How long does it take for a reed to settle (structrually relax) after having made it, and scraped it so that it’ll play in tune (with all notes functioning as they should e.g. hard D etc)? Tom Aebi tells me that the lads in his neck of the woods will make a reed and get back to it months later (sometimes wait a season). Others think that 2 weeks is enough. I know yet another person who feels that the biggest settling comes after day 1, (after administering a near-final scrape) and then proportionatly less changes per day for a few days.
When I picked up my Geoff Wooff B set, The Millennium Set, ten years ago on Jan 4th 2000, Geoff provided a couple of extra reeds for the chanter. One of which, #4, he said would be good in about 10 years. I remember trying it at the time but it was far too strong to be useful so I packed it away safely in its Erinmore tin happy to be playing the #1 reed which was great. About 9 years later the #1 reed wasn’t so happy anymore so I thought I’d try the spares Geoff had given me. Sure enough, #4 was spot on and played like the original played when I picked the set up. Coincidence? I think not. Amazing? It is to me!
I’ve always found that reeds made because you actually need them there and then don’t last as long as reeds made just for exercise, which are forgotten about for a period of months/years, and then rediscovered.
I tend to make reeds, scrape them to crowing point, and then chuck 'em in a box and forget about them. When I need a reed, I then use one, and do the final scrape and break it in gently.
It is usefull to me, to make a heat treatment (learnt from David Daye`s reedmaking page) at the stage of the blank made and ready to scrape. just put the reed into a cardboard tube (can be plastic) secure it with a little tape or something an point a hairdryer, turn it on and let the hot airstream pass through the tube heating the reed, the process takes 5 to ten minutes. Let it cool down and then scrape. The heat takes the stresses away… at least from the reed
One of the methods I was intrigued by (though I can’t remember where it came from- I’m inclinded to say either David Daye or Pat Sky) was: after sanding the gouged side of the cane smooth, applying a bit of moisture to the cane by wetting it with your finger. According to the source I read this should cause the sanded-smooth surface to react to moisture as expected by getting a rougher texture. At this point you’d sand smooth again. The idea was that this extra step will help to avoid severe reactions to moisture. I assume it’d be best to put the slips aside for awhile after this and let them completely expell the added moisture before binding and finishing the reed?
Has anyone had experience with this? Does it work? Are there any negative side-effects?
I always do this (raising the grain) on the inside of the slip; dry it under a desk lamp, and resand. It appears to have saved me much kvetching about climate changes, as my reeds are pretty stable. I’ve also tried the David Daye hair dryer approach, and it seems to work.
Sometimes.
I use the grain raising technique and, if time permits, I like to soak the resulting slip in Neetsfoot oil for two weeks.
I dry the slip thoroughly and polish with 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, them the slip is wiped clean of oil. Then, I use the heat treatment when tying the slip to the staple.
This seems to limit the changes in tuning to changes in temperature and humidity.
I just found a reed for my Seth Galagher C chanter that I had started 2 years ago. It was about 35 cents sharp, so I spent a week doing the final scraping/tuning. This reed is now very responsive and will play up to top C#. I am trying to learn to play this reed now, but I am terribly out of practice (I have health problems with almost monthly spells of being bed ridden for 3-4 days).
I am starting another reed today that will hopefully play up to top D (and possibly top E).
I made a reed for my Mark Hillmann D chanter that played like a dream for 7 years. It would play top E very easily. IIRC, it took about 9 months from start to finish. I really miss that reed. The concert D Hillmann chanter is harder to make and tune than the flat pitched C Seth Gallagher chanter.
I have tried 3 reeds in the Gallagher chanter that would play in tune, all 3 had different sizes and shapes of both staple and head. I have only had a couple of reeds to play in tune in the Hillmann chanter. I made both and the first only lasted a year.
I love this thread. I can now say I’m not procrastinating by letting all those lovely gouged/wetted/sanded/ wetted/dried/sanded/wetted slips sit untied; I’m letting them “cure.”
OK, in all seriousness I have been pondering all these things. It’s nice to know these slips are adapting to their new forms as I do so. Thanks, y’all!
Stew-I’m w/you…more 'er less. About a week…though I may add scrape in week 2. Particularly in areas of the head that bring whatever might be missing frequency/feel-wise.
Then again, I live a climate-controlled existence for more than 9 months of the year, with outdoor climate never getting dry, or too cold. I believe this has a HUGE bearing on how things finish up.
I follow Chris Bayley’s method and get reeds made up in batches. I leave them tied on and tied down for as long as it takes until I need one. As I curve them to the staple with heat they dry very quickly (and I am using French soft cane which is cut dead standing). I scrape in two stages; first to give the initial crow and test for airtightness, then I leave them for a good week or so before the final tuning and fitting.
As I am only making reeds for one type of chanter I shellac the tails on; this is because there is an ideal positiion for the tail based on the correct staple dimensions. Any discrepancies can be corrected with fine scraping and the setting and tuning bridles (both wire).
Once tied on the reeds are stable, and can be left for as long as necessary. This comes in useful when wego to France for the summer, as the festivals we attend suffer extreme heat and dryness. It means that reeds can be finished off in the climate they will be played in. Nothing puts off a player more than having a lovely looking chanter that won’t play because the reed has closed up like the proverbial!
