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Author Topic: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds  (Read 10134 times)

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robotmay

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #20 on: March 09, 2016, 11:02:37 AM »

Ooh that's a neat machine. Looks very light to move around.
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Rog

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #21 on: March 09, 2016, 11:06:14 AM »

Grear video. What is he wiping the reeds with around 5:00.... Degreaser?

Palle

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #22 on: March 09, 2016, 12:25:15 PM »

Dear folks. Thousand thanks for all your help and info. - I am really surprised and very glad!!

Palle
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triskel

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #23 on: March 09, 2016, 04:37:03 PM »

... one I find especially useful is a flat one but with the filing surfaces slightly curved end to end.

That sounds like a riffler then. I used to find the jewelery makers' supply shops in Hatton Garden good for small Swiss riffler files in various shapes - though I never used them for tuning and doubt if they'd have been sharp enough. But that was years ago...

Broadland Boy

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #24 on: March 10, 2016, 12:12:35 AM »

There is ONE power tool I'd really like to have in my workshop and that is the belt sander used by Italian reed makers. Problem is, we are talking several thousands of €

That linisher is not a commercial machine diatonix, it has all the hallmarks of being made 'in house' (lucky for them that Italy is not part of the EU and does not subscribe to the Machinery Directive and other workplace H & S Law like the rest of us are forced to - who knows there might be UK outfits able to make reeds competitively if we could get away with this sort of thing  :'( )

It would not be an enormous task to build one - if you knew a retired toolmaker or home shop machinist, nor unduly dangerous to operate (BTW I love the pair of old speakers collecting swarf and the keyboard trapping that which they miss)

Dremel type grinders can be used extremely sensitively, its only when they hog in you get a problem, but as Theo so succinctly observed the file does the same job better, more rapidly and controllably, without noise.

Better quality files should last a very long time on this material, keep them stored individually as scraping files together is not good for them, if you can't get one with two safe edges, run it along a grinder, I frequently re shape files for particular jobs.
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Richard A
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Broadland Boy

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #25 on: March 10, 2016, 12:35:02 AM »

What is he wiping the reeds with around 5:00.... Degreaser?

Dry blueing compound Roger - covers a multitude of sins - wouldn't use the ones I have like that as its nasty stuff but OK if you don't need a durable finish, horological or gunsmith suppliers sell it or on that famous German melodeon clearing house http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BIRCHWOOD-CASEY-GUN-CLEANING-RUST-SCRUBBER-OIL-WAS-CLEANER-LUBE-FULL-RANGE-/301886119505?var=600696895177&hash=item4649d09e51:m:m5G8WQHFe0JeiwHjnQSvBTA
Truth to tell these days I am more likely to reach for a black or blue magic marker for convenience as it seems to last as well  ;)
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Richard A
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tirpous

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #26 on: March 10, 2016, 03:27:12 AM »

Maybe a sander like this one could be modified for use on reeds ?

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=44884&cat=1,43072
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Psuggmog Volbenz

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #27 on: March 10, 2016, 03:36:27 AM »

I use swiss pattern files ground down smaller dimensions and scrapers made from watchmakers screwdrivers. I don't like the noise, vibration and airborne particulate created with the rotary tools. I have a pneumatic dental handpiece which is much smaller and more prescise than an electric rotary tool of the dremel form factor. There are rubber impregnated abrasives which come in wheel and various shapes made by the cratex co. They are available in grits fine enough that one could polish the reed tongue if desired. In skilled hands with a dental handpiece, it would be possible to remove smaller amounts of material than is possible by scraping.
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Kimric Smythe

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #28 on: March 10, 2016, 07:38:33 AM »

 I use multiple tools for tuning. Files and sandpaper for the high reeds, and a battery dremel and scratcher for the others.
I flipped the polarity of the motor to run the other way so that the wheel spins clockwise for reasons that become clear if you are grinding towards the tip (you can't snag the tip of the reeds).
 I use a https://jet.com/product/detail/39a52f5cf9d54db7b887389fbbcd1c83?jcmp=pla:ggl:cwin_hardware_a3:tools_multifunction_power_tools_a3_other:na:na:na:na:na:2&code=PLA15&k_clickid=34851869-1ce6-4943-a72e-e200d55c9001&abkId=403-911898&gclid=CKGExaXKtcsCFZSEfgodbmwDdw and have a bunch of rechargeable AA batteries on hand. I use a flying saucer shaped wheel and I grind with the face of the wheel not the edge.
 For scratching I use a HARD jewelers file that has been ground on the end for a cutting action, this can be dressed over and over.
 I have been doing this for about 2 decades. I can hand make using a dremel ,a convincing copy of a hand finished reed out of a machine one in a couple of min. This is important when the Tex-Mex folk bring in a box that has 5 broken reeds ,only some of where I have the needed paired reeds and a wedding to play in 4 hrs.
 I can take the nearest equivalent reed and grind it to tune, and then lap in the hand finished bevel to match the reeds tonally to the other HF reeds if it had them.
 I will sometimes get a vintage accordion with a broken reed and the new reed replacements are a different profile or length. I will find a vintage one with the same profile and grind it to match.
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diatonix

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #29 on: March 10, 2016, 09:14:26 AM »

@ Broadland Boy:

Firstly: I'm fully aware that the device is not a common commercial type machine. There is currently exactly 1 person who makes them and I certainly do not criticize that person for charging what his work is worth. I'm sure I could find someone closer to me with the necessary skills and I'm equally sure the result would turn out to be three times as expensive (not counting the many hours I'd have to invest myself in such a venture).

And: Try and be a bit more self-critical when uttering your opinion about stuff you seem to know very little about, such as stating that the oil which every reed maker wipes his finished reeds with is "dry blueing compound"

And finally: before altering the course of history, please take the time to check Italy's EU status...
« Last Edit: March 10, 2016, 05:56:12 PM by diatonix »
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Rog

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #30 on: March 10, 2016, 09:46:26 AM »

Hey Kimric, I think I need to come and hang out in your workshop to learn how to make reeds  :D except you are in CA.... Which is a bit far from Andover ... (:)
« Last Edit: March 10, 2016, 09:48:13 AM by RogerThomas »
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melodeon

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #31 on: March 10, 2016, 04:44:51 PM »

Camelia oil ?

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blafleur

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #32 on: March 11, 2016, 04:30:00 AM »

I'm with Kimric.  I use several different good quality files, sanding sticks, and occasionally a rotary tool.  I'm not crazy about the rotary tools, because I have proven my ability to destroy objects with electric powered rotary tools of all types, and they can do it quickly.  But there are times it just works for me.  I usually use it on pull reeds.  As for the gouging, I've also seen the rough gouging of some tuners, and my first couple sets of tunings would fit that category, but with a light touch and a good bit, it is no more messy than a scratcher.  The sanding sticks occasionally come in handy for certain reeds, but they do leave fine sanding debris.  Not enough to be a problem, but there none the less.  But given one tool for removing metal on reeds, it'd be a good quality file.  Thankfully I'm not limited to one.

blafleur

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #33 on: March 11, 2016, 04:39:19 AM »

Diatonix, does he use that same gadget on the diagonal grind and bombatte?

diatonix

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #34 on: March 11, 2016, 01:14:47 PM »

Yes, he does, but in a slightly different way as I've understood. There are then some final adjustments done with hand tools, especially with the tirate reeds. I'm not too fond of the latter, my impression is that too much steel is being removed near the rivet. While the sound is very nice indeed, they seem to be no longer quite as powerful as I want them to be. Even Mr. Binci claims the less you mess with a reed the better... and he may have a point there.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2016, 01:21:57 PM by diatonix »
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forrest

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #35 on: March 11, 2016, 05:40:26 PM »

Just wondering if anyone has these in their kit of tuning tools? They are diamond (coated) files with three different grades of abrasive, and each comes in three sizes. I have only pictured a few that I often use. These are great for fine work, and have the advantage of cutting when used in any direction, unlike files with a tooth pattern. The skinny ones slip easily under a valve to work on pull reeds. They also cut well with less pressure than needed with a toothed file. These shown here have done hundreds of reeds and are still useful, but I am getting due for a new set. I also use Swiss pattern files too.
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Steve_freereeder

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #36 on: March 11, 2016, 06:11:28 PM »

Just wondering if anyone has these in their kit of tuning tools? They are diamond (coated) files with three different grades of abrasive, and each comes in three sizes. I have only pictured a few that I often use. These are great for fine work, and have the advantage of cutting when used in any direction, unlike files with a tooth pattern. The skinny ones slip easily under a valve to work on pull reeds. They also cut well with less pressure than needed with a toothed file. These shown here have done hundreds of reeds and are still useful, but I am getting due for a new set. I also use Swiss pattern files too.

Yes - I use diamond files similar to yours. Here's my source:
http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Diamond-Tools/Diamond-Needle-Files
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diatonix

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #37 on: March 11, 2016, 06:36:49 PM »

What you need is a good scraper (in German: Kratzer) made from a quality file. It is and has always been a very popular and efficient  tool used by professional accordion tuners.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2016, 09:03:12 AM by diatonix »
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diatonix

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #38 on: March 11, 2016, 07:16:56 PM »

Some of the tuning tools I made from used-up quality files:
« Last Edit: March 12, 2016, 09:01:47 AM by diatonix »
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Rog

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Re: electric tool to use with grinding/tuning reeds
« Reply #39 on: March 12, 2016, 10:11:20 AM »

Interesting. I didn't know about the needle diamond files (I have bigger diamond files). Now I need to go and buy some to try them out... Though of course tinkering with new tools is one of life's pleasures. (:)
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