Conical Fulcrum Procedure

A tube with a conical fulcrum is a tube where the height at each wire increases. That is, if the height at wire I is 5mm, the height at wire II may be 5.5mm, and the height at wire III may be 6mm. The conical fulcrum provides the weakest resilience.

The conical fulcrum is the type of fulcrum commonly used by most reed-makers. The procedure to make a conical-fulcrum tube is simple. A tapered (conical) mandrel is inserted into the blank, the wires are placed and tightened, and the tube is formed using pliers. The pliers should be used to conform the tube to the mandrel at wires I and II by squeezing from top-to-bottom only, not from side-to-side. In the area of the tube around wire III, the pliers may be used to conform the tube to the mandrel all around, both top-to-bottom and side-to-side.