Brother Phil
1 post
May 30, 2012
9:02 PM
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This will be my first post here although I have gleaned much good information from others posts. I have been working on my own harps for about a year now, mostly gapping, arcing and tuning reeds, but today I successfully replaced a 5 hole draw reed on a key of C Special 20, with a draw 4 reed out of a key of A. The replacement reed had to be shortened a bit and was more than a whole note lower than the F note it should be, but the harp plays as good as it was before the 5 draw blew out. I made a custom "anvil" to lay the reed plate on to punch out the reed out of several epoxied pieces of plexiglass, a rivet punch out of a 3 1/2 inch deck screw, and a reed wrench out of a .020 feeler gauge. It was just one of those harps that I really had set right and I hated to scrap the whole thing because of one bad reed. It's a great feeling and helps me appreciate the talent the "real" harp mechanics have.
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STME58
191 posts
May 30, 2012
9:35 PM
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Welcome to the world of harp repair. I have just started this also and I am 2 for 4 on successful reed replacements. My first success was also a 5 draw on a C harp (Golden Melody) that I replaced with a trimmed reed from an A Pro-Harp.
Just curious, do you have a background of repairs or tech work of other kinds? I used to be first a bicycle and then an auto mechanic an some of the techniques used in reed replacement seem to me to be similar to valve, points(I date myself) or bearing adjustments.
I can gap a read to turn a non sounding hole to a sounding one but I still have not gotten to where I can do a serviceble gapping for overblows.I am lucky that I have a few harps that overblow out of the box.
Last Edited by on May 30, 2012 9:35 PM
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Brother Phil
2 posts
May 30, 2012
10:10 PM
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STME58,
Truth be told, I've been taking things apart and fixing them since my youth. Bicycles, mopeds, cars, motorcycles, appliances, whatever. You name it, I have probably repaired it. I work in Facilities Management in NYC and Brooklyn, so I now I do repairs full-time. I was slower to start on harps because I really don't like doing repairs on really small things, besides the fact that I really can't see well up close any more requiring me to use the $5 magnifying glasses.
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STME58
193 posts
May 30, 2012
10:35 PM
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I suspected as much. Tinkering seems to be a broad based avocation. Most kids take things apart ot destroy them but I'll bet you were one of the ones who got them back together in working condition.
I use a machinist loupe. It really lets you see what you are doing.
Last Edited by on May 30, 2012 10:46 PM
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nacoran
5765 posts
May 31, 2012
3:05 PM
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Welcome aboard, and congratulations! Glad to hear the patient lived. :)
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Brother Phil
3 posts
May 31, 2012
9:35 PM
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Thanks for the info STME58. I know about the machinist loop (In years past I had a job running CNC Milling machines, and maintaining them, although I hated it because it was 3rd shift), and thought about getting one. If I get more serious, I'll break down and buy one.
Thanks also, nacoran.
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