Perhaps this is a non-issue, but I just flat sanded (600 paper) a wooden MBDeluxe comb for the first time, and to my surprise it actually seems to make a rather big difference. The otherwise smurky 1OB on my Bb popped right out (and 2 and 3 OB too, and 10bb -b is controlled etc). I also tightened the screws harder (perhaps a good tip?: I bought a better fitting screwdriver :) ), so that might be part of the improvement.
I've been reading about sealing, and I noticed that a lot of people find it tricky to seal absolutely flat. Another disadvantage of sealing is that the wood isn't porous anymore (this has been discussed often, but to me it sounds warmer without a sealant). Obviously sealing makes the harp more constant. But a comb that has already expanded lightly from playing that is made flat after that surely won't expand like crazy?
So that's why I thought: isn't it better to flat sand your comb every once in a (very long) while (if it expands at all) vs sealing it?
What do you think? Is this a lazy thought, or is it justified from a technical point of view?
its better to always seal your comb. cause it will expand sideways between the teeth too. and forward past the reeds cutting your lip up. depending on how long you play on one harp. ----------
Completely sealing any piece of wood will assure much more dimensional stability, particularly wit a piece of wood that gets hit with so much moisture and goes through such radical changes in relative humidity (playing vs not being played.)
I don't have experience working on harp combs, but I do have a quite a bit of experience as a professional woodwind maker. If it were me, I'd sand the comb flat, seal it with multiple coats, then flat sand again, being careful not to sand all the way through the new finish. After that you shouldn't need to mess with the comb again, assuming you've haven't missed any spots during the sealing process.
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, just like finishing an automotive paint job. I assume you'd go with progressively finer grits, ending at maybe 1000 or 1500....or is that overdoing it?
What do you recommend for a sealer product? Obviously it needs to be "food safe". I usually play only with plastic comb harps but I do have one of those extended range Hohners with a wood comb, which I have to play very sparingly -- due to my "wet" style of play I guess. But I would like to play it more.
Last Edited by on Nov 26, 2011 12:32 PM
@FMWoodeye - I would focus more on getting the wood smoother and and then the finish will lay flatter to begin with and require less sanding. Keep in mind that unless you have a REALLY flat surface to sand on (Machinists Slab) and excellent control, the more you sand, the more likely you are to start taking off material unevenly. So, lots of sanding of the finish coating to a really fine grit is likely to mean sanding through the finish completely in spots, unless you go HEAVY on the lacquer.
We sanded our wood all the way down to 1500 grit, and any end grain gets wetted between sandings. That results in wood smooth enough to get a glass like finish with your lacquer, without much work, should you so desire. We had an unusual finishing process that wouldn't be practical, or even totally possible, with harp combs so if it were me, I'd probably sand the comb progressively to 1000, then lacquer, sand lightly with maybe 600-800ish, then maybe a 1000, and finally repeat once or twice depending on how thick the particular lacquer goes on. That's just off the top of my head, real world often throws curves your way requiring significant deviations from the plan, lol.
As for what lacquer to use, again we used an unusual company formula mixed up in the shop. Proprietary info I'm not in a position to divulge, but it wouldn't be worth messing with just for combs anyway as it was designed to be used in a complicated and time consuming sealing process. Messy as all get up too. Sooo, any food safe salad bowl sealer should do. I know harp tech Kinya Pollard has recommended Zinsser "Bulls Eye Shellac", which I have heard of other woodworkers using as well.
I don't think it's true that you need to seal every comb. Some combs won't swell, some will. It depends on the tree. A flat sanded comb plays best and that's probably because it's as flat as you can get it. And by the way, I can't tell a difference beyond 600 grit sandpaper. I use 400 grit most of the time because it's faster and if I really want that extra bit better, I finish with 600 grit.
I think finishing a comb makes it less flat, but I have had good success by massaging the water-based varnish on and then polishing it rather than applying it with a brush. I use very small amounts and apply several coats. Less is more.
Finishing the inside of the tines is a good idea since that surface doesn't need to be flat and is the most susceptible to humidity problems.
Yeah, I've done some polishing of aluminum, some painting of motorcycle parts and finishing of rifle and shotgun stocks. I know what you mean by less is more. You reach a point of diminishing returns and can even set yourself back.
