Author: vboboe
Date: 2005-06-14 03:17
... it's a small leak, filing the leaking area on the sides, straight across in a small area sawing motion with an emery board or diamond nail file sometimes roughs the edges enough to work fibres together to seal the leak ... have to do this on a dry reed, so be very careful!
... have you tried FIBRE-type micropore (first-aid) tape? ... not the plastic perforated micropore, as it's too chunky and also tears along the holes in both directions ... since one needs long narrow strips to wrap around the reed, perforated plastic micro-pore easily tears across a narrow strip, shortening it wastefully
... so fibre-type much better as it's thinner, cuts into a nice thin strip with very sharp utility scissors, and can be gently stretched for sealing reeds neato ... it stretches better when warm, I usually hold the strip briefly in the steam rising from my coffee
... I cut ends diagonally too, so it all snugs up nicely ... but even micropore unravels when wet, so tie a silk sewing thread bow around it, accomplishes two things ... one decorative reed ... identified as a leaker!
... silk thread is fine and strong, can be pulled & tied tightly into the spaces of the reed binding to secure the micropore, I use a cut-off piece of bamboo skewer as a handle to pull thread tight
... this proces is quite elaborate, granted ... but if the reed is a leaker, and if you really-really need it that badly, instead of retying the whole thing, the sealing effort must feel worthwhile as well as be successful
... of course, much better to tie canes on accurately so sides don't leak ... sometimes it's the last 1-3 turns of the thread that makes all the difference ... but more often the canes aren't lined up on the tube exactly so the blades won't close together on both sides
plastic wrap? nail polish? ... micropore a bit less toxic ... less risk ... only have to inhale a small piece of plastic wrap once to maybe need a Heimlich airway maneuver ... which, being plastic wrap with hardly any gravitational mass, will be difficult to expel ...
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