ratzbi
11 posts
Jun 03, 2014
11:52 PM
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Hey guys! How are ya today?
Well, i've been playing the harp for some time now and i tweaked some Harps using some customization tools, but i'm having some hard time embossing. when i watch vids it looks so much easier than it is in real life and that's because i can't seem to find the right angle looking at the reed's edge and the reed plate's edge and i cant estimate the space between them.
So from a certain angle it seems like the right side of the reed is well embossed but once i tilt the plate an inch it will look like the right side is now embossed and the left side has a long way to go... frustrating.
Any tips? i tried putting the reed plate over a light box/ holding the plate against the sun light etc...
Thank you in advance my harp friends! I really like this forum although i dont post here much.
Keep it up!
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arzajac
1392 posts
Jun 04, 2014
3:18 AM
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Just looking through the slot won't give you a lot of information and as you mention, depending on the angle, you may be misled into thinking you have lots of room on one side or the other.
The sides of the slot don't move. But unless you have a perfectly-shaped one-in-a-million reed, the reed doesn't pass through the slot all at the same time. So if you look through the slot using a light box and push the reed into the slot, you still won't get the information you need to know where you are at.
First off, less is more. Light embossing where you create a small ridge along the inside slot of the full length of the slot (all three sides) can be done in a few seconds. I encourage you to start there.
Pick at the inside of an un-embossed slot with your fingernail. You should feel nothing. Do light embossing and check again - you should feel a small catch. Your fingernail should feel the ridge of brass you just created.
Do that for the full length of the slot for every hole and play the harp. You should feel the improved response and the increase in volume with just light embossing.
Now, go back and emboss more. Make that ridge thicker. The closer you get to making the ridge touch the reed, the more volume and response you will get but the more work it will become. You will need to emboss evenly and your reed will need to be straight and perfectly centred. A heavily embossed harp can sound thin so you may not even want to do heavy embossing.
The most time-consuming part of embossing is correcting problems (like overdoing it). So it's smart to use direct vision so that you can "creep up" on maximum embossing without actually going over and making the slot contact the reed.
The reed is dynamic. Swing it through the slot and look at the space on the sides. Try to visualize where the space is largest and work on getting that space smaller. Don't look at the whole reed, but focus your attention on the various areas. Try to assess each separate area on it's own. That means applying pressure on different parts of the reed to move it through the slot, depending on the area you are focusing on.
What you use, whether it's a microscope, jeweller's magnifying tools, reading glasses or just your own eyes depends on your age and preference. But the visual cue will let you know whether the reed touches the slot or not. And that's the information you need to use to emboss.
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Custom overblow harps. Harmonica service and repair.
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ratzbi
12 posts
Jun 04, 2014
6:21 AM
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Thanks arz. any other tips on this 1?
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ridge
515 posts
Jun 04, 2014
7:52 AM
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Ratzbi, I know what you mean about it looking properly embossed on one side until you change the angle you look at it.
Andrew's description is pretty damn good. Emboss the slot lightly and then press the reed down so it's level with the slot and check it against light while looking at it from overhead.
You didn't mention what customizing tools you're using (UST, burnishing tool) and what kind of reed plates/harps. I have found some reed plates are tougher to emboss than others and even different years of the same model are harder than others.
My other personal take on embossing is that while the goal is to push metal inward you're also inadvertently pushing metal DOWNWARD. Sometimes, it seems that things get worse because of this fact. This affects your reed action settings by lowering the slot further from the reed. Does that make sense?
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Ridge's YouTube
Last Edited by ridge on Jun 04, 2014 8:07 AM
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ridge
516 posts
Jun 04, 2014
8:24 AM
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The other thing I would recommend is to buy Richard Sleigh's Hot Rod Your Harmonica video series.
I just bought it after returning from the 2014 Harmonica Collective and it's already paid for itself.
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Ridge's YouTube
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MP
3225 posts
Jun 04, 2014
11:18 AM
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I found that when learning to size -embossing is an incorrect term. Embossing is like the raised visage of M. Hohner on pre-war Old Standbys- great harps by the way once you put MB covers on them.
Well, got off track. When learning to size you spend a hell of a lot of time correcting your work.
Even now, after a few years of sizing, I am still removing a bit of brass here or there.
I have learned to hate sizing and now-a-days tolerances are so close on Hohners it is pretty much unnecessary. Seydels-I'm not sure about Suzukis- have even closer tolerances.
good luck and have patience. you'll get it.
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Marks Harmonica Tune-up
Click user name MP for contact info
Last Edited by MP on Jun 04, 2014 11:19 AM
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hannes
26 posts
Jun 04, 2014
1:03 PM
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Some time ago I tried some light embossing on a C Special 20 (after adjusting the gaps)and was quite happy with the outcome - the harp became louder and the 4, 5 and 6 overblows needed much less air pressure than after gapping alone. But out of laziness I didn't disassemble the harp, so on the blow plate I embossed the side of the slot opposed to the reeds and on the draw plate I embossed the "reed-side" of the slots (had to redo the gaps after that). So which is the correct way to do it ? I think I remember having read somewhere that Rick Epping recommended embossing the side of the slot opposed to the reed, but I may be wrong on that. And how do you emboss the end of the slot? If you run a round object along the slot like I did you only touch the length of the slot, not the end.
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ratzbi
13 posts
Jun 04, 2014
1:44 PM
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Hey guys. thanks for all the comments :)
ridge- you are right! I use Richard's tools and i have bought his instructional vids. in his vids it looks much more easier than it is :)
He embosses in a matter of seconds.
I mainly work on Special 20's, but now i work on Brenden power's power bender harps.
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arzajac
1393 posts
Jun 04, 2014
3:35 PM
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Hannes: I make an embossing tool. Here are the instructions I provide with it:
Embossing instructions
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Custom overblow harps. Harmonica service and repair.
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hannes
27 posts
Jun 05, 2014
11:02 AM
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Andrew, very helpful information as usual! Thank you, I'll give it a try.
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