I’ve been working on reeding a B chanter, and am having a hard time obtaining the proper aperture on the finished reed. I’m using small sanding cylinders to get the slip down to the requisite thickness (around 1mm), and I can’t seem to tie up a reed that doesn’t have a super high aperture. I’ve tried using the bridle to bring it down a bit, but I cracked a reed doing that. I’m trying staples with varying rates of taper and eye heights, but I haven’t nixed the problem yet.
I’ve tried reeds with thicker slip thickness, and they’ve worked, but sounded atrocious (crappy crow, dull and lifeless)
I’d appreciate any advice at all about narrow-bore reeds.
I use a 38mm sanding cylinder with 20-22mm cane. If your cane is too wide you might not be able to get the edges sanded down enough; if too narrow you will sand them down too much. Accckkkk! You can always start with a really wide narrow tube slip, and after sanding it down too much sand the edges down to the desired width. I seem to always wind up doing this anyway, about a half millimeter, perhaps. No harm in it.
Or you could tie it on like a son of a bitch, tie past the staple a little. With a machine winder you can exert more pressure. This is part of AlanB’s method, and he’s “Reeds only”! You can’t crush the reed down too far with the bridle effectively, as you’ve discovered.
I was unaware that dogs tied staples.
Yea, bridle action is no good at high tension, I’ve obviously found.
Thanks for the advice.
Like your avatar.
“Do you love the Virgin Mary, Private Joker?”
You can get the center to 1mm using sandpaper over a wine cork, then sand the edges over a +/- 2" dia. cylinder. You can also use larger diameter cane which will close the aperature. Your cane supplier will probably take a trade-in . I personally use about 23mm dia. for flat reeds.
So you’ve said to me before, Ted…I was leaning a bit toward the smaller stuff to follow along with some other things I’ve heard about the narrow-bore stuff. Exploring all fronts, ya might say.
Speaking of my supplier, I should let him know that it will be a while before I get some drones going, but would probably love some more chanter cane. Looks like I’ll just be able to finish up the chanters I’m making and make some tools I need before I split for Colorado and have to beg for a lathe.
. I personally use about 23mm dia. for flat reeds.