eebadeeb
45 posts
Nov 02, 2012
5:07 AM
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If I sand a Crossover comb to flatten it, will I be ruining the moisture seal? Is the sealant applied to the part of the comb against the reedplates?
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HarpNinja
2853 posts
Nov 02, 2012
5:39 AM
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It depends. First, bamboo is really dense and unlikely to swell. Second, not all the XO combs, IME, are noticeably lacquered. If you are really concerned, I'd sand and then spray with lacquer to be safe.
Honestly, I've found that sanding the draw plate really really helps and if I were to use a stock comb, which I pretty much never do, I don't spend much time sanding it (this is when it comes to the harps I personally own).
1. I am lazy with my personal harps.
2. It is hard to not make the comb look dirty.
3. Flat sanding the reed plates and deburring the screw holes goes a long way.
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Mike
OOTB Harmonica Price List
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arzajac
875 posts
Nov 02, 2012
5:59 AM
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I don't like the flatness of any stock comb. Some of them are close, but not perfect. I flat sand them and then apply two coats of water-based varnish.
I don't spray it on or use a brush - that would ruin the flatness. I tip the container of varnish to wet the inside surface of the container and touch the surface with my finger tip (the inside wall of the varnish container). I rub that small amount of varnish on my finger onto the surface of the comb. I "massage" it until it gets tacky and then use a clean cloth to polish the varnish into/onto the surface. It should shine and be dry to the touch immediately.
Repeat on the other side. Flip the comb back over and do it again to put on the second coat. Let it "dry" overnight.
It takes practice but that's how I seal a comb with varnish while keeping it perfectly flat. The inside of the tines don't need to be flat, so varnish can be applied beforehand with a brush if the comb is completely unsealed to start with.
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Last Edited by on Nov 02, 2012 6:00 AM
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GMaj7
137 posts
Nov 02, 2012
6:55 AM
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It is probably fine like it is, but if you really have doubts, lay it on a hard flat service like marble and see if it rocks or if there is an apparent high or low spot. I bet there isn't.
Possibly around the screw holes, but you can knock that down with an emery board and keep moving. You can also assemble it without the covers and look up into the light to see if there are any gaps. This is where you might see the reed plate problems.
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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arnenym
86 posts
Nov 02, 2012
3:19 PM
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I sand all my combs. If they be flat enough the moist don't come in between the comb and the reedplate. And if they are sealed good from the beginning the sealing has going in to the wood deep enough to be left even if you sand the comb just as much it be flat. After that i sand the draw plate. I file the cover straight and do it tight between reedplate and cover at the side you play it. Do this and a gapping and you have a very good harp.
Last Edited by on Nov 02, 2012 3:22 PM
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
1400 posts
Nov 02, 2012
9:11 PM
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Yes, you are sanding sealant off. Here's a list of cons.
Disadvantages to not having sealed sides:
1) None.
I did a lot of experiments on comb soakage. 99 percent of moisture that gets in a comb is from the tip of the comb teeth. From the sides, it's nothing. the only swelling you will ever get is if you leave it soak in a glass of water or something.
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David
____________________
At the time of his birth, it was widely accepted that no one man could play that much music so well or raise that much hell. He proved them all wrong.
R.I.P. H. Cecil Payne
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arzajac
876 posts
Nov 03, 2012
9:53 AM
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I disagree Dave. While the inside surface of the tines take the brunt of the moisture exposure, some humidity does make it's way to the surface between the reedplates and the comb. And this is so on every harp I have looked at.
For example, I have two Jimmy Gordon harps, one Michalek and one Spiers that I am cleaning up for someone and I just checked - even on these top-of-the-line high-end harps some moisture makes its way there.
Now on these harps, that doesn't make a difference since the combs a sealed.
But I do work on harps and use unsealed combs sometimes (out of laziness). After a few minutes of moisture on the flat surface of some of these combs, they can swell and affect flatness. I notice this not so much by outright airleak but by a change in tone, loudness and ability to hit overbends and even some bends cleanly.
On a really bad comb for example, one whose tines pop out at the smallest amount of moisture, I have found the tines still bend out of shape and pop out when the flat surface is left unfinished. But not every comb is that bad.
But maybe I'm just very picky. Maybe it's not all that significant in a general sense and some combs are not affected at all, but I notice it quite definitely. It's enough of a problem for me that it's a lot less work to just finish all combs and be done with the problem.
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arzajac
877 posts
Nov 03, 2012
9:58 AM
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The other thing I wanted to say was about the sealant seeping into the comb. Well, that depends.
If you are sealing the wood with something like butcher block oil, then yes, the sealant seeps into the wood and taking off a thin layer of wood will not unseal the comb.
But if it's sealed with a varnish, well, a varnish protects the wood by becoming a barrier to moisture. It sits on top of the wood, so if you sand it off, you are exposing wood. Most furniture is finished with multiple products, such as an application of varnish which is then lightly sanded down and another product like wax for example is applied on top. That's a way to get a wooden coffee table to have a mirror finish.
Is it unreasonable to polish in some wax or something similar onto a finished comb to add an extra layer of protection?
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Last Edited by on Nov 03, 2012 10:00 AM
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
1405 posts
Nov 03, 2012
2:07 PM
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Sorry about deleting the posts. I was arguing this and then decided, in the grand scheme of things, it's not that big a deal.
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David
Elk River Harmonicas
____________________
At the time of his birth, it was widely accepted that no one man could play that much music so well or raise that much hell. He proved them all wrong.
R.I.P. H. Cecil Payne
Last Edited by on Nov 03, 2012 2:08 PM
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arzajac
878 posts
Nov 03, 2012
5:19 PM
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I guess I missed your post. I don't see this as an argument - I only said I disagree with you. That doesn't mean I am right. Clearly we have observed different results from the same scenario.
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
1406 posts
Nov 04, 2012
2:43 AM
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My contention was that if the comb were flat and the mate is flat with the reedplate, there is very little moisture that will get in through the sides and that a little moisture is not a bad thing.
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David
Elk River Harmonicas
____________________
At the time of his birth, it was widely accepted that no one man could play that much music so well or raise that much hell. He proved them all wrong.
R.I.P. H. Cecil Payne
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