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Reeds 'n Stuff gouger/shaper

Author: giffpa
Date: 2011-06-05 20:55

I am currently researching the Reeds ‘n Stuff clarinet gouger and shaper. Does anyone know what kind of blades these machines use? I am curious if third party blades can be used.

Thanks for your help,

Paul

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Re: Reeds 'n Stuff gouger/shaper

Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-06-06 00:21

griffpa -

If you're looking at Udo Heng machines, http://www.reedsnstuff.com/en/Clarinet/Reedmaking-Machines/Gouging-machine-for-Clarinet.html?&listtype=search&searchparam=klarinette, it's one of several devices. See http://www.reedsnstuff.com/en/Clarinet/

There are two videos in German, but it's very clear from the demonstration how the machines work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwgwVs41uHQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37NzCpwYrmc&feature=related

To work from tube cane, you'll need
- a splitter
- a guillotine to cut the split tubes to length
- the gouging machine that you're looking at, which flattens the bottom
- a caliper to measure the blank thickness
- a hardness tester to measure the cane density
- a thickness micrometer to measure the vamp
- a shaping machine to give the blanks the correct width
- a trimmer to give the shaped blanks the correct lengthwise taper
- a pre-gouger to cut the basic shape of the vamp
- a sander to make the bottom flat
- three knives to remove the strips of bark and thin the pre-gouged vamp
- a profiling machine to finish the vamp
- a whetsone to sharpen the knives and the blades in the machines
- a clipper to shape the tip

The price is €6478 or $9,475 (not including the sanding table, knives, whetstone or tip clipper).

The machines have been discussed at http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=265511&t=265366

Robert diLutis makes a Reed Machine http://www.thereedmachine.net. You'll need
- a tube splitter (which he doesn't make - use a wide, sharp knife)
- a split tube saw, which he doesn't make - use a coping saw or a hacksaw
- a planer ($200)
- a profiler ($100)
- the Clarinet Machine vamp cutter ($600)
- a steel guide for the vamp cutter ($250)
- a tip clipper ($75)

This comes to $1,225, but if you start with finished blanks, you can get just the vamp cutter and the guide for $750, plus a sheet of sandpaper and a piece of plate glass to make the bottom of the blank absolutely flat. A Courdier trimmer goes for $42.99 at http://www.wwbw.com/Cordier-Reed-Trimmers-483894-i1442558.wwbw, but spend the extra bucks for the diLutis, which is better.

I've seen diLutis demonstrate his system, and it works very well.

Uhl makes a guide (shaper) and a profiler for $2,119.33 http://www.uhl-technik.de/en/index.html. It looks like it begins with flattened but un-shaped blanks.

The ReeDual http://www.rabcoreedual.com/ can duplicate a model, operating like a locksmith's key-duplicator. It's $600 and can make good reeds, but it's crude by comparison with the diLutis and especially the Udo Heng machines. It takes practice and needs to have the sandpaper replaced every 2 or 3 reeds, but it can work well after practice.

Before laying out the big bucks, try the Ridenour ATG system for $69.95 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y023Q0/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001DXKV8O&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0H02QHDMSDSKJ20C3PS5

I many times watched Kalmen Opperman go from a blank to a finished reed in about 2 minutes, using only a knife. To do it from tubes took him 5 minutes, but he also needed a hacksaw and a piece of sandpaper.

You pays your razbucknicks and you makes your choice. Non-professional oboists and bassoonists, and even some professional ones, buy gouged, shaped and profiled cane, because gougers and other machines are so expensive.

I'd start with the Ridenour ATG and take some reedmaking lessons. I've gone for years using a knife, file and sandpaper.

Ken Shaw

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Re: Reeds 'n Stuff gouger/shaper

Author: Joseph LeBlanc
Date: 2011-06-06 02:41

Paul,

I've used the Udo Heng Gouger(It's great) and I'm almost positive it uses a custom blade. From the looks of it they were meant to be replaced not sharpened- I doubt they are prohibitively expensive. You could email Udo Heng and ask, he's good about getting back to people.

I've got my own reed-making system pretty well documented here:

www.clarinetreedmaking.com

It's by no means a definitive guide nor do I claim my method is 'the best' but I do go into detail about a lot of the tools mentioned above.

Best,

Joe

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