Re: [Harp-L] polishing reeds




On Sep 25, 2008, at 8:24 PM, John Kerkhoven wrote:


Can someone describe the method used to polish reeds and explain (near and briefly as possible) what the benefits are?

John

Sure. You take popsicle sticks and apply 6oo emory paper to the EDGES. I do it by taking 10 or so sticks and clamping then together coating the edges with contact cement, slamming them down on emory paper and placing a PWC battery (abt 22 lbs) on this overnight. Taking a Gem single edged razor blade, I slit them apart. then I gut the tips on a 45 degree angle and as the tips load up with brass, I keep snipping them to clean paper with side cutter nippers.


The reeds are bolstered up by placing a razor blade UNDER them, Between them and the plate. Then you rub ALL the scratches and mill marks out off of the reed surface. (note: the bottoms are usually already smooth, since milling and weighted tips are on TOP.

Benefit(s?):
1... removing brass makes the reeds more supple.
2... if you do the entire reed, the pitch will change little and is easily brought back into tune.
3... you may prevent a reed from fracturing at a tuning scratch.
4... your rubbing will round out the sharp corner(s) that are commonly at the juncture of where the reed shaft meets the rivet boss.
these corners are caused by the mill bit.


smokey sez "only YOU can prevent forest fires". This puts me under great pressure and a guilt trip and I spend a lot of time roaming the forests of North America with a fire extinguisher in the hopes that I am right there when lightning hits a tree.



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