Collapsed Reed..

[G Burman]

OH YEAH!!!

That's perfect Jumper.

The reed fairies will be very, very pleased!!!!!

Now the question is, where the heck did you find three virgins?

[Johnniez]

Years ago I played in bands with sax players, clarinet etcetc.. The players seemed to always want to wet their reeds.. Some in a glass of water others in anything wet..Some keep licking them.

Would doing that to our reeds help to keep the moisture in the reed? I know the above reeds are mostly single reeds and not doubles. But we do do that with the GHB reeds understanding tho that its a wet blow and not dry.

I have an old pipe tobacco humidor that my father owned. Would keep my reeds in there between playing help them keep moist?

Trying to think of ways to prevent the cracking and closing of my reeds is all and I don't mind taking out my reed after every play and parking it in a container till next time I wish to play again.

Johnnie

[pmriley]

in the world of ghb, they have a thing called the pipers pal. it goes over th chanter top to protect the reed. it also has a humidification system in it. supposed to keep the reed nice. it also removes excess moisture, for ghb anyway. although this is a dry instrument, the hydration aspect might work.

[billh]

Wetting the reed is a very bad idea - likely to destroy it. Taking the reed out is risky also.

IMO putting a humidifier in the pipe case is the better answer. Although the pipes and reed will dry out when removed from the case and played in a very dry environment, the resulting stress on the reed is short-lived unless you are playing for hours. Crowded pub settings - one place where you might play for hours - tend to be rather humid anyhow. However if you put a humidifier in the case, you need to put a hygrometer in as well, and check the humidity levels to avoid going too high.

It's especially important to consider condensation - an already-humid pipe case should never be subjected to significantly lower temperatures as this will cause the relative humidity to spike and moisture can condense on the reed - probably with disastrous results. So both humidity and temperature should be considered. There's nothing inherently wrong with low temperatures but one should bear in mind that humidity and temperature are strongly dependent on one another - thus humidity should be monitored and changes resulting from temperature changes should be anticipated. Similarly, increased temperatures in a sealed case result in lower relative humidity - one more reason to avoid placing a case in direct sun or, worse, a car boot in sunny weather. Winter car boots are a problem because of the condensation risk - insulated cases help.

Bill

[Cathy Wilde]

You just answered about a gazillion of my most nagging questions in one swell foop! Thank you!

I'll ask my friend if the beast in question is a duduk. I must admit, I'm intrigued by the folded slip of paper (aka "shim"?) idea ... Maybe once I get a few "beater" reeds under my belt I'll subject one or two to the experiment.

[uillmann]

I'm intrigued by the folded slip of paper (aka "shim"?) idea ... Maybe once I get a few "beater" reeds under my belt I'll subject one or two to the experiment.

You might try an oboe or bassoon plaque which are shaped like arrowheads or almonds.

[Johnniez]

In another thread I inquired about a reed that went flat on one side. And a fellow replied mentioning a plaque for an oboe reed. I then explored the internet and found an article with photos too, on how to use the plaque and tie the reed. Then searched for the plaques and found them at Charles Double Reed Co and the service and speed of shipping was prompt.

So I did just that, stuck the plaque in the tip of the reed between the lips. I got the arrow shape and almond shape and good thing I did.. The arrow shape fits better as its a bit slimmer and gets down near the bottom in the area that if you squezze the reed there just above the binding it will crack. I found that out the hard way and it cracked all the way up to the tip.. I have since fixed that tho by using crazy glue.

I then let the reed soak in a cup of water for about 10 then put the plaque in got some hemp and wrapped the hemp around the reed snugly enough to form around the plaque. Let it sit for about 4 days then unwrapped and removed the plaque and let it sit for 2 more days in case there was still damp in side the reed when the plaque sat against. Any way after if dried out I put it in my chanter and after a couple adjustments on the bridle, it sings like a canary.. Really nice. and I thought the reed was toast. Uillmann your right and it did the job great.

The above is a GREAT example of how the mindset, camaraderie and helpfullnes there is in the piping community really digs in to help folks. I find that on all the piping forums. And I think you should either give yourself a good hand clap or take a big bow .. I mean it .. It is awesome how inspiring it is to know there are folks like that out there.. ~~Good to you all ~~

Johnnie

[billh]

Glad it worked for you Johnnie!

I would however strongly caution folks NOT to dip completed uilleann pipe reeds in water - (except, perhaps, as an absolute last resort). In my own experience even quick immersion can cause irreparable harm. The immersion techniques make sense for wet blown reeds, which are designed to resist direct moisture; for uilleann pipe reeds I would recommend either exposure to high humidity or a quick wipe with a moist cloth - a more modest amount of moisture, or even no added moisture at all, may be enough for the plaque to do its work.

best regards,

Bill

[pmriley]

well this is encouraging. my reed is flat on the one side also. when i get another maybe ill try it out. dont want to do it to my only reed.

[Pat Cannady]

A viable alternative to a case humidifier is a humidifier for your dwelling. I run two humidifiers in my two bedroom condo from late November until April. I sometimes put a few pots water on the stove when needed. I aim for about 50 to 55 percent relative humidity. It suits my needs well. YMMV.

[Cathy Wilde]

Thank you guys ever so much. This all helps a lot. I've found that if I play every day stuff usually works OK, but when I can't .... am pondering a plaque for storage? Guess I'd better go read about them first, eh.

Thanks again; it's just good to know. As are y'all.

[PJ]

The basement of my house has relatively stead temperature and humidity, summer and winter. During the extreme months (January, February, July and August), I keep my pipes in the basement most of the time.

On the subject of wetting reeds, if you dip a sheet of water or cardboard in water and then let it dry, it will not regain its original shape. The water will cause it to swell and when it dries, it will crinkle. This is exactly what happens with the thin lips of the reed: water gets in and causes the cane to swell and when it dries it will crinkle.

[Johnniez]

I agree with the water thing with the lips and all. But remember I used a plaque to re-FORM the shape as it was damp. When dried it kept the shape.
Sort of like putting on a tight wet pair of jeans the ladies use to do to let them dry and take the shape of their body.. ; - )

It worked for me and worked the fellow that produced the information that I followed.

Also another one is .

Why would Finbar Furey lay his reeds in a plate of water when he is building a reed if water, moisture, damp etc etc is so bad for it? On his video's I have he does that very thing.. . I don't understand one person says one thing another person does another.. Does anyone 'really' know for sure.. Meant in jest of course.

Johnnie

[PJ]

I agree with the water thing with the lips and all. But remember I used a plaque to re-FORM the shape as it was damp. When dried it kept the shape.

I've managed to revive collapsed reeds using this method. It only worked about 50% of the time. Also, I used Neets Foot Oil, not water.

Why would Finbar Furey lay his reeds in a plate of water when he is building a reed if water, moisture, damp etc etc is so bad for it?

FF puts unfinished cane slips in water to make them easier to gouge. You won't see him putting scraped reeds anywhere near water!!

[Johnniez]

PJ
I watched his videos again and your right. He put them in a saucer and let them sit to soft the pith..

BUT

He also said that he could not understand why so many uilleann players , ghb too, go on about moisture and their reeds.. He said that the cane has been in moisture all its life and should not be an issue.. But I guess there are different schools of thought on everything.

Man can he play !!!!!

Johnnie

I guess I got pretty lucky then using some moisture and the plaque.

What does the Neetfoot Oil do better than water.??