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Re: Woofus Factor

Author: jhoyla
Date: 2014-08-10 11:49

Do you soak the gouged cane before testing?

I would hesitate to make measurements based on dry gouged cane for the following reasons:

1. I believe that stored cane dries out extremely slowly* - so exactly how dry IS it, when you are making your measurements?

2. Cane is shaped wet, tied-on wet, scraped wet and played wet. Why measure it when it is dry?

3. Measurements made on the cane while dry will likely exacerbate and accelerate the microscopic cracking process that weakens and ages cane, especially if performed on dry cane (viz. twist and deflection testing)

[We all know how reeds deteriorate over time - how a vibrant, responsive reed will lose its luster, responsiveness and dynamic range and eventually become a shadow of its former self. Why does this happen?
I suspect that microscopic cracks form in the "glue" that joins the vascular bundles, and that over time these cracks weaken the overall structure.]

Nick Deutsch (oboecane.com) has a "hardness tester" that is used to grade the cane (a contraption that extrudes a hard point from the micrometer probe, and records the difference in measured thickness). Described in Linda Walsh's great oboe reedmaking DVD.

In spite of all that I just said, I am EXTREMELY interested in the woofus scale. ANYTHING that can take away some of the guesswork is to be applauded! Keep us informed, please!!

J.

* very old (20+ ys) gouged cane can be bone dry, but recently bought cane NEVER is.

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