 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: richardstone
Date: 2019-09-27 21:13
I recently purchased a Reedual reed duplicator but still need a profiler to remove cane from the inside of the reed to make a flat reed back. If anyone has one for sale, I would be very interested in purchasing it.
richarddstone@mac.com
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2019-10-01 07:06
I use a file first then 220 grit sandpaper, finishing with 600 after the reeds are cured.
This is after I split the tubes in thirds, then file the blanks flat, then wet the reeds for a few weeks, then sand the reeds with 220 sandpaper to about .140", and wet the blanks for 15 minutes a day for 3 weeks, then let the cane dry for 6 to 8 weeks. Finally do the final sanding twice to prevent warping. This is very much worth taking your time as the reeds will last a lot longer.
When looking for a great blank look at the butt end of the reed. You want to see a lot of fibers with large holes. If you don't see this well don't waste your time and find another piece of cane. Use an 8 to 10 power magnifying glass as you won't be able to study the fibers and see judge the size of the holes. Remember - the more and larger equals the best cane. So simple.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2019-10-01 17:38
Bob, are you saying you FILE the blacks from a third of a tube flat? Richard is asking for a took that cuts it flat. Filing seems... laborious.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2019-10-02 01:19
I would have thought a small hand plane e.g. a block plane, would work fine for flattening the back.
Just need to make a simple cradle to hold the curved exterior of the blank.
A heat sensitive plastic (such as used by many brass repairers to remove stuck slides) would be one simple option to make this, otherwise just carve out a recess in a softwood block.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2019-10-02 13:29
Yes I use a file to start flattening the backs of the reeds once the cane is split, also the sides to get the right shape/angle/contour to fit the mouthpiece, including the saxes which I sometimes play. I don't play the bass clarinet, alto clarinet nor the bari sax. Also the Eb clarinet since it was stolen, I haven't replaced it.
I use something like this below so google it, but I made my own. It holds the reed similar but I use a file or 2, also known as a wood rasp. It's not that hard to do by hand, 2 to 4 minutes. From experience this planer below can splinter the reed so I use files. This planer does work fine though. Everyone has their favorite ways. It's interesting too that with a file/rasp I am able to "Feel," the hardness of the cane, so at this stage I can discard my efforts and dump the reed if it's too soft and not waste anymore time going on to the final steps.
By the way, files get better as they age, maybe after 2000 strokes they come to life and you begin to feel the file work for you, and this planer below requires the need to sharpen the blades often. Cane chews up steel. So you need to get the blade sharpened somewhere professionally. I actually feel an electrical version would be much better and more accurate, with less splits. Again, this is my opinion.
With the exception of curing the cane, once you learn to make a reed, just like oboe players, 20 to 30 minutes from start to finish is about average with making an oboe and a clarinet or sax reed by hand. With QUALITY cane the efforts are well worth your time, because you will spend this time and much more looking through a box of 10 reeds hoping to find that 1 great reed.
https://shop.weinermusic.com/Robert-Dilutis-Reed-Machine-Planer-and-Hand-Plane-for-Bb-Clarinet-and-Alto-Sax/productinfo/XRMP/
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2019-10-02 14:02)
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2019-10-02 14:28
Caroline, a plane can work for a short time but the cane from my experience will dull the planer after maybe 30 to 50 reeds, and then it doesn't cut the bottom of the reeds evenly. It can even chip and tear the bottom of your reeds totally wrecking it. Once the blade is sharpened on the planer it has to be square. So it should be sharpened professionally. If it's not square well your reeds won't be flat. It's that simple. As a result you don't have flat reeds anymore and once the reeds aren't flat it's hard to make them flat and even. Both sides of the reeds need to measure consistently even. If not your reed is already in trouble before you cut the Vamp, the top part of the reed. In fact a few talented players have written books on how to make reeds flat when they warp. This is how important it is to have a flat reed.
Well written above I made a few short comments about curing reeds in water for several days, which reed makers don't do, this was to help players avoid cane from warping too much and also to extend the life of reeds so players don't have to sand the bottoms of warped reeds often wrecking and ending the life of the reeds. There's actually a method to my madness here with regards to making reeds last long and how to pick somewhat decent cane. I just don't want to write a boring book on it. If you follow these simple guidelines most people can make fine decent reeds. Another easy trick to remember is if some players like softer reeds, which I don't, well you can heat the water to about 150 degrees and add about a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda per 16 OZ and then put the cane, not the reeds, in during your curing process. This will make very nice light French style reeds. You only have to do this once or twice during the curing process for 15 minutes. Don't ever let the water boil or actually go over 160 degrees F.
So I wrote too much. I wanted to keep things simple so most players can make reeds without too much thought. I really don't want to answer anymore questions, because there is no need for the person who posted the question to go into anymore detail. The person has everything needed to make great reeds. It's now just practice.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2019-10-02 14:45)
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Author: Dibbs
Date: 2019-10-02 15:01
Professionally sharpened plane blades? I don't make my own reeds but I can sharpen a plane blade square.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2019-10-03 00:12
Good for all of you! I won't make comments. As I wrote above, this was for the person posting. As long as you are all happy with the reeds you make I'm happy too! He wanted a profiler I gave him the lead, plus some ideas to help make great reeds. It's fine to help him out more than i did, we all have our own styles of making reeds as I posted. So keep posting.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2019-10-03 00:19)
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2019-10-03 00:40
Dibbs - It's hard to sharpen these with due respect to you. Not to get too technical here but it's best to IMHO and again total respect to you, to have a grinding machine sharpen these blades to assure total squareness within just 1 thousandths of an inch. Yes we can sharpen them ourselves as I have and I've screwed them up because they were not square after sharpening them a few times. So like I said above I do have my reasons and when I make my final cut on the Vamp it's nice when every part on the reed blank is SQUARE. You can email me for the measurements I use when cutting the Vamps if reeds and the sides of the reeds at the tips must be dead on or within 0.005" or translated to 1/2 thousandth of an inch. The average blond human hair is 2 thousandths of an inch thick. A black hair in general is 3. 2 is what I allow for the sides of the reeds in the back. The thickness of a blond hair, or I'm not happy with the reed. By the way the right side of the reed has to be lighter, not the left side. This has to do with how we hold the clarinet. Yes it matters and it's a science.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: richardstone
Date: 2019-10-03 22:07
Everyone who has responded, thank you. I can and have flattened the back of the reeds with knife and sandpaper and have gotten very acceptable results but I am looking for a way to speed up the process and get very consistent and dimensionally accurate blanks before they go on my Reedual machine. I'd like to find a used Dilutis or Greg James planer at a reasonable price.
richarddstone@mac.com
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