Bassoon Reed-making: The 2nd Stage

Stage 2: Finishing the Reed Blank

• Once blank is thoroughly dry, tighten 2nd and 3rd wires. Measure them first with your rule as the loose wires may have slipped during the drying process. Snip off excess wire.
• Paint reed tube (below middle wire and including the base of the tube) with 1 coat of Sally Hanson's Hard As Nails clear nail polish (available at drug stores). Let dry.
• Fold up bottom wire end so that it is even with the cane. Wrap turban with cotton thread. I prefer DMC #5 cotton thread (available at fabric stores or Zim's). It is possible to use nylon thread, but this will generally yield a brighter tone than cotton thread.
• How to wrap turban: see Popkin manual, pp. 47-49.
• Coat thread with Sally Hanson polish until it no longer absorbs the polish. Let it dry. Fold down middle wire. Coat thread with polish 2 more times, letting polish dry thoroughly each time.
• Your blank is complete. Ideally you should set your blanks aside for several days (or even weeks) at this stage in order to stabilize the tip opening. Close any tips that have accidentally been opened in the blank-forming process with a clothespin.