Tom585
105 posts
Sep 09, 2019
1:02 PM
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Awhile ago, Brendan Power, our master harmonica innovator, came up with a great way to reduce air leakage in harps using finger nail polish. It seems fast, easy, cheap and you don't have adjust the harp in any way. I haven't tried it yet. If you've tried it, what are the results?
What would we do without Brendan!
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Maraboy
93 posts
Sep 09, 2019
8:59 PM
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In fact, Brendan used a car scratch correction pen as far as I remember, mara
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John M G
326 posts
Sep 09, 2019
11:34 PM
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Hi Mara, most definitely was Nail Polish and he recommended a specific brand that was not readily available here in Australia that I had my friends in the UK send out to me. It's Hot Designs Nail Art Pens.
Like you Tom I haven't got around to trying it out yet but not far away. I've got a few old Lee Oskar reed plates and I'm going to have a go at salvaging the good reeds and using the old reed plates to try building a couple of double reed plate Lee Oskars. I'll do some reed work and burnishing and see how it all goes then.
Last Edited by John M G on Sep 09, 2019 11:35 PM
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Philosofy
922 posts
Sep 10, 2019
6:21 AM
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I bought some, but haven't tried it yet. Its called "Hot Designs Nail Polish". Its actually a nail polish pen, made for doing those fancy designs on nails.
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florida-trader
1447 posts
Sep 10, 2019
8:43 AM
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The topic of this post is slightly misleading or perhaps the OP has misinterpreted the information Brendan posted and his use of the nail art pen. Certainly no offense intended. I have used it and it and, in fact have made it part of my standard practice when building Overblow/Overdraw harps. So, please allow me to clarify.
For starters, it is indeed nail polish and not automobile paint. Harp builders have been using nail polish for many years. It is a common practice. Some guys use wax. The nail art pens are just an easier and more precise way to apply the nail polish. I do not believe that Brendan intended to be brand specific. I just went to my local Walgreen’s Drug Store and bought a couple of them. They cost about $7.00 each. My guess is that they are readily avaialble anywhere nail polish is sold.
OK – so now that we have that straightened out, how are they used? The title of this thread is “Fingernail polish to close gaps”. I am probably splitting hairs, but I would phrase that a little differently. The nail polish is used to seal leaks at the base of the reed. The word “gap” when used in reference to a harmonica reed plate generally refers to the space between the tip of the reed and the reed plate. You close gaps by gently flexing the reeds and actually bending the metal.
By definition, there has to be enough clearance in the reed slot for the reed to freely swing through it. In order to improve the responsiveness of reed plates, custom harp builders emboss or burnish reed slots. Essentially, we move the edges of the slots closer to the middle thus reducing the amount of space between the reed and the slot. The idea is to eliminate leaks. It is a delicate process. The right amount of embossing makes a harp more responsive. Too much embossing will make the slot too narrow - preventing the reed from playing at all.
Even when you emboss the slots and adjust the gap at the tip of the reed, there are still leaks at the base of the reed. Customizers will reduce the leaks by bending the base of the reed into the slot. The end result is that instead of the reed sitting on top of the reed plate at the base, it is pushed into the slot and then the rest of the reed is adjusted to produce a gap which allows air to flow through the slot. The issue with this practice is that it de-tunes the reed 20-30 cents flat. Then you have to raise the pitch of the reeds to bring them back into tune. The situation is further complicated by the fact that when the reeds settle, within a few days, the tuning will drift – usually sharper. This means that you have to allow the harp to rest for several days, check and adjust the tuning and repeat the process until the reeds have completely settled. If you have ever wondered why custom harps are expensive, this is a big part of the reason. It takes a lot time, skill and effort to build them. In a manner of speaking, you first have to make them worse in order to make them better. Two steps backwards and five steps forward.
Brendan’s idea is very simple and clever. Instead of reshaping the base of the reed so it sits inside the slot, he uses the nail polish to raise the edge of the reed plate. The effective result is similar, if not the same. You eliminate the leaks at the base of the reed. The advantage of using the nail polish instead of bending the reed is using the nail polish doesn’t de-tune the reed. It takes less time to finish the harp and have it be in tune.
FWIW, I still press the base of the reeds into the slots, AND I use the nail art pens. It is simply an easier way to apply the nail polish which I had previously been doing with a brush.
So, to sum things up. It would be inaccurate to say or think that you can apply some nail polish to the base of the reeds and have that produce a better harp. It could have some positive effect, but the nail polish is just a small part of the process. The tiny leaks that are present at the base of the reed are most noticeable when playing overblows and overdraws. The leaks will often produce a high-pitched squeal. A little dab of nail polish at the base of the reed is often all that is needed to eliminate that squeal.
Hope this helps.
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Tom Halchak
Blue Moon Harmonicas
Last Edited by florida-trader on Sep 11, 2019 7:18 AM
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Tom585
106 posts
Sep 10, 2019
1:33 PM
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Very helpful, Tom, including about using the correct terminology.Thank you. The only issue I've had is finding the nail art polish. I don't see it in stores. But I've never bought nail polish before so maybe it's me.
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Philosofy
923 posts
Sep 10, 2019
4:08 PM
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Here's a link to Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HPZI5CS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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florida-trader
1448 posts
Sep 11, 2019
7:15 AM
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Tom585 - I would venture to say that if you ask a technician at any of the nail salons they would be able to tell you where you can find nail art pens. They certainly know where to find it.
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Tom Halchak
Blue Moon Harmonicas
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snowman
490 posts
Sep 11, 2019
8:14 AM
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I tried it awhile back---must keep tip clean and preferably new--otherwise messy--i didn't have acetone near by
suggest a small shotglass with acetone and paper towels nearbye-it dries on tip FAST-Since it operates and flows by pushing tip in---if clogged, then u start pushing harder and longer to get it to flow---which can be messy-
on the video it flows even and neat-think brendons had practice with it--- and or Im a hack
PRACTICE FIRST ---maybe on old harp-to get even flow without having a big spot at starting point--when it starts to come out---
Like spraying with an airless [keep the tip clean and MOVING]
if u leave the tube laying around too long it becomes gummy and doesn't flow well
hope this helps
Last Edited by snowman on Sep 11, 2019 8:15 AM
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ROBERT TEMPLE II
83 posts
Sep 13, 2019
3:32 AM
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I tried this awful, off-brand. It smelled/tastedputrid, took it off right away. I will stay with dental wax, never a problem on dozens of reeds for two years now. The brand I tried was Sassy + Chic 3N1. I might try the brand Brendan suggests if others maybe report favorably on that brand later.
https://www.depop.com/products/sh0pping-sassy-chic-3n1-nail-2/
Last Edited by ROBERT TEMPLE II on Sep 13, 2019 4:20 PM
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WinslowYerxa
1651 posts
Sep 16, 2019
9:17 AM
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You can draw the reed slot edges in near the base of the reed without pushing the base of the reed down into the slot and without using added substances such as nail polish, wax, etc.
If you're lucky enough to own Dick Sjoeberg's embossing tool, use that. Otherwise, a router blade will work fine.
Support the reed by placing a shim between the reed and the slot, and then drag the blade along the slot edge, outward from the base of the reed. The butt end of the blade can run along the edge of the reed without changing the reed metal, but be sure not to push the reed out of alignment by pressing laterally instead of vertically.
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Last Edited by WinslowYerxa on Sep 16, 2019 9:18 AM
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