Bronze reeds thicknesses

[shandy]

Has anyone messed with different thicknesses or bronze phos reeds and will it make a big difference in the sound I'm wondering I just started building a couple of metal reeds and I don't know much of anything about metal reeds?

[Henry H]

I've been toying with .005 phosphur bronze (rolled shim stock avail on amazon) and .008 phosphur bronze (sold in small "sheets" by HobbyLink as .006).  The thicker bronze is, predictably, stiffer and takes a bit more pressure to "tune".  That said, it is harder to tune "too much" than thinner bronze and, I suspect, is also less likely to fall out of tune with simple use.  I think I prefer the sound from the thicker bronze, but it does require a bit more air pressure to blow (I've always been told I'm full of hot air, so this hasnt presented a problem for me).  FDR uses these and also stainless steel, which I also like.

[shandy]

My .008 I did sand down a little is a lot louder than .005 is this normal?

[Henry H]

I can't say that I've noticed a significant volume difference btw the two, but I'll be happy to test next week when I can get back in the shop.  Any other differences?  Reed shape/style?  I assume you're testung both on the same insert?

[FDR]

The volume of the call is a complicated mix of the exhaust channel sizing, tone channel depth and the volume of air required to make the call quack (reed tuning).  I suspect that you may just be blowing harder with the 0.008 thickness reed.

In antique calls reed thickness varies from 0.005 to 0.010 with the majority being in the 0.006 to 0.007 range.  0.005 stainless has about the same stiffness as 0.006-7 bronze but the sound is a little different.  Stainless holds it tune well and does not corrode in the moist environment. Like most things its a trade off.

Fred

[shandy]

It was the same insert

[Chisler Wood]

An .08 reed will give a much higher pitch than a .05 on the same board. It just depends on what sound you are looking for.  The traditional high pitch is on a reed that tapers from .08 at the back to .06 at the tip.  Here are some videos of calls with different reed thickness.

First is a straight .08 reed on a walnut toneboard calling in the traditional "reelfoot" style.


Now the same walnut board but a straight .05 reed. I like this thickness best and get the "ring" on the high end just not as high pitched , but I give people what they want if they ask.


Joe

[Chisler Wood]

Here is a 1/2 inch bore metal reed I make that blows all the large bore calls out of the water as far as volume. It has a hand made German silver reed that I anealed and filed. Tapered from .10 to about .06 



Joe

[Henry H]

Beautiful call and great sound, Joe!

[dogcatcher]

A half inch bore, I have been waiting to see one of these.  I love it.

Marvin

[Henry H]

Joe, I'm interested, how do you taper your reeds?

[Chisler Wood]

With phosphor bronze its workable that you could just sand it. This German silver I coulf barely touch it with a file and that was after I softened it with a torch.  Basically I just cut it a little larger than I needed and then clamped it to the platen on my sander so I knew it was laying flat.  Then I filed it with a flat file. You have to be careful the closer you get to the thickness you want. I've "acordianed" more than my share and had to say a bad word or two. If u had the money I would buy a jewler's rolling mill and make them whatever size i wanted.

Joe

[dogcatcher]

I don't make the Reelfoot calls, but I do use the metal reeds in some of my predator calls when using Louisiana or Arkansas style boards.  This opinion also applies when using the JC Product reeds.  Something that I think is being missed is that when using the call the vibration of the metal reed will make it "work hardened".  Does anyone try to compensate for that?  In some of my old calls the metal reeds are real brittle, not as soft as the reed was when I first made them.  I am sure they also sound a little different, but after years it is hard too tell as too how much different. 

Same as when annealing the reed to make it softer so you can work it to thickness or shape you are work hardening the metal.  It becomes harder to work with the longer you work with it.  It can also becomes brittle, even to the point it can crack or snap into 2 pieces.   

Marvin

[FDR]

Work hardening is not being missed Marvin it is just not a problem.  The movement of the reed (vibration) results in very little movement. We use bronze material that is already hard, either half or full hard.  The soft stuff will not hold tune. I have some older Reelfoot calls that were bought more than 50 years ago that  are still in tune.  Stainless reed material will not work harden at all. 

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