Fil
325 posts
Jun 17, 2017
7:53 PM
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SuperBee, I can't recall if you have weighed in on this. Do you use an ultrasonic cleaner for harps or just do it the old fashion way...take them apart and do it with a toothbrush, alcohol or detergent? I don't spend a lot of time cleaning mine, usually only when I have to open one up to tweak a reed or when don't want to toot but still want to mess with them. MTG, Killa any thoughts? I know the topic's been around a few times.
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Phil Pennington
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SuperBee
4746 posts
Jun 17, 2017
9:51 PM
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I do both Fil. Just finished cleaning 17 Seydel 1847 plates, in the ultrasonic. But I get an electric toothbrush onto them as well, in conjunction with the u/s
I know some people just dunk entire, assembled harps in the u/s.
I don't do that. I see what comes out; I want to get it out of the harp, not just move it around.
I add a drop of detergent, and rinse afterward. I've been told by people who know more than me that detergent foam bubbles render the u/s less effective. I believe there are additives made especially for use with u/s baths, but I just use a very small amount of 'eco wash', not enough to make foam, and a brush on all parts except hardware and wooden combs. I treat wooden combs separately.
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MindTheGap
2277 posts
Jun 18, 2017
11:41 AM
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I'm not the one to ask about this. When I first started I was forever disassembling, tweaking, cleaning, re-assembling. No longer. I set and forget, with an occasional rinse under the cold tap. Very, very occasionally a reed will get stuck and then I'll clean the harp with toothbrush and cold water.
Partly this is because it works, and partly because I don't want to be ingesting all these chemicals. No one else seems to care, so I'm swimming against the tide. Equally they don't care about sucking on varnish or brass or aluminium :)
Jason Ricci has a vid where he shows his intensive harp cleaning regime, probably necessary when playing such a lot. It involves some alarming looking household cleaner!
One tip that nacoran gave was to cut down the bristles on a toothbrush. It stops the long bristles getting accidently stuck between reed and slot when cleaning.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Jun 18, 2017 11:43 AM
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SuperBee
4747 posts
Jun 18, 2017
3:00 PM
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Chemicals? I'm not sure, I use only mild detergent and rinse thoroughly. I'm hoping I'm not ingesting anything extra through my cleaning; that's what I'm trying to prevent.
Most cleaning I do is in pursuit of repairs to other people's harps. I have to clean harps I receive and again before I return them. It's like doing the washing up.
I have had to clean a couple of my own recently as I noticed they were tending to jam in the wrong way.
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MindTheGap
2278 posts
Jun 18, 2017
10:16 PM
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I expect detergent is fine. If I were working on other people harps, like you are, I'd do lots of cleaning too.
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Fil
326 posts
Jun 22, 2017
7:01 AM
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Thanks. I think I'll pass for now on the ultra-sonic cleaner and continue doing what I'm doing. Just 'cause right now I feel like diddling with them, I may open a couple up and see how they're doing.
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Phil Pennington
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SuperBee
4748 posts
Jun 22, 2017
1:51 PM
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My main reason for using the US cleaner is the amount of metal I find in it after I clean up harps I've tuned. When I started doing this I was rinsing the plates during the process and then washing in the U/s at the end; there would always be metal filings in the tub.
No doubt I inhale brass filings. Which may be another good reason to use a tuning table. I don't use mine on draw plates because it's simpler to tune on the comb. Maybe I should
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ScottK
102 posts
Jun 25, 2017
9:57 AM
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I've been soaking harps taken apart in vinegar and water mix, cleaning gently with toothbrush, rinse with water, put in isopropyl alcohol gets rid of vinegar smell, lightly pat with paper towel, let dry. Seems to be working well for me.
And then if I have a stuck reed been successful at fixing thank you superbee for the tips on that.
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