rearenginekarts.com

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?

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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