08
Oct
Shaping Cane
So … I shaped some cane today: 10 pieces of oboe, 4 pieces of EH. I’m wondering how long it takes other people to do this. I think I’m slow! I suspect it took me well over an hour. I’m also frustrated; I hate tossing razor blade after razor blade out, but it seems each piece of cane takes a new one. It seems awfully wasteful. It’s not about the money … it’s about waste. Anyone out there sharpen theirs rather than add to our trash heaps?
While I was shaping I finally tried out the “opera” station on Comcast. It isn’t all opera, but it’s all opera singers. I actually enjoyed the listening experience even though it was a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
October 8th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
I sharpen mine on a diamond stone, as does my teacher…they’re easier to sharpen than reed knives ’cause you don’t have to add a burr.
I’m pretty slow at shaping, I don’t think I could have gotten 14 pieces done that quickly; I’m also still on intermediate reed-maker. I’m much faster at splitting, profiling, pre-gouging and gouging in terms of speed!
October 8th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
I think I would shape from gouged cane close to 50 pieces in an hour. Not sure why it takes you longer.
I do remember you being very slow in your shaping, and I also remember you having a different shaping style of doing it in chunks, which made me believe that you were getting inconsistent shaping results. But perhaps you’ve changed this?
October 8th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
[...] Filed under: Reader Questions/Responses — cjwrightoboe @ 10:09 pm A reader, sparked by Patty’s post, wrote me with a few questions: - Do you use a new one each time, or sharpen [...]
October 9th, 2007 at 7:03 am
I was taught, Cooper, to start from the bottom and move up. I’d be very curious to hear what others in your department do. Could you check?
I was told to start from the bottom because if you start from the top you might chop of a chunk inside the shaper tip area because of the grain (sorry, not explaining this clearly).
I do work slower than you at nearly everything! I’m guessing I even clean my house slower. Part of it is our natures. You are so outgoing and “hurried” in that outgoing way, if you know what I mean! ;-)
Hope you’re enjoying school! (I’ve now “met” another of your colleagues at the school. It’ll be so interesting to read both of your takes on things.
October 9th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Oh really? Who’d you meet?