The Use Of Winding Machines In Oboe Reed Making
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by Kathy Sheinhouse
Oboe Reed Making: Winding Machines- Pros and Cons
The use of electric winding machines to tie an oboe blank has become commonplace in the professional reed making community. Truth is, I tried it too. It is more time efficient than hand tying. It saves hands, and the blanks looked neater than the ones I tied by hand. However, I gave it up because I did not have as much control as I wanted over the alignment of the cane on the staple.
Here is my thinking:
- THERE IS A REASON WHY MANDRELS ARE SHAPED THE WAY THEY ARE. THEY HELP ALIGN THE CANE WITH THE STAPLE. THIS IS WHY HAVING A STAPLE THAT FITS THE MANDREL IS SO IMPORTANT. IF IT DOESN'T FIT, IT ALTERS THE ALIGNMENT.
- WINDING MACHINE MANDRELS ARE NOT CUSTOMIZED TO STAPLES, SO THEY ONLY CAUSE ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS. IF YOU USE YOUR OWN MANDREL AND TRANSFER THE PRE-WINDED BLANK TO THE MACHINE MANDREL, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN, AND USUALLY DOES FOR ME.
- IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW, AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE REED ON A MANDREL SHOULD SHOW A SMALL OFFSET (NO MORE THAN 2 OR 3 DEGREES) OR NONE AT ALL, AND THIS SHOULD BE BY CHOICE.
- I MAKE A LOT OF MICRO ADJUSTMENTS WHEN I MOUNT A BLANK. EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE SYMMETRICAL. WHEN I ADJUST THE CANE SO THAT THE SIDES CLOSE EVENLY ON BOTH SIDES, I OFTEN FIND AN UNINTENDED OFFSET IN THE ANGLE OF THE CANE RELATIVE TO THE FACE OF THE MANDREL. I ADJUST AGAIN, TIE AGAIN, SHIFT A LITTLE MORE AND FINISH UP.
- THESE ADJUSTMENTS ARE NOT POSSIBLE ONCE A MOUNTED STAPLE IS INSERTED INTO A WINDING MACHINE. THE PERFECT ALIGNMENT YOU STARTED WITH MAY SHIFT AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW THIS BY INSPECTING THE BLANK AFTER THE WIND. MISALIGNMENTS ARE ALSO HIGHLY LIKELY WHEN THE WINDING MACHI NE MANDREL IS NOT SIZED TO THE STAPLE YOU ARE USING.
- ONCE AGAIN, THESE TYPES OF FAULTS CAN BE HIDDEN ONCE A REED IS FINISHED, AND THEY CAN ALTER TO FUNCTION OF THE REED. THIS IS WHY I DON'T USE WINDING MACHINES ANYMORE.
- WHILE WINDING MACHINES CAN SAVE TIME AND MAKE A PRETTIER REED, I AM STICKING WITH MY C-CLAMP AND WINDING BY HAND. IT IS HARDER, AND MORE TAXING ON MY HANDS, BUT I PREFER THE CONTROL. FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
