Greetings Tweedlers,
(It’s the historical names for pipers)
I am gathering and making tools for the reedmakin’, and was wondering if anyone has opinions on the value of ‘tying machines’. I have the NPU DVD and it appears that Cillian thinks they are indispensible whereas Andreas Rogge just ties off with his fingers. Before I go to the time and trouble of making up two of these winders, does anyone have any experience with each method that might sway ? Thanks.
Robert Mouland
www.wireharp.com
As we say around these parts: “Six of one, half dozen of the other…”
I like tying mine up by hand.
Cheers,
Dave Jones
I tie by hand.
If you are totally inept like I am, a mechanical winder is indispensible. If you are handy and can wind well by hand, a mechanical winder seems totally ridiculous. This causes a wide disparaty in opinions.
djm
I tie by hand, but have only made about ten reeds, of those only one good one, and that was yesterday.
Benedict uses a drill. He just stick the staple making mandrel in the chuck and slides the reed on there.
Before purchasing a winder from NPU, I used to tie the hemp to a door knob and wind by hand keeping the hemp tight by pulling away from the door as I wound. It was easier to control tension that way rather than with a winder, I reckon anyway, but I find the winder quicker.
It may matter whether you’re using thin waxed hemp, or the slightly thicker polyamide binding twine. I tie by hand with the latter, but for the former a simple winder does seem useful (but not indispensable).
Bill
I am of the opinion that tying by hand allows for greater control over the amount of tension you apply to the binding and when to either increase or decrease pressure.
I also like to use a prewaxed linen cord for all of my reeds, it is thicker than most threads, and with a little more beeswax applied to it, makes for a very airtight seal.
I am of the opinion that tying by machine allows for greater control over the amount of tension you apply to the binding and when to either increase or decrease pressure.
So there. 
I’ve made hundreds of reeds both ways but now prefer tying with an old hand drill in a vice, using small waxed string. You can ease the cane into place, winding the string up and then taking it off. Yesterday I made a reed with a lot of extra pressure, as the slip was a bit narrower than I had intended - it bound up fine. You’d really wear your hands out putting that much pressure on the string.
I also use the drill for holding the staple to file the cone in the reed seat end.
Hegarty’s book shows how to make a simple hand drill for tying reeds.
Oh yeah, well my momma can kick yopur poppa’s butt, with one crutch tied behind her back… and she didn’t use a drill to tie it either. 
Yo Momma so Smelly she made Right Guard call for backup.
I’ve only been doing the reed making thing for about a month, but I wind and tie by hand and haven’t found it to be more difficult than any other stage of the process (they stay together and airtight, too). To give a little perspective, I’m completely inept as a craftsman.
Oh yeah, well my momma can kick yopur poppa’s butt, with one crutch tied behind her back… and she didn’t use a drill to tie it either.
Yo Momma so Smelly she made Right Guard call for backup.
My grandma and your grandma
Sittin’ by the fire
My grandma said to your grandma
I’m gonna set your flag on fire
Talk-in’ ’bout, hey now! (hye now)
Hey now! (hey now)
I-ko, I-ko, un-day
Jack-a-mo fee-no ai na-né
Jack-a-mo fee na-né
I would like to second this. A cheap way to get one: Look at a flea-market for one where you can unscrew the upper handle and exchange for a long bolt to get a good hold in the vice. In addition to the described advantage about better control of the fathom´s tension I found that it is
Cheers,
Hans
Sorry, I forgot one fairly important word:
Andreas holds many reedmaking classes with changing rooms and desks. It is wiser here to use as few machines as possible and he is pretty quick and precise without them.
I’m not certain if being a speedy reed maker is a good idea, but that’s just me. Taking one’s time (especially for the beginners) and getting it right on the first go greatly reduces the chance of a cracked reed before it is even finished.
Suffice it to say that everybody does it just a little bit differently than the next person, and the end result is what matters.
Thanks to all for their input. Hans.. what in HELL did you do to that reed? Light a cigar with it? sheesh 
I think that the best route for me might be the one I have applied to every other craft I have ever done: learn to do it by hand first ( the idea of less tools, gadgets etc. is very appealing to me) and then once I can do it that way, see if a machine might make things easier. Now if the cane I ordered would only arrive… sigh
RWM
I find this simple, but useful. Much nicer if you have to backstep a little, or need to make adjustments to the staple>head as you have both hands free.
I would of course never ever do that. Just a cigarette 
Seriously, it is a secure way to quit with a “dead candidate”: While fumbling with it again and again it is better to use the wasted time to make several other ones.
Alan, thats some idea! All you need for it is a piece of steel rod. The crank-shape and the flattened tip can easily be self-made. Thanks!
But not mine! I paid money for it.