 The Oboe BBoard
|
Author: WoodwindOz
Date: 2012-01-07 03:47
Seeking any advice, no matter how insignificant it may seem, about not taking corners/chunks out of tips when scraping. I know some of it is just practice makes perfect, but I just pulled 2/3 off a tip even though I was being careful. Gah!
Opening a can of worms here (I know how this topic gets going on this board!) but is it a bad thing for tips if I have too much of a burr on my knife? I suspect I am leaving too much there. I am using a plastic contoured plaque and a Landwell DHG, if that helps.
Thanks!!
Rachel
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DrewSorensenMusic
Date: 2012-01-07 03:55
Is there such thing as too much burr? I think the knife should be as sharp as possible. Are you using pressure? Maybe switch to normal flat blue plaque is a good start. I have that problem when my knife gets dull, but I sharpen it and I gain control again. Maybe the knife blade is too heavy. I use the Albion Reed Knife with no issues.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-01-07 04:28
sharp knife, light touch, scrape all the way through, but feather-lightly.
GoodWinds
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: saxmad
Date: 2012-01-07 12:16
For "tip of tip" final thinning I always use a flat metal plaque and single edge razor blade. The pressure is flat across the entire tip, so it's actually quite difficult to do any damage. I usually do about 100 stroke on each blade - never have any problems with tip damage.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Oboe Craig
Date: 2012-01-07 14:08
I agree with the other's advice to use a flat plaque.
I almost never tear a tip but when trying out a contoured plaque suddenly had that problem.
Some very fine silicone sand paper is also in my bag of tricks.
If you try it, even very fine grit, make several pieces from the full sheet and them rub them together before using on cane.
Its wet-dry stuff, and sometimes a drop of water is best for tip work.
Really good for the tip corners...:)
Post Edited (2012-01-07 22:43)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: pliscapoivre
Date: 2012-01-07 15:08
I also think that a flat plaque will help you. Since the surface of the knife is flat, it makes sense to me that the support under the cane should be too.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: WoodwindOz
Date: 2012-01-07 15:14
Thanks guys! The flat plaque makes sense as I have adjusted tips for years without drama using a flat plaque. I think I get impatient and think I should be taking more off at once than I do, therefore putting too much weight behind the knife.
On a happy note, I completed my first practice session yesterday on my own reeds. One was the best reed I have ever played on, hands down. I am looking forward to many more years of building reeds to suit me!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: pliscapoivre
Date: 2012-01-07 20:47
Wow, good for you!!!
I must say, after nearly 20 years of making reeds (?!), when I have a great one I am still as proud as I ever was. Here's hoping that you stay happy!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: WoodwindOz
Date: 2012-01-07 23:29
Susan, as a short-scraper, I have been advised to use a curved plaque for general scraping. I've heard it helps maintain the curved nature of the reed as you take cane out of it. Don't know if it's true, but after years of adjusting with a flat plaque, I did like using the curved one for actual scraping of reeds, but happy to use the flat for tips - makes sense!
Thankyou, plisca, my teacher was impressed the first time he saw my knife technique and couldn't believe I had never made reeds before. I am, however, very involved in crafts, particularly paper crafts, so I use a variety of blades for that and I am used to dealing with proportions on a small scale. I'd like to think my humble hobby has counted for something!
Rachel
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: huboboe
Date: 2012-01-08 00:15
Speaking from an American scrape perspective - though I think it is also true of short scrape reeds - my not very humble sense of how the reed works is...
The inside gouge and exterior curve of the cane are both curved (although differently). Imposing a flat scrape on both sides of the spine results in a cross-section that blends from thinnest to thickest, much like the blend of the heart to the tip, which, when optimized (scraped until it works best...), allows the reed to vibrate at any frequency (or set of overtones) it is asked to as you play different notes.
The contoured plaque holds the arch of the cane so it doesn't collapse under the knife, which would give a rounded rather than flat surface to the 'panels' of the back which flank the spine.
I agree that a flat plaque is best for finishing the tip, but suggest a thin wooden or plastic material to save your knife edge.
1200 grit 'Wet or Dry' sandpaper gives great control for finishing. Try wrapping a strip of it around the cork of a staple to use as a fine file.
If your local hardware store doesn't stock paper that fine try the local auto body shop. It's used in finishing paint work...
Robert Hubbard
WestwindDoubleReed.com
1-888-579-6020
bob@westwinddoublereed.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-01-08 00:37
I use the contoured plaque when thinning the sides just below the tip, to increase response.
GoodWinds
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jhoyla
Date: 2012-01-08 05:44
I use a contoured plaque for the heart, and for the blend between the heart and the tip. I use a flat plaque for the tip.
If you use a contoured plaque for the extreme tip it doesn't matter what your technique is like - the knife will only be touching one point on the tip as it scrapes. Since you are aiming for even gradation towards the tip corners success with a contoured plaque will be elusive, to put it mildly.
There are some contoured plaques that are mostly flat in the center and only taper towards the sides. You can succeed with these if you first position the tip corner you are working in the middle of the plaque.
Conversely, trying to craft the blend area on a flat plaque is also challenging since the flexible reed will give under the knife, forcing you to press harder to get at the cane. Far better to use a contoured plaque which will support the natural curve of the cane firmly, and let you work lightly and accurately.
J.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: SomeGuyWithAnInternetAlias
Date: 2012-01-09 13:14
1st: Do the final scraping when the reed is perfectly dry. So when you're at that last phase of scraping soak the reed for about 10 minutes and allow it to dry for about a day. I don't know exactly what happens but somehow it "puffs up" the fibers, making them easier to scrape away without damage.
This is the most important thing
2nd: Do not put any pressure on the knife
3rd: Have a very sharp knife. You might need a better sharpening stone, I suggest DMT diamond stones, fine and very fine. They last almost forever and do their job quickly and perfectly. Just don't forget to put water on the stone before you start.
(I've had a lot of trouble with cheaper sharpening stones in the past, sand stones get deformed too quickly, and other stones simply don't last that long or are ineffective)
4th: Use a new or very undamaged plaque (I reserve a few plaques only for this last phase, so they never get any dents in them from the rougher scraping)
5th: Don't blame every response (how easily the reed speaks) issue on the tip. It often has to do with deformities in the wood and mistakes in gouging and shaping.
Post Edited (2012-01-09 13:25)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
