jpmcbride
129 posts
Dec 05, 2016
6:41 PM
|
I dropped my Herring chromatic and cracked the comb near the low end. I said cracked, but its nearly broken, only one small bit of wood is keeping it from separating. The break is nice and clean - if I hold it together I can hardly see the break. Hopefully you can see it in the pic below.
Please, no suggestions to send it off for repair. I like to do my own work - part of the fun of owning these things is tinkering with them. I fixed two diatonics today, but this is a more serious repair.
I feel like the comb could be glued back together. Any suggestions from anyone with experience fixing this kind of problem? Super glue, epoxy, wood glue? Just glue and clamp?
I also damaged some of the valves by handling them when taking it apart. They were old and brittle and just fell off. I suppose Herring sells replacements? What do you use to attach them?
Thanks!
----------
Jim McBride
www.bottleoblues.com
|
jpmcbride
130 posts
Dec 05, 2016
6:47 PM
|
OK, one more try at embedding the picture ...
Broken Comb
----------
Jim McBride
www.bottleoblues.com
|
Cotton
75 posts
Dec 05, 2016
7:15 PM
|
Jim,
Use wood glue, glue and clamp. Do not use epoxy or super glue on wood. . Wood always "moves" with weather. It expands and contracts a little. Wood glue flexes a little with it.
super glue and epoxy -does not.
|
Philosofy
783 posts
Dec 05, 2016
7:23 PM
|
And you won't need a lot of glue. I suggest using a thin piece of paper, like an ATM receipt, or a very thin shim, to apply the glue. You won't need a lot of force to clamp it: try elastic bands. And if you get glue squeeze out, you don't need to wipe it off immediately: wait until it gels a little, then it will be easier to scrape off.
|
jpmcbride
131 posts
Dec 05, 2016
8:41 PM
|
OK, all glued up with wood glue and clamped with rubber bands. It looks good, hope it works! I'll give it 24 hours before I put it back together.
Thanks for the help!
----------
Jim McBride
www.bottleoblues.com
|
jpmcbride
132 posts
Dec 05, 2016
8:49 PM
|
Almost forgot ... anyone know where I can get replacement wind savers?
----------
Jim McBride
www.bottleoblues.com
|
Cotton
76 posts
Dec 05, 2016
9:15 PM
|
Jim,
Rocking Rons has Hohner windsavers. If you want, you can flat sand the comb, then reseal with mineral oil before you install the plates and new windsavers. I attach windsavers with a dab of contact cement.
|
Philosofy
784 posts
Dec 06, 2016
7:14 AM
|
Won't the mineral oil mess up the adhesion of the contact cement?
|
Cotton
77 posts
Dec 06, 2016
10:59 AM
|
windsavers are glued to the reed plates- which have been removed to repair the comb. No oil touches the reed plates. A little warm air from a hair drier and the oil soaks in the wood of the comb. I use a mix of mineral oil and beeswax. Wipe the excess oil off well, then reassemble.
Last Edited by Cotton on Dec 06, 2016 11:01 AM
|
jpmcbride
133 posts
Dec 06, 2016
3:05 PM
|
@Cotton
Yes,I suppose I'm being cheap, but I really didn't want to pay $50 to replace just a couple windsavers. Is there any other option?
----------
Jim McBride
www.bottleoblues.com
|
Gnarly
2042 posts
Dec 06, 2016
3:31 PM
|
@JPMCBRIDE Find a friend with replacement valves
|
jpmcbride
134 posts
Dec 06, 2016
6:20 PM
|
I lightly sanded the glued spot with 220 and put it back together. Plays like nothing happened. Great!
I was able to glue most of the valves back on with superglue. I'm still missing a couple at the high end though.
Thanks for the advice!
----------
Jim McBride
www.bottleoblues.com
|
WinslowYerxa
1243 posts
Dec 08, 2016
11:16 AM
|
The top three holes on most chromatics aren't valved.
===========
Winslow
Check out my blog and other goodies at winslowyerxa.com
Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition with tons of new stuff
Join us in 2017 for SPAH in Tulsa!
|
