Re: Reed Damage

[mjcarley@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Michael Carley)]

> mjcarley suggested that rather than work hardening the cause of flatted tone
> and reed breakage might be metal fatigue.
> 
> Does anybody know if work hardening and metal fatigue are the same thing?  I
> was under the impression that they were.

They're not the same thing. Fatigue is where a small crack propagates 
through the material, possibly to the point where it breaks. For a reed
that would mean the brass is effectively more flexible so the natural
frequency would drop. Work hardening doesn't involve breaking of the
material, it's an effect on the crystal structure rather than on the
overall geometry.

-- 
"It's no good Robin, he's got us by the metal objects in our utility belts"
					Batman (the first movie).