Re: Blu-Tac WAS:Re: [Harp-L] Re: Harp-L Digest, Vol 103, Issue 2

[Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robere the great. Not meaning this in a bad way but it has been my experience that when working on a used harp, the reeds will get a coating of oil on them. This is coming out of your circulatory system and everyone has it. To greater or lesser degrees. My Polish side is dry but my Italian side is more oily. Now you, (probably Aglo Saxon, fair haired, et al.) are probably towards the dry side..BUT you still put out film. The blu-tac has a hard time sticking to it. So just like when doing fiberglass work, you have to clean the reed. I would suggest heavy duty alcohol, or acetone. 
Acetone is an organic natural compound already found IN the human system. Alcohol is chemically safe as well. Both in these minute amounts are fine. So wipe down the reeds and the blu-tac should work.

Last night I completely took apart a Hering chromatic and found it to be coated with the aforementioned film. Even super glue had trouble adhereing. So I cleaned the plates in a solution of one pint of water and 5 drops of muriatic acid. (10 drops of citric acid...i.e. lemon juice would also work). Then I scratched the wind saver area with an emory board and everything worked fine. After tuning and gapping and some wind savers, the chromo plays as good as new. Ha..maybe even better.

hope this helps...   running across the tracks in front of a train is never going to be the same as running DOWN the tracks in front of a train

smo-joe




On Mar 2, 2012, at 1:06 AM, Robert Hale wrote:

> On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 11:30 AM, Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> 
>> Blu-tac is an inexpensive material (less than $10 for enough to modify
>> pitch on hundreds,
> 
> 
> I tried to work with blutack because of the many
> positive experiences written here. BUT I couldn't get it to adhere to the
> reed. Suggestions?
> 
> Robert Hale
> Learn Harmonica by Webcam
> Low Rates, High Success
> http://www.youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL <http://www.youtube.com/user/DUKEofWAIL>
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