So our first tionól is coming up here in Salt Lake in just under two months time. One of the main features is going to be a reed-making class. There are quite a few of us with tools, cane and desire to attend, but as this will be most of our first time even seriously thinking about sanding/scraping a piece of Arundo Donax I’m curious if there is any advice out there to prepare for it.
I will be bringing two tubes and ten pre-gouged slips purchased from Seth Gallagher back in July. As I understand it, it is always a good idea to let the cane settle in to the climate where it will be most often played correct? And I have also heard differing camps on the theory of letting the cane sit after the scrape has been made. Some say leave it alone for months. Other say leave it alone for like 10 minutes. HELP?!?!
I’m also looking for a good set of incannel gouges that won’t break the bank (finances are really tough when you’re looking for work ya know!) but I believe that I can find something before the meeting.
Does anyone have some imperative insight about reed-maikng to share? Is there anything unavoidable we should be on the look out for? Is it just a matter of relagating the first several thousand reeds we make to the dust bin period? (Which at $1-2 dollars a tube or $20 for 10 pre-gouged is NOT cheap in the long run!!!)
Peter, perhaps you can shed some light for me here on what in your mind it is that separates an average reed from a spectacular one?
If you find standard gouges, of good steel and in the sweeps that you need and want…and can afford…and if they are less expensive than in-cannel gouges…buy them and have them re-ground as in-cannel gouges. About that same time, learn to sharpen them, and anything else you will be using to cut materials. Using a tool is often secondary to keeping it SHARP.
Brian, your note is not clear. Are you talking about equipping yourself, or equipping your reed making class? I would not worry about the rest of the class. The reed maker/instructor should be bringing what he will need. For yourself, I understand Seth sells everything you will need as far as tools. Otherwise you will have to source what you can afford, which can be time-consuming, but possibly rewarding.
I have not heard of anyone leaving a reed to sit more than a week. This is usually after wrapping the slips to the staple so that they get used to the new shape. Often people will not be able to wait this long. They still come up with good results, unless they are really off the mark.
i would go ahead and get my tools and a good set of instructions and try to make a few. get used to the gouge and what it will do, pay attention to when and at what point you went too far and ruined it
have you made your shooting block yet?
oh, and watch your finger tips.
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but it is imperative to have the right gauge tools. Over sized gouges make the job difficult. Often the equivalent to an Ashley Iles #6 is reommended but I think it is too big. I use a #4 and this imparts a gouge as close to the intended curvature as possible. Outside of this, correct measurements and experiment and a lot of practice will get you there. I recommend buying a handful of ready made staples (Cillian O’Briain makes the best IMO). Then you can concentrate on the organic parts first.
I’m not so much concerned with my own tools, as many of us will be bringing our own and with the lot of us should have more than enough to work with.
My main question is what sort of things should one focus on when first learning to make reeds? In piping, you work on bag/bellows and keeping a steady note at first, but how about reeds? Do you concentrate on the scrape itself? On the staple? On the bindings??
Is there any particular aspect of reeding that requires more thought and/or concentration than any other? ie: most critical stage?
Just remember, the scrape and the basic reed slip configuration is an animal all of it’s own. Wasting time on poor cane is another thing one has to learn. Poor cane won’t give you accurate results. Poor climate either. Staple design is yet another animal, and how far you insert it…all towards a perfect octave. But even if you have made dozens of correct staples and reed slips, it’s all for nothing if you don’t know the secrets of how to tie the damn thing together. I think that’s the biggy myself. That right there can make all the difference between success and failure, hope and discouragement (if everything else is right). Everything else has it’s equal importance though, it’s not just one thing.
If there’s one thing you should have, besides the right gear, you’d better make damn sure you have an expert who knows reed making forward and backwards, including knowledge of the various pipe makers pipes. There’s no substitue for that. The whole thing could be wasted time, and Lord knows I’ve wasted it myself before getting some expert advice.
If you’re running classes, I recommend having a couple of reeds made in front of everyone and explaining what’s happening as you go. Get them to take notes on any measurements and tips that come to mind.
Bearing in mind that it’s very rare that someone will make a passable reed first attempt, I often make it half way with them. i.e. I start the gouge so they see how the tool is held and used, and then get them to finish off. same with sanding, cutting the tails, any secondary gouge etc., even with preparing the scrape, so we both have equal input in making the reed. Usually this instills confidence as they will get a working reed at the end of it. As I said earlier, getting the cane bit out of the way is your first worry. And learning to make tube staples is a easier to start with than rolling them.
Oh, and an important thing to impress is not to walk away from an unfinished reed. see it through, as you never quite know what’s going to happen. My very first attendance at reedmaking class, I walked away, fed up, thought it looked like crap and would never work. I had got as far as starting the scrape and gave up, Mick, the teacher, brought it to me later (finished by him), gave me a wee bollocking, and that reed fairly flew, I was rightly highly embarrassed, and I sometimes wonder if I would have got as far now, if that hadn’t happened.
I am hoping to have a couple of reeds done in front of all of us, and with luck, several of us will also work on our own little beasties and see how far we can go with them as well. My thinking was that would be the time to make mistakes as we’d have someone there to steer us a bit closer to the right direction. I’ll make sure I pay extra attention to the tie up.
They still come up with good results, unless they are really off the mark.
