From: BluesGe~ol.com Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 06:15:02 EST Subject: Re: A better gasket? (a long one, I'm afraid)
In a message dated 3/13/99 1:00:02 AM, RussGray~ol.com writes:
>In looking for a better gasket material what about just rubbing the comb >(the >flat part that is in contact with the plates not inside the chambers) with >wax. >I know this would not seal the comb, (I seal mine with urethane anyway) >but do you think it would work well as a gasketing method on wood combed >harps? Removing micropore can be a bore. Wax also sounds like it would >create a more airtight seal. you could even lightly fill the ridge that >the >cover plate fits into on the MB to seal that. If this is a viable gasket, >you >could lightly reapply a thin coat of wax whenever needed. What do you >think? >Would this be a good way to gasket or are there problems inherent in this >method?
Yes and yes.
Excuse me for jumping in. I've been researching the behavior of wax on stock Marine Band combs as a near full-time endeavor, for a few months now, and would like to offer some observations that would seem to be relevant to your method of urethane-sealed combs. Maybe you'll find something useful.
I apologize at the beginning, for the length of this letter. For those readers familiar with my earlier posts on waxing, I'll mention that I cover some new ground in this one.
First, for its pure gasketing benefit, beeswax is a very ideal substance. It is very flexible and workable at fairly low temperatures, has a tendency to respond under pressure of screwed down plates to mold itself to irregularities and flaws in the surface of the comb, especially as it seats over time. Further, it is sticky, and it flexes and stretches, so that, even if a comb is moving and changing shape slightly, it would tend to hold onto both the plate and the comb for a good longterm seal. One other happy benefit is that it is completely natural and edible. In short, beeswax is a very good gasket material for improving compression.
But, as the philosopher says, one's strength is also one's weakness. Because beeswax is sticky, I find that on disassembling harps gasketed with beeswax, especially harps that have been assembled and played for a long time (maybe several weeks), the wax likes to stick to the plate, with the potential to leave an uneven surface on the comb, where the wax has pulled away. Bearing in mind that the player will likely wash the plates while the harp is in pieces, thereby removing the wax build up, I've had a few laughs, when, upon reassembly of some of my early pock-marked experiments, I was holding a harp that had even more leaks than when I first unboxed it!
One tip you may find useful is to make sure that you diligently apply the wax in the thinnest possibly layer, while still copious enough to achieve your desired gasket effect, and as evenly as possible to minimize the effect just described. Keeping the wax layer thin will also help keep the wax where you want it, and keep it from traveling over the harp components and moving onto surfaces that you want to keep clean. Being sticky, beeswax attracts dirt, lint, and other contaminants.
Another consideration that leads me to suggest a thin wax coating, is (in the interest of giving the modified harp every chance of retaining the coveted MB sound and feel) the possibility that a thick gasket will change the way the comb and plates interact, with the potential for vibrational impact on the performance of the instrument, although I would hesitate to make any prediction about the chance for such acoustical effects.
Getting the wax into liquid state, either by heating, or by the use of solvents, or a combination of the two, is key. Also, it is necessary to keep the wax at a workable consistency, when you are creating your finish surface. (Caution: If you do use a solvent, check with manufacturer's MSDS to make sure that it is one that evaporates clean, leaving no residue, and do not assemble the harp until the solvent is completely evaporated. The thicker the wax coating, the longer it will take. Of course, use adequate ventilation, be extremely careful with volatiles around heat sources, and if using regularly, get a good respirator.)
Please don't be discouraged by this. I have a set of beeswaxed harps that I have been playing hard and maintaining for a few months now, and I don't really mind doing the maintainence. They play very nice and are worth the effort.
However, your urethaned comb is likely to present you with a very difficult obstacle to overcome. The wax may not adhere very well to a smooth surface such as a comb that has a urethane or laquer finish. You may even find that it sticks to the plate more than the comb. This can all get a bit messy everytime you take the harp apart, maybe even more annoying to some, than maintaining a harp that has been micropored. I find wax gaskets on wood combs are most stable and long-lasting when they are applied to unfinished and properly surfaced wood, where they can penetrate and bond to the wood pores and cells. You might at least try to scuff the urethane finish with some 320 sandpaper before applying the wax and see how that holds up for you.
For some tips on methods of applying the wax, you might check the archives. Some months ago, I posted some extensive step-by-step procedures that gave me good results, are very simple, and require no use of solvents. This was a series of posts that I made, over the course of a couple of weeks, that represents a detailed account of what I was discovering, what challenges I faced and how I was overcoming them at the time. I have gotten reports from several harp-lers that they have have had success with my methods, and I've even had a chance to see, firsthand, and play the excellent beeswaxed harps made by some of our friends using these methods. There were also some contributions by others on the list who were getting excited about using wax and suggesting other methods, too. So, this may be a good place to start. If you can't turn them up, I can search my old email archives.
If I may add a little commercial plug, and mention that I have undertaken a serious pursuit of formulating a beeswax-based finish and process that would provide the marvelous benefits of beeswax, at the same time eliminating the problems I encountered with the silly stuff. After about 300 hours of trial and error, and consulting with wood finishers, finish manufactures, raw ingredient suppliers, wood instrument builders, molecular chemists, and with great support from some knowledgable harp-lers, I have finalized my first finish and process for the Honey Bee. I am shipping my first prototypes next week, and if they are favorably received, and if I am happy with my final stress tests of the product, I hope to announce production very soon.
Please, wish me luck! But, even if I fail, this has been a wonderful period of discovery for me, and I have definitely found something I can at least use for my own harps and for those of my friends and students. Let me share a bit with you, doing my best to contain my excitement, and then I'll hit it and quit it.
This is where my wanderings have taken me. Using a process that combines various waxes and natural resins, including beeswax and bee propolis resin, along with organic cotton fiber to reinforce and texturize the finish (an acoustic consideration for compensating for the fact that finish-coating the insides of the comb partitions renders a smoother, more reflective surface than that of the original stock pearwood comb), I've arrived at a very strong, and stable wax-surfaced comb, that is resistant to mild soap and detergent chemicals, acids and alkalines, heat and cold, oil, ammonia, and maybe most important for barroom players, alcohol. Not everything holds against these things. You wouldn't believe how fast some substances dissolve in a glass of gin (melts in your mouth, not in your hands).
What's more, I am pleasantly surprised to find that the finish is water- resistant over long periods. (More on the stress tests, later.) I have also been able to find a way to prevent the air and moisture loss during heating. That was not easy. Lastly, the finish being waxed-based, I think that the comb still keeps the soft performance properties of the stock pearwood.
Other than the organic cotton, which I have yet to check on (what do you think, Barry?), the ingredients I'm using are approved by the FDA, either as foods, dietary supplements (the food-grade bee propolis I use has many traditional dietary uses), food additives, or as safe for use on utensils or as protective coatings for food.
Along the way, I have stumbled onto other ideas for products that may be of service to the afflicted harp player. I'm working on a non-oily, natural, wax "second skin" protectant that uses a cosmetic grade wax solvent in a formula to hopefully offer a solution for players who suffer from lip irritation and sensitivity.
Many discoveries were happened upon by accident. For instance, I got the idea for using fiber when I yanked a q-tip out of a dish of hardened wax. Fun, fun, fun...
