Basic Shortening Tools
Wooden Handles or No Handles?
This is really about cutters, including pivot screw reamers, pivot screw countersinks, hollow and solid hinge tube shorteners, drills, taps and tools used for threading rods.
We are often asked why some Ferree’s cutters have wooden handles while others are sold without handles. There are two schools of thought, and both methods provide excellent control when used correctly.
Using Cutters by Hand
We put wooden handles on some cutters because that is how we learned to use them many years ago, and we never saw a reason to change.
The wooden handle is light and gives you complete control over the cutter’s speed, pressure and depth. You can remove just a little material here or a fraction more there. This method also preserves the traditional handcraft involved in instrument repair.
However, consider the natural movement of your arm and wrist when using a screwdriver or cutter. Your hand moves up and down while also swinging through an arc in three dimensions. In effect, you are sculpting the post or end of the hinge tube.
The finished part may fit, but it may not provide complete, even contact.
A heavy mechanical holder does not necessarily solve this problem. In some cases, the additional weight can make it worse.
Using Cutters in a Bench Motor
My dad preferred to complete jobs quickly and accurately. His method was to place the cutter’s shaft into the bench motor and use the hand brake to control the power.
This method also provides complete control while keeping the cutter centered on a consistent axis. Because the axis does not change, the cutter remains square to the work and can produce a more accurate fit.
That is why Ferree’s has offered cutters without handles since 1955.
Even when the bench motor is not powered, using it to hold the cutter keeps everything straighter and squarer. The result is generally a cleaner and more precise repair.
Additional Bench Motor Uses
With power, the bench motor can also be used for drilling, grinding, polishing mouthpieces, straightening bent rods, and sanding clarinet mouthpiece corks.
I have even been known to sand a clarinet mouthpiece cork or two with one.
Both hand-held and bench-mounted cutters can provide excellent control. The best method depends on the tool, the repair and the technician’s preferred working style.
