Needed for all steps:
Electric lamp (for both heat source and back lighting)
Clean water in a 1- to 2-pint container
Needed for adjustments:
Reed that plays
Holding mandrel
Plaque
Pliers (toothed, square nose)
Scraping knife
Ruler (6”, 150 mm)
Needed for finishing:
Formed reed blank
Holding mandrel
Plaque
Pliers (toothed, square nose)
Scraping knife (sharpened; hollow-ground on both sides)
Ruler (6”, 150 mm)
Magnifying glass (3x, 4x or 5x)
Dial indicator (preferably metric)
Pencil
Sandpaper (400 and 600 grit, wet-dry, cut into 3” x _” strips
or smaller)
Tip cutter (Rieger-type is recommended; or end cutters, or scissors,
or knife & block)
Small vise mounted on desk or board
Pillar file, 6”, extra-narrow, #2 cut
Half-round file, 6”, bastard or #1 cut
Reamer
Tip-profiling machine (optional)
Needed for forming:
Gouged, shaped, and profiled cane
Forming mandrel
Wire (#22, soft brass [#21 for contra and other large reeds])
Cutter for wire
Stove or other heat source
2 quart boiling pan
Metal strainer (4”-5” diameter, with handle)
Rubber bands (approx. _” wide x 3” long)
Drying rack
Pliers (toothed, 2” or longer jaws, or self-adjusting for added
leverage)
Pliers (smooth jaws, square nose)
Scissors (Fiskars with 4” blades, or similar)
Half-round file, 6”, bastard or #1 cut
Sandpaper (200 grit, wet-dry, cut into 2” x 3/4” strips)
Easel (1” diameter [1-1/4” for contra], with equator scoring)
Needed for shaping:
Gouged cane (for use with straight shapers)
Gouged and profiled cane (for use with folding shapers)
Shaper
Shaping knife (disposable utility knife with 2” x 3/8” blade)
Needed for profiling:
Gouged cane (or gouged and shaped cane)
Profiling machine (or easel and scraping knife)
Dial indicator
Needed for cane selection:
Gouged cane (soaked approx. 3 hours)
Dial indicator
Ruler
Knife with a short, sharp blade
Easel
Needed for gouging:
Tube cane
Splitter
Guillotine (optional)
Pre-gouging machine (optional)
Gouging machine
Dial indicator
Useful texts:
Mark Eubanks, Advanced Reed Design & Testing Procedure for Bassoon;
Secrets to a Better Bassoon Reed; Arundo Test Procedures; Arundo Wire
Adjustments.
Christopher Weait, Bassoon Reed-making: A Basic Technique
William Spencer, The Art of Bassoon Playing
Mark Popkin and Loren Glickman, Bassoon Reed Making
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