Reed Making
Introduction

Pipe Chanter Reeds

  1. What you require
  2. Shaping the Chanter Reed
  3. Cane Gouge
  4. Reed Blade Former
  5. Reed Staple Cutter
  6. Chanter Reed Staple Roller
  7. Chanter Reed Staple Former
  8. Chanter Reed Assembly Jig

Drone Reeds

  1. What you require
  2. Making the Drone Reed
  3. Diagram Index
  4. Drone Reed Jig

Chanter Reed Staple Roller

Purpose: To convert copper blanks to cylinder form.

  1. Another hand tool that will require special manufacture. There are some reed makers who use parallel jaw pliers with forms fixed to them. They then roll the copper around in a series of pinching motions over a nail former. The problem here is that the staples go "out of round" and no two are alike.
  2. This tool shown operates by placing the copper blank into the aperture and standing the 1/8" former "nail" into the same slot. A simple closing action of the handles then forces the copper around the circumference of the former and results in the required cylinder. There is also the added advantage of having each staple to exactly the same dimensions.
  3. A reminder! ! Be sure that the meeting edges of the blank are properly cleaned prior to forming the copper cylinder.
  4. It is essential that the larger end (i.e. 1/2") of the staple blank be placed in the bottom of the former aperture.