Re: [Harp-L] Wire EDM for reed blanks



EDM? Whats' EDM? Electronic Dance Music....google google....ah! Electronic
Discharge Material......? Yes? But what is that anyhow?

On 31 March 2016 at 14:44, Robert Coble <robertpcoble@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Wire EDM produces some of the most beautiful reed blanks that I have ever
> seen: beautiful square edges, slick as a baby's bottom. I had the privilege
> to participate (in an indirect and very minor way) with Vern Smith's latest
> (2nd) attempt to produce a reed-profiling machine. As part of that
> experimental process, I had test reed blanks made using wire EDM. Given the
> rather crude "brute force" approach that I used (the amount of material
> wastage was terrible), it was very expensive to make a reed blank
> (approximately $6.00 USD per reed blank). I did not "shop around" for a
> machine shop; I took the first one I found that would make the reed blanks
> to Vern's specification. The shop assured me that I could mass-produce reed
> blanks at a much lower unit cost, PROVIDED I wanted them in quantities of
> 25,000 or more. Uh, no thanks, this is an experiment, 150 will be more than
> enough for the experiment, thank you very much.
>
> Please note: this process produced reed BLANKS, NOT finished reeds. The
> only thing that had to be done to finish them (as if THAT were trivial!!)
> was to cut the profile into the reed blanks. As Vern indicated, that
> process (ultimately) was unsuccessful using his experimental machine.
>
> As Brendan noted, accordion reed plates are being made using wire EDM. I'm
> exploring a design for custom reed plates cut using wire EDM.
>
> Any harmonica machine shop gurus on Harp-L that might be interested in an
> experiment cutting reed plates using wire EDM?!?
>
> (Hey, it's my money and I'll throw it away if I want to; at least, as long
> as the wife lets me! )
>
> Back to the drawing board. . .
>
> Crazy Bob
>
>



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