treating reeds

Uilleann Pipes
1

I have followed threads on treating reeds before and wanted to see if there were any new ideas floating out there.

I have never tried treating my reeds with kerosene, clear nail polish, or neatsfoot (sp?) oil.

Would shellac be a candidate for treating a reed against humidity?

What other sorts of things have people tried?

It strikes me that the reed has to be built first, then tuned and finalized, then disassembled for whatever treatment, sanded a bit after drying, and retied.

Is it even worth doing? I need a new reed every 6 months or so, around the change of each season, which is sometimes tiresome because I have a job that keeps me pretty busy.

Thanks for replies -
DJones

2

I’ve made reeds using Neets in the process. I work the cane up to the point where I was ready to tie it onto the staple. Then I would dip the cane in Neets foot oil, wipe off the excess and let the cane dry over night. Next day (or the next time I got the reed making kit out), I would give the inside of the cane a few rubs with very fine sand paper (600), then tie onto the staple and complete the reed as usual.

3

Do you always do this for your reeds?

4

Not any more. To be honest, I didn,t find a huge improvement. I just avoid playing when the humidity gets very high.

5

I’ve tried treateing reeds a little bit. I used poly-urethane a couple of times, but on a wooden reed. It made the reed sound very clacky, and overly buzzy. I’d never use it again. Tim Britton uses it on cane reeds sometimes. He’s told me that he played in 7% humidity w/ no failure.

For me, making reeds is difficult enough. Adding another factor of oil, etc. …I’ll skip it.

Instead, I’d use a wooden reed IF I ever had to play in a low humidity situation… Otherwise, it’s cane. I finish it with v. fine paper, inside and out, and let come what may.

6

I treat my reeds with respect.

RORY

7

I treated a reed with neatfoot’s oil.
The reed had been made following the David Dayes method with cycles of humidity and heat.
Then the reed had been finished and tuned. I left it for one night in the oil and then removed the excess with a towel and by blowing. I played the reed for a while removed again the excess with a towel etc… That was in july 2003 and the reed is still playing.

8

…try a product called “Thomsons water seal”. Its specifically designed as a water-proofing agent.

The beauty of this is you can finish the reed, then dip the head into this stuff and there
is no distortion of the blades. Allow excess to drain off, pat the blades dry.

Any moisture build up just beads, rather than absorbs into the cane.
Good experience here in Sydneys hot, humid, summers.

9

I recall hearing that a VERY thin coat of paraffin smeared on with the pinky finger can be useful. I tried it once but this batch of reeds had so many other issues it was like putting lipstick on a pig.

10

Well said, Kathy…

REally, the only reason to put “stuff” on your reed is if you’re in a climate that shifts around. Otherwise, I think that putting “stuff” on a reed, ad a potentially good one at that, either impedes or tempers the harmonics.

Again, it’s hard enough to make a reed.

If you’re on tour, playing into a mic, and the complexity of the harmonics are going to get devoured by the sound system- and you need something that’s gonna work in order to do your job, then dip away …

11

Paddy Keenans trick when he was here …(some humidity probs)..piece of wet sponge inside bellows,(put in wire ,hanging inside from the bellows valve)