I’ve had a go at making some reeds but when i tested them for leaks they never seem to be fully air tight. Would it be a good idea to put plumbers tape under the wrapping to seal them ,I’ve seen reeds with the tape on the outside.
Thanks
Kevin King
I wrap the reeds with plumbers tape and then bind them.Works for me.
Dave Hegarty does it. I put the tape outside the wrapping once. It won’t win a beauty contests, but the reed is excellent, so who cares
One basic and very important thing to keep in mind; the slip MUST be the same width from top to bottom. It’s true that where the tails end up (either side of the slip) it’s not as important, but forget that you read that and just be dead on accurate from top to bottom. Keep things uniform
If your gauge is reading (for example) .496 and elsewhere .490 etc, you will have leaks. The more steps you have dead on, the less chance for weirdness.
Yes’ I also use the tape, 
would’nt be without it.all the best.
I used to seal the reed with plumbers tape and then wax the thread like Geoff Wooff on NPU reedmalking DVD.
I now use Waxed Polymide thread as it is 100% air tight as you don’t need any plumbers tape to seal reeds before the binding the reeds. I first saw My pipemaker Andreas Rogge use it.
I have seen Robbie Hughes use cling film to seal reeds before the binding with waxed Hemp
Other reedmakers using Waxed Polymide thread is
Cillian O’ Briain, Bill Haneman, Pat Stones, Alan Burton.
Cheers
Ferg
I use this, I was put onto it by Bill H - RS Online part no 303-1675. I don’t get leaks anymore, although I find sanding the slip on a flat surface with 600 or 1200 before tying on helps with this a lot. I press (lightly) about where the eye will be.
Scribble on the slip with pencil and you can see where you’re taking it off. If there’s a bit with pencil still on it will leak there, maybe (low spot).
C Cannon would advocate pressing on the binding whilst spinning on the winding engine to seal. I don’t find it helps but he does make good reeds!
BTW sometimes a reed will leak through the lips when snapped shut. To eliminate this as a cause of leak rest your finger against them whilst sucking.
It happens with uneven scraping / sanding when using the Benedict K method sometimes.
One problem with plumber’s tape is that it (and slips) might move when you’re fitting the reed into the seat.
Hi Ferg,
do you by chance know a source for this waxed thread in black?
Note that not all waxed polyamide threads are “created equal.” The part above is the thinnest/smallest diameter which RS stocks (about the size of “dental tape”), and it works much better for me than the thicker stuff (the thick stuff is useful for binding stocks, etc.) I know Andreas uses, or used to use, a wider variety but his was still fairly ‘thin’, it’s not round but rather flattened in cross-section.
Some folks who have reported problems with waxed polyamide thread may have been using the thicker stuff, IMO it may be worth giving it another go with the thin stuff.
Unfortunately NPU ordered a bunch of heavy stuff a couple of years back, so their stock may be a bit thick unless they have re-ordered.
Glad it’s working for you, Sam!
Best regards
Bill
I use superglue; dribble it over the binding and then wipe with polythene sheet ( which does not stick ), it’s totally airtight, instant, and holds everything together too. I’m not sure about longevity and you have to watch the fumes.
If you pull a reed apart ( not too easy) you get left with a little thread chrysalis, unfortunately none have hatched so far!!!
Cheers,
Charlie.
Can someone provide a link to whoever this “RS” is. I did a google search and came up with an Indian manufacturer. Thank you.
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=3031675
This sounds a lot like the “waxed artificial sinew” available from Tandy.
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/products.asp?number=3609-00
Can anyone confirm or deny this?
search google for rs online it gets you www.rswww.com which seems to work out where in the world you are and redirects me to Planet Janet, sorry redirects me to http://uk.rs-online.com/web/
What about waxed thread for fly tying?
Danville waxed threads come in a few different sizes and a veriety of colors.
http://www.flyfishusa.com/fly-tying/thread.htm
Too thin?
/MarcusR
I have never had any luck with waxed thread. For a while, I went to oboe thread which is unwaxed, and then used a waterbased varnish over the thread. This can actually work quite well, but you cannot untie to adjust the staple without redoing the whole shebang.
Then I found this “Parafilm” from Forrests http://www.forrestsmusic.com/thread
It is a thin wax film that will actually stretch, and when you wrap it around
the thread it sticks to itself like glue. I started using on waxed thread, and if you hold it very close to a halogen desk light it will actually melt into the other wax. Cheap too.
Problem with waxed threads used for sewing leather, I think they are way too thick. The NPU video on reedmaking mentions a flattened polymide thread and iI haven’t been able to find any on the web. I constantly feel as if I am using the wrong stuff… first the wrong type of cane, wrong gouge sweep, wrong thread type… arrggg…
Robert Mouland
www.wireharp.com
Hi Jumper;
This stuff is not very similar to artificial sinew. I’ve tried the ‘sinew’ and found it totally unsuitable (IMO).
This thread is also different from other kinds of “waxed thread”, insofar as the base material is polyamide and the wax is some sort of sticky synthetic stuff. I am not sure substitution would give the same results.
The material is otherwise known as “lacing twine” or “binding twine”, it’s used to bind electrical cables (or communications cables? not sure) together in bundles. RS is the only source I know of for the ‘real stuff’ (and yes, www.rswww.com should take you to your region’s distributor).
regards,
Bill
Waxed thread for sewing leather needs to be thick so it seals the holes as it passes through and is drawn tight. The opposite is true for staunching the sides of reeds.
Does this look like the same thing?
http://www.alliedelec.com/catalog/pf.aspx?FN=489.pdf
Well, there are 18 different twines on that page 
You don’t want the rubber-coated stuff, or the round cross-section. That narrows it down… most of those twines are also too wide, at nearly 1/10".
The 293-0410 and 293-0415 part numbers might be OK, at about 1.5mm width, though I prefer something a bit smaller still (1.2mm). The second one, 293-0415, is listed as “black”, so perhaps this is a source for the black waxed stuff.
But really folks… Sam and I gave you the part number and an international website for the exact material we’re using, wasn’t that good enough for you ?
Bill
I’ve been useing thread for tying oboe and bassoon reeds with is a polyester thread but I’d like to try the waxed polymide thread. Does it make any difference to the sound what thread is used,is anyone useing waxed hemp anymore.
thanks
Kevin