Author: sfalexi
Date: 2022-11-21 14:45
Quote:
The cut reed is put into a machine where it is subjected to a short burst of air. This flexes the tip. The degree to which it flexes (which is precisely measured by a gauge) determines the "strength" and whether it gets put into a box of 2.5s or 3s or 3.5s or 4s, etc.
I've seen this process many times at a number of cane reed manufacturing facilities. The idea that cane reeds are cut differently -- thicker or thinner -- to obtain different strengths is a myth. While I can see this being a big deal with cane reeds (where the cane grows wild, and so density can be all over the place depending on which section of cane, year, environment, if it had more or less sun, etc.) can vary, with synthetic reeds I do think there's more control over it.
Putting my own logic to it (which by all means is faulty often enough!), I'd say that legere has formulas for molds of ... for example, "light, medium, medium heavy, and heavy" strengths (although I think it's more fine than that). And then after those are done, THEN I can see the puff of air test that Paul talked about is applied. With plastics or any synthetic product, you can get a LOT of control.
(pure hypthetical coming up)I'm willing to bet the reason there are quarter strengths is because when they forced 50 ml of liquid into the standard reed mold, thereby trying to guarantee a 3, they then test them. There's a specific tolerance for 3. If it flexes more, it's now 2.75. If it flexes less, it's now a 3.25. But I'm willing to bet tolerances for manmade/machine made stuff like this is tight enough that they KNOW it's not a 2.5 or 2.75.
I'm thinking about how precise CNC machining is, and how precise for YEARS the machines boring out clarinets, creating mouthpieces, etc. are. Cane? Yeah. That stuff is unpredictable. liquid plastic in a mold? I think it's pretty damned predictable.
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