bazzzzou
20 posts
Jul 22, 2010
7:24 AM
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What do I have to use to seal a wood comb ??
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arzajac
293 posts
Jul 22, 2010
7:54 AM
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Maybe other can add some details to this.
I think the oldest solution is to melt some beeswax and dip your comb into that, then polish it off and let it dry.
The disadvantages to this include:
1- It may cause flakes of wax to obstruct your reeds in the future.
2- The wax may melt and pool if the harp is left in a hot place (like a car).
3- Some people may have an allergic reaction to beeswax.
4- you can burn yourself when handling melted wax.
I have never tried that.
I have used Butcher Block Oil (salad bowl oil).
Sand your comb flat and smooth. Remove all dust and dunk the comb in the oil. Wipe it off very well and let it dry for 3-6 hours. Repeat two more times. Wipe off the oil very aggressively to reduce the amount of sanding you will have to do when you are done. Let it dry overnight. You will need to sand it again to make it flat, but you want to try to take off as little as possible. You can tell if you have taken off too much if a drop of water will seep into the wood instead of beading.
It will take a few weeks for the smell to go away.
The butcher block oil will gel in the container over the next few weeks. I had to strain it out every time I used it. I had to discard the rest of the can after about a month.
I have also read about using a water-based polyurethane to coat and seal the comb. I read that you may need to apply one coat of lacquer to prevent the wood from warping when you do this.
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Stickman
376 posts
Jul 22, 2010
11:01 AM
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I used to be an advocate for bees wax but have had one too many problems with arzajac disadvantage # 2. It always happens when I'm playing with people. Never when I'm practicing. I will probably use bucher block oil in the future.
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The Art Teacher Formally Known As scstrickland
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jonlaing
13 posts
Jul 22, 2010
12:03 PM
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So, you basically just dunk it in there? Nothing more complicated than that? I'm just making sure because I'm about to seal my first marine band, and even though I'm totally prepared to ruin it, I would prefer not to.
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barbequebob
1034 posts
Jul 22, 2010
12:13 PM
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Generally before sealing, you want to sand that comb so that it is completely true and flat first, making sure all the saw marks are gone and the use a polyurethane based sealant. Beeswax can be quite dangerous to work with and on top of that, it is NOT totally impervious to moisture and a polyurethane type sealant will tend to do a better job.
Harpwrench, who happens to be Joe Spiers, one of the very best harp customizers in the business, should be in here to help and I think he also has some videos on You Tube you'll find helpful.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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Stickman
377 posts
Jul 22, 2010
2:32 PM
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@jonlaing
I no longer seal with bees-wax. but when I did I posted these instructions on another thread. I hope they help. and don't leave your harps in the hot summer sun or in the car. The wax will melt and seep out of the comb and jamb your reeds. I would recommend using Oil, but if you choose to use bees-was the following instructions will get you there.
"I use bees wax and am happy with it. It is easy and NOT very dangerous, as people tend to believe as long as you are attentive and know what to do if things go wrong. IF the wax catches fire RUN! no don't run, don't panic and DONT use water. Cover the pot with a lid and remove from heat with a hot pad and be careful not to spill it on you.
Here is what I do.
1 Buy a block of bees was or even better get some from someone who keeps bees.
2.Get a tin baking tray (like you might use for a turkey except smaller)
you can use a pot from the kitchen but that might be dangerous if your wife finds out.
3. Put wax in tin dish and place on stove.
4. Set the burner for no more than MED. DO NOT SET THE BURNER ON HIGH unless you have good homeowners insurance.
5. while you wait for the wax to melt, sand your comb on a flat surface. Do this in the kitchen so as to keep and eye on your wax. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR WAX UNATTENDED.
6. as soon as the wax has melted reduce heat to LOW and drop comb in melted wax for about 30 sec.
7. remove with a toothpick, let cool and repeat step six until the comb stops bubbling or at least the bubbling reduces substantially.
8. Turn stove off and use a pairing knife to scrape off excess wax from the top and bottom of the comb and between the tines, Make sure to remove all excess wax flakes before you reassemble, as they can get stuck in your reeds.
9. clean up. forgetting this step might be dangerous too.
I have never set fire to my kitchen, burned myself or had to reapply wax. As long as you don't cook on High or carry the hot wax around you should be fine. This is no more dangerous than using a barbeque grill (I have seen how much lighter fluid you people use)"
I would also suggest scraping as much excess wax off the comb as possible.
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The Art Teacher Formally Known As scstrickland
Last Edited by on Jul 22, 2010 2:37 PM
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Silvertone
31 posts
Jul 22, 2010
5:18 PM
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Does anyone use mineral oil to seal combs? It is safe to use for wooden items that contact food and doesnt evaporate. Im lookin at a vacuum food sealer and think if a comb was sealed under vacuum it would have much better penetration than a quick dunking or a surface coating of anything else. just a thought.
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chromaticblues
163 posts
Jul 24, 2010
5:05 AM
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Yes I do! Mineral oil isn't a sealant thou it's a wood treatment oil. It's a preservative actually. You can buy food grade mineral oil. I was told that it really doesn't matter, but I did it just to be safe!
It is along drawn out process that I don't have time to explain. So I'll just answer your question! I soak the comb for a week then wipe it off real well then sand it. Put a light coat of Bert's beeswax chapstick on top before I put the blow plate on. Then do the same to the bottom and the draw plate. Then seal the outside with butcherblock.
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PaulM
38 posts
Jul 24, 2010
5:19 AM
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Is sealing the comb really necessary? Looking at adjacent / previous posts on how good the old vintage MBs sound makes me curious as to whether this process is worth the effort.
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chromaticblues
164 posts
Jul 24, 2010
5:33 AM
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It's for people that love the MB sound, but not the wood swelling and warping. It makes the harp more air tight and easier to play! Honestly thou, I've tried other harps because it's alot of work. I just keep going back. IMOP it is the best harp made!! You just have to figure out how to make it useable for you personally! That is the hard part! If you don't know why someone would do it. Then you don't need to do it!
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PaulM
39 posts
Jul 24, 2010
5:41 AM
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You're probably right. I have fallen in love with the MBs. I started out on LOs, and have just completed replacing them all with MBs. I've begun replacing the tacks to make them easier to clean / tweak, but will probably not seal the combs unless driven to do so by noticeable changes in tone.
I do however, have one MB that is a bit snaggle toothed. I may disassemble that one and sand down the snaggle toothed portion of the comb.
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jonlaing
21 posts
Jul 25, 2010
9:59 PM
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Hey guys, I'm wondering two things.
1) I was able to pick up some salad bowl conditioner/sealant. What is the procedure for applying this to a MB comb?
2) I've so far played one MB in my life, and I was pretty underwhelmed the more I played it. It seems like with some heavy modifications it can turn into an amazing instrument, but can't that be said for every OOTB harp around the same price range? I dunno, my first impression of the harp was that it was leaky, out of tune, and quiet as compared with my Seydel Blues Sessions. Of course these are things easily fixed with a bit of tweaking, I guess I just don't see why so many people are die hard advocates of this particular harp. I'm not saying that it isn't a great harp, I'm just wondering what it is that other people are seeing/hearing, that I'm apparently not.
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bazzzzou
21 posts
Jul 25, 2010
10:27 PM
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Thanks for all these informations!
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chromaticblues
165 posts
Jul 26, 2010
5:59 AM
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Hey paul sand it down before you take it apart. That way it will all line up when you put it back together! When you get it apart take a small fine file and file 45 Degree angles on the inside corner of ever tooth(both sides). Just take a little off. Just enough to get rid of the cheese grater thing!
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
508 posts
Jul 26, 2010
8:04 AM
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I had a cast iron skillet of beeswax back when I used b-wax for sealing. Babysitter found the skillet. She thought it was bacon grease that had been saved and she fried green beans in it.
You'll find a lot more people who "used" to use beeswax than actually do it. First time you accidently get some hot beeswax on you, you may well be going immediately out for butcher's block or salad bowl finish or something. That stuff is like napalm.
I could deal with all the wierd quirks. What I could not deal with was how disgusting a beeswax-sealed harmonica can get. It gets all green and nasty. The only way I know to clean it then is to bathe it in hot beeswax.
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www.harrisonharmonicas.com
"There are only two things money can't buy - true love and homegrown tomatoes." - Lewis Grizzard
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ness
268 posts
Jul 26, 2010
8:23 AM
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I had seen so much about beeswax here that I gave it a try on an old junker. I didn't get burned, or have any real issues doing it.
But, I did have to sacrifice the container, because I could never get all the beeswax out of it.
There's a tackiness to the comb when sealed with beeswax -- seems to collect stuff. I'm in Dave's 'used to use beeswax' category. Next time will be some kind of poly-based stuff.
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John
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