Author: vboboe
Date: 2006-06-10 18:13
... think we all have to find what works best for our (amateur) reed-making, with my day job being progressively exhausting September to June, can't cope with the concentration effort needed for exact precision work in the evenings, so like you i don't do one-a-day.
Besides, most evenings the light's not good enough, prefer daylight for doing reeds.
What works for me Sept- June is tying up three blanks on weekends and finish at least one of the three to playability for Mondays when i have my lesson and my teacher can evaluate my progress. A few quick finishing flicks of teacher's magic knife often transforms a so-so reed into a lesson-playing reed :-)
The other two out of my weekend tied three might be discards in the process, although some weekends i'm luckier than that, but most of my reeds so far haven't been that good, with problems that need the magic hand of my teacher to fix the right spots. If i don't chunk my tips, these are getting pretty good now! This american scrape is a complex challenge to get right!
This summer (vacation time) i plan on tying and making a whole batch of as close to playable reeds as i can, and try to build up a supply for next season.
So far my batting average on american scrape is (gulp) about 5% my so-so's to 10-12% successful after teacher's finishing touches, so light laundry basket's is filling up (ack!)
Split canes account for many of my losses (mostly tying, some during scraping) plus chunking off the tip ends, what are your main reed-making challenges?
As for reducing the number of splits during tying, i've been experimenting with a warm water dip after the pre-soak period, just before tying on, and i start my winding at about 44mm, work up to 47mm, ensure the sides close, then lap over and wind down.
Starting at 44mm has significantly reduced my quota of splits, and i think cane feels more pliable and shapes quicker and better around the tube when warm and wet rather than cold and wet.
I knot off differently from taught too, i loop a hitch over the tube, then a hitch on the tension end (held by the hook) then repeat twice. That way the finishing hitches are locked by each hitch over the tube (except the last hitch) None have unravelled since knotting off this way, touch wood.
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