i want to try to make my own reeds, so i will order all the things i need.
but, on the celtic fire website, there are two gouges. Wich one i need? do i need both of them 
http://www.celticfire.com/Accessories/accessories.html
and just to let you know iām gonna receive my Neil O Grady full set in arpoximately 2 weeks, do i have to tell i realy can wait to receive it!! 
PM, there are a few gouge sizes that different people recommend. The number on the gouge refers to the circumference or the arc. NPU sells a #3, as recommended by Cillian O Brien. You will probably find that this is too shallow, and that reeds made to this arc collapse too easily. Also, this size takes longer to gouge the cane. Go for the #6 instead.
Some methods, like Allan Mollerās, use a #6 as the main gouge, and a #3 for finesse. Probably not necessary.
djm
I like a wide #6 sweep gouge myself.
It all depends on the reed making method you are following. Some use an incanneled #6 sweep to get the inner arc as close as possible to its finished shape, and use no sandpaper at all. Others use the gouge to remove a good deal of the cane but finish up over sanding cylinders. Almost any curved gouge can serve for this, even the easier to find out- canneled types. Paddy Keenan uses no gouge at all, just sandpaper and a beer bottle to form the inner arc. It is mostly about speed and how exacting you are in the finished inner profile. Some can knock out a playable reed in 15 to 20 minutes. Others can take hours.
Ted
It all depends on the reed making method you are following. Some use an incanneled #6 sweep to get the inner arc as close as possible to its finished shape, and use no sandpaper at all. Others use the gouge to remove a good deal of the cane but finish up over sanding cylinders. Almost any curved gouge can serve for this, even the easier to find out- canneled types. Paddy Keenan uses no gouge at all, just sandpaper and a beer bottle to form the inner arc. It is mostly about speed and how exacting you are in the finished inner profile. Some can knock out a playable reed in 15 to 20 minutes. Others can take hours.
Ted
It all depends on the reed making method you are following. Some use an incanneled #6 sweep to get the inner arc as close as possible to its finished shape, and use no sandpaper at all. Others use the gouge to remove a good deal of the cane but finish up over sanding cylinders. Almost any curved gouge can serve for this, even the easier to find out- canneled types. Paddy Keenan uses no gouge at all, just sandpaper and a beer bottle to form the inner arc. It is mostly about speed and how exacting you are in the finished inner profile. Some can knock out a playable reed in 15 to 20 minutes. Others can take hours.
Ted
You going through a temblor while you hit the āSubmitā button, Ted?
And hereās this thing quoted again!
I heard about reeds from a household name pipemaker being like that; or maybe just finished with 100 grit and no more. Makes the tone more milky or soft, doesnāt it?
The customer for the reeds and pipes wanted to do a lot of travellingā¦maybe that was a factor? Iād think that with the reed polished up more itād survive travel a bit better.
Where does Paddy stop with the sandpaper?
but iām not also sure what to buy
do i realy have to order a shooting board, should i built it by myself?
and do you think that the Hegarty guide is the best for a beginner
OK, hereās another wrinkle: I was looking at the gouges sold by Michael Dow, and he offers one with a #6 sweep and one with a #8 sweep. Question is, if Iām making primarily C chanter reeds (Gallagher chanter, typical width of .430"/10.92mm), would I want the #8 because of its tighter arc? Would a #8 sweep also do for D chanter reeds, or doesnāt it matter as the sanding would iron out the differences? OR is the #6 sweep the best all-around gouge?
Thanking you,
Mark
Anything with some sort of groove that you can lay the cane in with something in the groove to keep it from sliding out when gouged will work. If you have a good eye and steady hand and a square cut on the end, you can get by without the groove, just put it against something and gouge away.
I use the #6 sweep to gouge both, but my sanding cylinders are different diameters for my C and D reeds.
I donāt know how I got a triple post! Anyhow, Paddy uses the black wet-or-dry sandpaper at 180 grit initially, following up with 220 or 240 grit. I seem to recall him using his thumbnail to drag along the scrape to remove any loose fibers and burnish it a bit. I think G. Wooff is only using a gouge these days and not sanding at all. I have been using a scorp lately for initial gouging. Then I sand and scrape the rest of the way. I used to use an out cannel gouge for initial gouging, which removed most of the excess in a few passes. When I was about 0.005" thicker than my target I switch to sandpaper and cylinders. Almost any curved cutting tool will work for the initial work. Dan Sullivan could make a good reed in ten minutes using only a pocket knife that had about the right radius at the tip to scrape the inside first.
I like David Quinnās third edition of the book, āThe Piperās Despairā as well as drawing some from Hegartyās book when I teach reed-making. Both are useful.
Ted
ā¦
Presuming weāre all talking about the same #, I go for a #4. When you first start gouging, a #6 is so easy to over gouge. A #4 will impart the closest curvature if you are using a section of a 72 - 80mm diameter former to sand. (I have recently found āAmeā sparkling herb drink bottles to be very nice). Iāve never seen a #8, but that sounds way deepā¦
Remember to keep that gouge deadly sharpā¦
Ted,
Presumably Paddy whittles the pith down flat to the slip then sands?? Ah the things you can do with the gold!!
Alan
I like to use both sanding , and the gouge . That way I avoid getting locked in as each piece of cane is different , and using both gives the leeway to make a good reed .
t.
Hi folks!
Stupid question maybe (but I hope they are allowed here as well): what does the #4, #6, #8 etc. stand for? 
Cheers, Thies
Different radii of gouge. Shallower vs. wider. Shallower would be more suitable for smaller diameter tubes of cane.
Good old gear. Keep buying stuff and youāll figure out what you need.
This picture is not exactly the type of gouges pipers use but the drawings demonstrate some of the curves according to numbers. I saw a chart somewhere on this site that gives the eqivalent mm.
Alan,
Paddy uses an utility knife to flatten the slips first and he works down individual blades at about 2 1/4" length each, not necessarily from the same tube of cane.
It is advisable not to get any pith on yourthelf in the process. 
Ted
As we say in āDeah old Engerlandā.. Bloody Hell!!
Alan