[Harp-L] Re: Reed Measurements (Request For Information)



Sorry, I don't have any more information on the process used to roll wire
into reeds.  Many of the 19th Century harps' reeds had narrower rivet pads
than do modern harps, and I don't know that it makes any significant
difference to the harp's performance, so the diameter of wire you use would
be determined more by the properties of the material, and the material will
have to be something chosen from all the available, off-the-shelf metals you
can find, be they sheet for punching or wire for rolling.  You should look
more to the desired final thickness of the reed blank you roll, as the more
you reduce the wire's thickness by rolling, the harder the material will
become.

Just for interest, an 1885 book I have by Ernest Spon entitled, Workshop
Receipts contains recipes for various brass and other alloys.  The 1883
edition appears to be much the same and is available here as a pdf download:

http://www.wkfinetools.com/mLibrary/Spon/1883-WorkshopReceipts/1883-WorkshopReceipts.asp

The brass alloys are on page 10 of the book (page 14 of the pdf).  Page 11
has two recipes for tombac, an old name Hohner used for its chromatic reeds.

Best regards,
Rick

On Thu, May 19, 2011 at 2:30 PM, Robert Coble <robertpcoble@xxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:

>  Rick,
>
> I am amazed by my own ignorance of the history of harmonicas. I don't play
> tremeloes, so maybe that's why
> I had never heard of the William Thie harmonicas. I did find a patent
> rejection dated June 14, 1870 for Thie.
> The patent application and appeal was for "Improvement in Harmonicons." The
> justification for rejection of
> the patent and appeal was that the same idea was utilized in the organ with
> the "voix celeste" stop.
>
> Do you have any additional references or information regarding the initial
> size of wire that was used or the
> design (patents?) of the rolling machines?
>
> I never considered rolling out a reed blank from brass wire simply because
> I had not known the history. I also
> would like to try materials other than brass (phosphor bronze, stainless
> steel), which makes a punch-and-die
> set seem more attractive. But I certainly do appreciate the additional
> possibilities for using brass wire!
>
> Thank you!
> Crazy Bob
>
>
>
> Rick Epping wrote:
>
> As an alternative to stamping out reeds, you might consider rolling, a
> method used by 19th Century manufacturers prior to the introduction of
> stamping.  Brass wire was rolled down to the thickness and width of the
> rivet pad, then the sides of the reed tongue were cut to the desired width,
> I would guess by using a nibbler. One advantage to this method is that the
> reed is subjected to less stress and possible strain than it is through
> stamping.   The cost of tooling up for rolling would also likely be far less
> than that for stamping.  I have studied and played harmonicas with these
> reeds, particularly by the Viennese maker Thie, and found them to be equal
> or superior to most modern instruments.
>
> Rick
>
>



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