Post by sanmenxia on Oct 23, 2011 21:38:39 GMT
Tools needed:
sheng (or accordion etc) reed wax (you might get away without it, although it would be best to have some if you can)
small craft knife, or razor blade
small blunt knife (I used a spoon handle)
heat source, eg a candle, cooker etc (I used a disposable lighter; 6 for £1, about US$0.75!)
Remove the reed by cutting into the wax with a knife. Hold the pipe in your left hand and push the blade with your thumb, the right hand guides the knife. You only need to cut one side and the tip, after that you can just pull the reed off with your fingers. A razor blade would slice through the wax more easily, I guess, but a knife is more convenient to hold.
This is the reed lifted slightly off the pipe.
Reed removed.
The underside of the reed.
There is circular blob of wax as shown by the arrows. My guess is that when the reed was put on the first time, a bit of wax was put there, then when it began to cool down but was still soft, the reed was pressed onto it. This was to hold it in position so that there was a small even gap between the reed and the pipe, and then it was sealed with wax.
Back to the repair; next do your reed adjusting, then put the reed back onto the pipe. There is still the wax on there to hold it in place. Heat up your blunt knife, you could put a bit of wax on it before heating and when it melts you know it's hot enough.
If there is quite a lot wax already on the pipe and reed then you can just use the hot knife to melt that wax. I think I did about 10 pipes and used only a very small amount of new wax. Be very careful not to get wax on the top surface of the reed, especially the tongue. Along the two long sides and the tip, you only need wax on the sides, not the top surface, although the tip does have wax on the top surface.
Red wax for tuning, brown wax for attaching the reed.
The finished reed
It's much easier to do than to write about it!
sheng (or accordion etc) reed wax (you might get away without it, although it would be best to have some if you can)
small craft knife, or razor blade
small blunt knife (I used a spoon handle)
heat source, eg a candle, cooker etc (I used a disposable lighter; 6 for £1, about US$0.75!)
Remove the reed by cutting into the wax with a knife. Hold the pipe in your left hand and push the blade with your thumb, the right hand guides the knife. You only need to cut one side and the tip, after that you can just pull the reed off with your fingers. A razor blade would slice through the wax more easily, I guess, but a knife is more convenient to hold.
This is the reed lifted slightly off the pipe.
Reed removed.
The underside of the reed.
There is circular blob of wax as shown by the arrows. My guess is that when the reed was put on the first time, a bit of wax was put there, then when it began to cool down but was still soft, the reed was pressed onto it. This was to hold it in position so that there was a small even gap between the reed and the pipe, and then it was sealed with wax.
Back to the repair; next do your reed adjusting, then put the reed back onto the pipe. There is still the wax on there to hold it in place. Heat up your blunt knife, you could put a bit of wax on it before heating and when it melts you know it's hot enough.
If there is quite a lot wax already on the pipe and reed then you can just use the hot knife to melt that wax. I think I did about 10 pipes and used only a very small amount of new wax. Be very careful not to get wax on the top surface of the reed, especially the tongue. Along the two long sides and the tip, you only need wax on the sides, not the top surface, although the tip does have wax on the top surface.
Red wax for tuning, brown wax for attaching the reed.
The finished reed
It's much easier to do than to write about it!
