[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Dear Richard, I was hoping you would come into the discussion.
Anita's method is certainly different in the initial stage of tying
the cane on to the staple but I think the main thing to be looked at
is the rubbing down and final scrape of the cane.
Yes, to clarify a couple of points. My method is basically Colin's, with
minor personal preferences, and I join in thanking him for being so open
with information.
Also, for anyone interested in my contribution to the art of reedmaking
on the web, I must stress that it is not a technically detailed workshop
guide. I have tried to provide appropriate links for those taking more
than a passing interest.
With regard to the scrape, I have experimented with many different
nuances of style over the years, but find I prefer the stronger reed
that is produced if you avoid over thinning the middle section.
I agree with Alec that you have to be prepared to waste a lot of cane in
the early stages of learning (and the not so early, during spells of the
'reed-making blues' which can strike at any time!) If things start going
wrong, and assuming it isn't poor quality cane, I usually find I've let
my 'standards' slip. However good your scraping is, if you let your
measurements and technique get sloppy in the initial stages, you are
wasting your time.
Another point I have to make is that all the reed-making information in
the world won't help you make good reeds if you aren't prepared to put
in the time - you have to get a feel for the cane.
--
Anita
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