I stopped by to see my machinist on Saturday and watched him work for a while. He was making some wood Golden Melody Combs for me. Usually when we cut materials such as Aluminum, Brass, Corian or Acrylic, the machine pumps a steady stream of coolant on the cutting tools and material to keep it from overheating. That means we have to close the doors which obscures the view. With the wood, the coolant is not necessary so we can leave the doors open and I could make a nice clear video of the incredible precision on display. I am very fortunate to have a professional 3D Designer / Machinist, with 34 years of experience and this high end equipment at my disposal. The quality is just outstanding.
Hi Tom, next time you go watch combs being fabricated, be sure to bring a telephoto lens! I'd love to see the process close-up. What a cool video clip you've posted.
harpcrab - thanks for the kind words. Wish I knew who you are but can't tell from your bio. It's all good.
Here's a video showing four Seydel 1847 combs being cut - 2 Fancy Acrylic and 2 Corian. Lots of coolant on this one to prevent the Corian and Acrylic from melting.
Just having a quarter million dollar machine and knowing how to program it is not enough. The experience of your machinist shows in the chosen set up. The tines are cut on one side before the comb is cut down to thickness, making the material much more stable while the tines are cut. When the part is turned over and reduced to final thickness, the tines are stabilized by the vise, good planning. I sure there are other details I would miss if I tried to set this up. I know just enough to be dangerous!
Last Edited by STME58 on Oct 15, 2015 7:57 PM
STME58 - in another thread that is currently running about Custom Harps, there has been some discussion about "Trade Secrets". A lot of that is just being around for a long time. When you go through the process enough times, you make all the mistakes and you learn what to and what not to do. I've been working with him for 3 years and I'm more impressed with what he does every time I visit him. And I drop by 6, 8, 10 times a month. The shop is a 10 minute drive from my front door. The guy is an artist. I am blessed to have him in my camp. ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
Last Edited by florida-trader on Oct 15, 2015 8:11 PM
