Cutting & Shaping Reeds

[Dennis Detweiler]

Has anyone tried a Dremel router table with the 1/8 router bit to cut and shape reeds from square stock reed material? Or, any other trial and error method of accomplishment?

[ted johnson]

They tell me that waterjet works, though I haven't tried it. I did find a sign shop that uses a plotter table with a very small pointed rotary cutter. This works fine though I did have to lightly sand the fuzz from the edges with 400 grit Wetordry. They cut me a couple hundred Homelite and Go Power reeds that way. You need a DXF file for that. I have DXF's for the aforementioned reeds, if you need them. The DXF for the Go Powers is about .03 too long, but they're easy to shorten with emery paper. Ted

[Gordon Duax]

I always just used sheetmetal shears.
Cut them within 1/16", then use a belt sander with a fine grit belt to bring them to final size.
The slot between the 2 petals on the Mac reeds was put in with a Dremmel with a cut-off disk.

[joelwey]

Hey Guys:
I know there was a posting here on material thickness and where to buy the stuff.........can either one of you help?
Regards,Joel

[jmendoza]

Excellent article on this in your VKA magazine, February '08 issue, shows how to make reeds for a Go Power pyramid 6 petal cage.

I have done the same proceedure as the article outlines for years, and I too use scissors to cut the epoxy-glass.

[Rob Voska]

Have them waterjet cut or laser cut. If you have a size good batch 12" square done the cost per reed is minimal.

[jmendoza]

The thickness can vary and it is a function of what you need the reeds to do. Thicker/stiffer reeds are like changing the cam in 4-stroke for less duration. The thickness is not as important as the stiffeness, as different materials have different stiffness, even though they may be the same thickness. Epoxy-glass G-10 is different from Phenolic, which is different from steel. This is why steel reeds are so thin, and the phenolic reeds are thicker. In practice, most epoxy glass G-10 reeds are about .020" to .015" in thickness, this is what I have measured on most engines in the 80-175cc range.

Aerospace composites, San Leandro California is where I get my material.

[allan savins]

Hi,
If you can find people in the electronics industry, you can get PCBs made...
The Reeds in the photos are for a MC70/MC40.
Allan