Return-Path: Received: from relay23.mx.aol.com (relay23.mail.aol.com [172.31.106.69]) by air19.mail.aol.com (v40.16) with SMTP; Fri, 03 Apr 1998 06:09:25 -0500 Received: from smtp1 (smtp.snet.net [204.60.203.2]) by relay23.mx.aol.com (8.8.5/8.8.5/AOL-4.0.0) with ESMTP id GAA13440 for ; Fri, 3 Apr 1998 06:09:23 -0500 (EST) Received: from LOCALNAME (wtrb00-sh1-port49.snet.net [204.60.30.49]) by smtp1 (8.8.8/8.8.8/SNET-bmx-1.1) with SMTP id GAA18934 for ; Fri, 3 Apr 1998 06:09:20 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 03 Apr 1998 06:17:10 -0800 From: "Don D." Reply-To: mdestefa~net.net X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01C-SNET (Win95; U; 16bit) To: Bluesge~ol.com Subject: [Fwd: Reed replacement] Content-Disposition: inline Mime-Version: 1.0
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 22:53:05 -0800 From: "Don D." Reply-To: mdestefa~net.net X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01C-SNET (Win95; U; 16bit) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: harp~arply.com Subject: Reed replacement
Me and my big mouth opened a can of worms when I mentioned that I have come up with some alternate methods of reed replacement using the Farrells kit. Several Harp-Lers replyed and suggested that I post list wide, that there seemed to be some interest in what I had to say. Let me say first that my methods aren't any better than those suggested by Richard Farrell in the instructions with the kit, just different. Some may like his better, some may say mine work better. Mine aren't all that different, in fact they are different means to achieve the same end. I'll start first by saying that my day job for many years a while back was that as a dental technician. I used to fabricate crowns and bridges and all types of small dental precision attachments. So with this background, I'm quite at home working with very small, metal objects. A lot of what I do requires some skill in using a rotary tool or dental handpiece. The small rotary tool that Farrells sells or a Dremmel tool is perfectly adequate. Until one aquires these skills, they should first practice with old, unwanted harps before you go to work on your prized chromatic. I have found that it is just as easy to re-attach a new reed by just tapping the reedplate from the frontside (the side of the plate that the reeds attach to.) I usually use an O-80 tap and found that this works for most harps. I don't usually pre-drill the tap hole. I have found that the hole left by the rivet, even though a little tight, I can manage to get the tap through. Though it usually takes a couple passes of the tap to clean the threads through. It is important that you get the tap through, perpindicular to the reedplate, or the reed won't seat flush on the reedplate. I can usually do this freehand, but if you have access to a small drill press, you can chuck the tap into the press and spinning the chuck by hand to work the tap through the reedplate. Whatever you do DON"T USE POWER TO DRILL THE TAP THROUGH THE REEDPLATE. You'll ruin your tap and trash the reedplate in the process. Tap by hand only! I then use a 1/8" O-80 hex head screw to attach the reed to the plate. You can use a standard slothead screw but I find using a nutdriver on the hexhead screw gets a more secure grip. The hole in the reed will have to be enlarged to allow the screw to fit through. You can either use the file that Farrells supplys in the kit and do it by hand or the method I prefer which is much faster is to use a very small tapered dental bur in a rotary tool. Becareful, this method can work too fast! It will take a little practice to determine just how tight to torque the screw down. Of course, not tight enough, the reed will work itself loose. You can also use a drop of Locktite on the theards just prior to tightening. Too tight, and you'll strip the screw or worse the hole you tapped in the reedplate. If you do strip the reedplate don't despair, you can file out the old threads a bit and re-tap using a 1-72 tap and reattach the reed with a 1-72 screw. Presuming, you have attached the reed to the reedplate, you'll now notice you have a bit of the screw protruding out of the backside of the reedplate. On some harps you will not be able to seat the reedplate to the comb or on chromatics you won't be able to glue windsavers to the plate. I just grind the end of the screw down flush to the reedplate using a small heatless grinding stone in the rotary tool. This takes a bit of practice. Learning to grind metal items with a handpiece (or rotary tool) is an aquired skill but easy to learn. Best bet is to ask your dentist or a dental technician if you know one to show you how. I'll do my best to describe but it's easier to see it done. First (presuming your right handed) is to hold the handpiece with your four fingers of your right hand like you would grip a hammer except that you don't use your thumb. Many people make the mistake of holding the handpiece like they would a pen, don't you can't get proper control that way. You then hold whatever your grinding (reedplate, reed, etc.) in your left hand and brace your right thumb against your left hand. Use the four fingers of your right hand and move the handpiece back and forth as needed. Though it may seem awkward at first it gives you much more control over vibration. This method can be used also to grind reeds that are too long in length down to a proper size. Also, WEAR EYE PROTECTION! Now that the end of the screw is ground flush to the reedplate, you can glue your windsavers on or in the case of diatonics, attach the reedplate to the comb. Another variation of the Farrells method that provides a very secure attachment of reeds to the plate is to not file the rivet hole so the flathead 00-90 screw passes through it. Instead I tap it from the backside of the reedplate using a 00-90 tap. First I use the countersink to ream a recess for the head of the screw as described in the Farrells instructions. I then tap the hole from the backside of the reedplate and screw the 00-90 screw into the reedplate. I then attach the reeds as described in the instructions using a 00-90 nut. This provides a much more secure attachment for the reed and you don't have to worry about the screw falling out of the reedplate if you ever have to go back and remove a windsaver and replace a reed again. A thought on reed tuning using a rotary tool. Farrells recommends using a small round dental bur in their handpiece. I don't like them at all. They take off far too much metal too fast and much are harder to control. Also when tuning a reed down in pitch, using the bur at the base of the reeds can grind the metal unevenly, causing premature cracking and failure of the reed. I much prefer a rubber abrasive disc for reed tuning. It removes the metal much more evenly and slowly. It also has much less vibration on the reed as compared to stones or metal burs and I find it easier to control in the handpiece. Also when tuning reeds down in pitch, I don't usually tune any lower than a half step by grinding the base of the reed. I think taking too much metal off the base of the reed will cause it to crack prematurely. If a reed is more than a half step sharp, I'll use the drop of solder on the tip of the reed method and then grind the solder till I get the reed in tune. ` I think I've said enough now and hope I haven't confused too many. I'm sure we'll hear some other ideas and should anybody need a clarification on anything send a reply. I'll do my best to try to answer questions. I also would like to add that the Farrell kit is the best thing out there for anybody who wants to learn harmonica repair and it will be money well spent for anybody contemplating purchasing one. Well after all this typing I'm gonna get me a cold beer! Don D.
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