logansays
15 posts
Jun 12, 2011
1:14 AM
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HI I have started working on my own harps..trying to make them play better, doing the regular sizing, gapping and have had a fair success.
A lot of customisers talk of polishing the reeds / reedplates ( taking out the milling marks etc)
does this increase the longevity of the reeds or is it merely making the reed plate and reeds shiny..
My harps have a lot of tuning marks, and some tarnished. what is the best way to polish the reeds and reed plates( if thats important)..
also some combs that I have, have been sealed..and supposedly flat..when I sand them further to get them absolutel flat, is the sealant stripped off? will that cause the combs ( solid wood) to swell / warp?
Any help wil be appreciated! thanx
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Baker
127 posts
Jun 15, 2011
5:26 AM
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Hi, I do work on my own harps but I'm not an expert customiser.
The only talk of polishing reeds and reed plates I have come across is from this guy - http://www.thomashankeandplaintivecry.com/content/hge.htm. His website states: "The reeds can be fine-polished (up to the rivet) which will noticeably extend the durability of the reed and helps counter detuning."
As far as I can tell, removing the tuning marks does have an effect on the tone of the reed. I don't do this so I couldn't tell you specifically what the effects are. Maybe some of the more experienced customisers can chime in.
As far as the combs go, I guess it depends on how they are sealed. I seal mine (soak) with butchers block oil, which soaks into the wood, and flat sand before and after. This has always worked fine for me.
If they are lacquered on the sides which meet the reed plates, sanding will probably remove the lacquer. Depending on how porous the wood is it may cause them to swell when moisture from playing gets in.
Are they custom combs or standard ones?
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logansays
16 posts
Jun 15, 2011
7:18 AM
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They are custom combs.. and sealed using bees wax ( I supppose) not sure..But I disliked the finish around the edges..which i sanded with 1200/1500 grit paper and it was smooth, which i lwill later polish with a wax i have ..and use a nail lacquer on the tines, whcih i have seen used and is good.
The combs on the surface I felt had to be sanded to flatten them but was worried about stripping the sealant .
Btw what is the best way of polishing reeds/reedplates
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Gnarly
46 posts
Jun 15, 2011
7:39 AM
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I just started using a battery powered engraving tool I bought on the recommendation of another player (Robert Coble, AKA Crazy Bob) which I acquired for $10 from Lowe's--very low torque. That coupled with the Shofu Brownie (a polishing bit, also got mine from Bob) works well to polish or to fine tune the reeds (it removes very little material, so I don't use this combination to raise blow 3 up a whole step!).
I have polished plates with Brasso; however, I like using Maas Metal Polish (thanks to Eliz Schultz AKA Scotty) when I want to see myself in my reed plates.
I don't know if it helps me sound better tho . . .
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Miles Dewar
946 posts
Jun 15, 2011
7:44 AM
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I don't see how polishing the reeds will make ANY difference. It has nothing to do with the airflow. You are not moving fast enough to need to make it streamline. All you are doing is taking mass off of the reed. Tuning it differently a tiny bit.
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Gnarly
47 posts
Jun 15, 2011
7:54 AM
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I do find that the engraver/Brownie combo is great for fine tuning tho--it removes so little material . . .
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Big Daddy Ray
57 posts
Jul 30, 2011
5:24 PM
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Miles, think of each little pair of milling marks having a valley between them. Each valley will catch air.The more valleys the more air it catches and chances are the reed, when it decides to snap, will snap at the deepest valley near the reed.
Imagine an airplane wing. In flight an airplane wing, even though it is smooth, will at times bend and flap a bit like a birds wing. Add ridges and it will do so but more erratically and will eventually break at the deepest ridge.
If you use the right tool for polishing/smoothing the reed you shouldn't be removing anymore brass than what was removed during tuning. The only thing that should take brass off is when you remove a little during tuning. Other than that it is like smoothing concrete. You are not removing and concrete. You are just smoothing it out.
I watched mine get tuned and then polished and then rechecked after polishing and it was still tuned.
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arzajac
593 posts
Jul 31, 2011
5:05 AM
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In Richard Sleigh's book, he voices his opinion that it takes a long time to do and makes the harp harder to tune. His opinion is basically that even if it does improve lifespan, lots of time can still be saved by *not* doing it and just changing the reed when it fails.
A reed can fail because of excessive force and since people tend to use as much force as the stiffest reed on a harp, it makes sense to master fine-tuning a harp so that every hole is playable with equal breath force throughout the harp.
Says he.
It makes sense.
Now, I've also heard the term "distressed reed". Perhaps this is the same principle but a simpler version of it? Is it just the creation of grooves perpendicular (or otherwise - maybe random?) to the mill marks to "discourage" the fracturing of a reed along a mill mark? As opposed to polishing the mill marks off...
Is there even a difference between a "polished reed" and a "distressed reed"?
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Last Edited by on Jul 31, 2011 5:07 AM
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HarpNinja
1553 posts
Jul 31, 2011
6:02 AM
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Are you breaking reeds at the milling marks? If not, then I'd worry about a bunch of other stuff when tweaking than polishing. Air thigh harps with good reed profiles played with proper technique will last a long time.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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zipperhead16
36 posts
Jul 31, 2011
8:14 AM
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If you polish, make sure to use something under the reed to keep it from bending into the slot. It will keep polishing compound out of the slot too. .001-.002 shim, piece of paper ect.
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florida-trader
34 posts
Aug 01, 2011
5:07 AM
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Logan:
Let me clear up a slight misconception that a lot of people seem to have about sealing combs. Sealing a comb is not about what you put ON the wood - it is about what you put IN the wood. Notice that Baker said he SOAKS his combs in butcher block oil. He has it right. The oil seeps into the pores of the wood so even if you sand the wood after SEALING it, you are not sanding off the sealant because the sealant is not simply residing on the surface of the wood. Think of it this way. Imagine taking an ordinary dry sponge and soaking it in paint or varnish or shellac or polyurethane. Then let it dry. If you were to sand off the surface of the sponge, all you are going to do is reveal more sponge fibers that have been impregnated with whatever you soaked it in. Wood is extremely porous. If you soak it in any liquid, it will drink that liquid into the pores. If that liquid happens to have some waterproofing properties, after the wood dries, it will be pretty much waterproof.
So - bottom line - if your comb is sealed, then sanding it flat so the reed plates make a tight seal will not pose a problem for you.
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