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- Explanation of tools for Oboe reed making
- Cutting tools for oboe reed making
- Mandrel for oboe reed making
- Plark for oboe reed making
- Reed cutter, wire and pliers
- Water proof and paper etc
- Scraper for oboe reed making
- Whet stone for oboe reed making
- Dial indicator for oboe reed making
- Ruler for oboe reed making
Explanation of tools for oboe reed making
Oboe reed making is very difficult
The reed for oboe has some styles.
for example, French-style, American-style, Germany-style Viennese-style, etc..
These style change are influenced by design of bore very well.
Generally, large inside diameter(Rigoutat oboe) is suited to reed with wide tip and long total length.
Short inside diameter(Loree oboe) is suited to reed with narrow tip and shot total length.
Most of oboe have short inside diameter. So, trill key of top joint is curved.
Rigoutat oboe only has straight trill key.
I make French style reed. The following is explanation about my reed making.
Cutting tools
The knife made with steel and soft iron made in Japan is the best
For the first time, I intoroduce some tools for reed-making.
- Nives
- is used for scrape reed. these for Right-handed is different from Left -handed. Made in Japan is good.
I use 2 nives (counting from the right) for cooking the eel. This type is cheaper than for oboe in Japan. For rough scraping, I have one(3rd counting from the right).
To sharpen knife, the Time and the stamina are necessary for a knife made with Swedish steel. But you can sharpe the knife made with steel and soft iron with less time, less stamina and more thecnique.
Mandrel
You should buy tube and mandrel from same maker
- Mandrel
- is Form of tube. Each maker has different form. you should buy tube and mandrel from same maker.
If you don't know tube-maker suitable for your instrument, you should ask to oboe-maker.
Plark
Flat plark is not suitable to short scrape oboe reed
- Tongue
- When you scrape, this is put into blades of reed. 2 types are selled.
Left one is suitable for scraping sides. The other is suitable center.
Generally, these are made by ebony, metal or plastic.
I think that flat plark is not suitable to short scrape oboe reed.
Reed cutter, wire and pliers
You can buy these in a shop for Sunday carpentry of a neighborhood
- Cutting pliers
- be used, when you wind wire to reed.
- Thread
- be used, when you bind cane to tube. Silk is best. nylon, polyestel is better.
- Momentaly paste
- be used, when you paste the skin on reed.
- Reed cutter
- be used , when you cut the tip of reed.
- Wire
- made by brass, and the diameter is 0.3mm.
Water proof and paper etc
Skin is expensive. Seal tape is useful fully.
- waterproof sand paper no.1000
- be used, when you shave chap of tip and polish inside of cane.
- Seal-tape
- generally, be used the water supply work. in point of oboe, be used the air supply work !
- Skin
- the same as the above.
Scraper for oboe reed making
Buy the scraper for oboe cane
- Scraper
- be used, when you scrape inside of cane. with this, you adjust thikness of cane. (left-hand)
Whet stone
I recommend the big water whetstone to sharpen the blade of knife in the uniform angle
- finishing whetstone
- sharpen nives on this last step.
- middle whetstone
- at first sharpen nives.
If you sharpen nives very well, you can't make good reed. this is very important point. Nives for reed-making is single -edged. So, Some times you should put waterproof sandpaper(no.100) on very flat thing and sharpen whetstone.
Dial indicator
Dial indicator is absolutely necessary
- Dial indicator
- This has a scale marked in 1/100mm. You can measure the thickness of cane or reed. with this gage, you can scrape a reed to perfect syammetry
Ruler
I use a ruler passing the industry product standard
- Ruler
- total lenght of reed is 0.5mm longer than the others, it influenced intonation.
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