaking for all of their reedmaking supplies.