I have a semi-consistent problem with my reedmaking…once I tie a reed up, the blades will move laterally across one another - especially when I’m sanding the scrape. I’ve tried to moderate my tying tightness between tight enough to counter this and too tight so that the tails of the reed cave in. Too often my reed blades want to slip a little.
Sorry if I’m not being clear enough. Does anyone have any advice?
Aaron Welsh
Aaron,
Sounds like you are not tying tight enough, or perhaps the tails are too wide and not fitting snug to the staple and maybe you cane diameter is too wide. But usually the tying on is the problem. If it don’t work, just make another one. That’s the beauty of reedmaking 
Alan
pp. 18-19
Aaron, if they are slipping too much from handling, you might want to consider using plumber’s tape before binding onto the staple. Just wind right up over the tape. Most sources say don’t let the tape go higher on the reed than the end of the staple. Same for the binding.
djm
Contact Cement. (Barge Cement, 3m Rotary Pad Adhesive etc.) Just a dab on the tails locks them up tight.)
Royce
Noooooooo, don’t use glue. If you need to deconstruct the reed, that can put paid to any corrections you may want to make. PTFE (plumbers tape) if you really need to, but glue?? Heaven to betsy!!
Alan
Listen to Alan.
Someday you’ll be glad to find a reed is not glued. If the tails are gouged correctly, and formed to the staple (with moisture or such), you can untie and slide the staple in or out to tune the octave, and retie and be in business again right away.
I use to have trouble with the blades slipping too, but found I was not making the tails long enough, nor was I forming the sides of the tail to the tube and letting it set for a while to take on the shape. It should be like slipping one size of tube inside another tube (next size up). That perfect alignment should keep the blades straight with the tube, and of course you can wrap the blades (to keep them together) with thread or PTFE tape before tying/untying the tails.