Littoral
334 posts
Aug 09, 2011
3:07 AM
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I haven't seen much consensus on this, or missed it,
but what is "the" preferred way of sealing MB combs?
Lots of them?
Thanks, my sorry ass is slowly getting this.
Last Edited by on Aug 09, 2011 3:08 AM
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Reed Triller
8 posts
Aug 09, 2011
3:57 AM
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There are a few videos on youtube.com about this and David Payne from Elk River Harmonicas has one or two good ones himself. There are so many reasons why people use this sealant or that one.
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Bend it like Ricci - Me
(Formerly known as Big Daddy Ray)
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Baker
148 posts
Aug 09, 2011
4:26 AM
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Hi.
I'm sure everyone has their own methods, but this is how I do it.
I use this stuff: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Butchers-Block-Conditioning-Nectar-300ml/dp/B002NDTVYI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312888511&sr=8-2
It is: Foodsafe - Colourless - Ordourless - Tasteless - Vegan - Easy to Apply
I sand the comb flat. Then submerged it in a bath of this stuff for about 30 seconds. Wipe of the excess and leave to dry for 2 hours.
I repeat this 5 times. After the last time I leave it over night. Then flat sand again.
This has always worked fine for me.
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KingoBad
817 posts
Aug 09, 2011
4:49 AM
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I'm not so aggressive with the butchers block oil. I simply use a small paintbrush and paint the comb with it. I paint and dry twice. I go for the less is more approach and have never had problems with my combs.
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Danny
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RT123
188 posts
Aug 09, 2011
5:30 AM
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replace the comb with a non-porous one. there is no advantage to the wood comb.
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Littoral
335 posts
Aug 09, 2011
8:23 AM
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Thanks All.
"... replace the comb with a non-porous one. there is no advantage to the wood comb."
Yeah, but I have about a hundred.
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Seven.Oh.Three.
141 posts
Aug 09, 2011
8:32 AM
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Want to sell a few? Im looking for donor parts........
Btw, I use "Howard" butcher block & cutting board oil. Advertised and proven to be colorless, odorless and tasteless. Bought at home depot in 12oz bottle.
1)drill comb if your doing so
2) round tines and corners
3) flat sand with 400 then 600 then 1200 grit sand paper (on a glass window)
4) seal comb: soak in oil for an hour. Dry 24 hours. Soak and dry a total of three times.
5) flat sand reed plate (pretty sure it's the draw plate)
6) sand flush reed plates to comb if you have an abundance of time and patience.
7) some people use a lacquer on the tine ends. To make a harden smooth surface. But there's chemicals in there. Not my style. No experience there.
Assemble and have fun!
7.o.3.
Last Edited by on Aug 09, 2011 8:41 AM
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arzajac
598 posts
Aug 09, 2011
9:50 AM
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Here's another "consensus": There is nothing that makes a Marine Band sound better than an unsealed comb. If you disassemble a MB and properly sand down the comb so that it is perfectly flat, you will notice how well it plays and sounds.
The key is probably flatness more so than whatever material you use to make a comb and wood sands down to a very flat surface. Sealing it makes it less flat and therefore sounds and plays less well.
If your MB comb swells when you play (only a small percentage do this) then it is useful to seal it. In order of importance to deal with this particular problem it's more effective to seal the outside (the perimeter) of the comb rather than the surface that is in contact with the reedplates. Sealing the other surfaces is effective, but less so.
I seal the whole comb on MBs I buy off Ebay - ones that were used forty years ago and are pretty gross in their current state.
I clean the insides of the tines with an abrasive pad and then apply a water-based varnish to the inside of the tines. They warp and take about a day to come back to proper shape. Repeat as needed.
I sand off the perimeter and if I want to paint it, I apply crafting paint with a Q-tip. Paint brushes are a waste of time and don't do as good a job. I usually paint the whole perimeter the same color - less work and I like the look...
If they have not been drilled, I drill them at this point.
I draw lines across the tines and sand until the lines are all gone. I take off as little as possible. I use at least 350 grit. Greater that 600 grit makes no difference and is a lot more work anyway; expensive too.
I then rub in a very small amount of water-based varnish with a my fingers (I wear vinyl gloves)and polish it in/off with a micropore dusting cloth. Repeat at least two more times and let it dry overnight.
Repeat the application as needed. You can even sand down again and re-apply a few more coats.
The advantage to a water-based varnish over butcher-block oil is that it doesn't smell and the stuff doesn't dry up. A can of Butcher Block oil will last me less than a month no matter how many combs I use it on or how well I try to keep it from gumming up. It's therefore too expensive.
Just another opinion - I hope it helps.
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Littoral
336 posts
Aug 09, 2011
3:42 PM
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Great info, all, thanks.
Arzajac, I bookmark all of your replies.
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