Finishing of rose-wood instrument reed - uses vaseline oil impregnation between polishing stages which use grinders of agave flower stem

摘要

The polishing and impregnating process is used on natural rose wood reeds for wood wind musical instruments. Initially the two machined reed faces are polished minutely by rollers in "Agave" flower stem, Agave being of the Amaryllidaceae family. The reed is impregnated with pure pharmaceutical vaseline oil or oil of soft almonds for an hour at a pressure of 10 bars. Finally the initial polishing operation is repeated, and the Agave stem should have dried naturally for not less than five years.