Reed Mill

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

Hi slidemeisters.

A few months ago I gave my little reed mill to Greg Dyer and sent it off to
NZ.  He finds that he doesn't have the time to work with it and is willing
to pass it along to someone else. It includes a lifetime supply of various
reed materials and some important accessories.

Be warned that it is not for you unless you have the following
qualifications:
1. A burning desire to make and experiment with reeds and various materials
for them.
2. Some ability and experience as a machinist.
3. A drill press and metalworking hand tools.

I have solved most of the problems of how to machine reeds to the necessary
tolerances for use in the harmonica.  Even so, the making of a reed is a
tedious and labor-intensive task, roughly equivalent to making a reed ten
inches long on a standard horizontal mill.

The mill was originally controlled by hand cranks.  I started to
computer-control it and got sidetracked by the HFC  before finishing the
project. It has stepping motors on the leadscrews but all the parts are
there to return it to the hand-crank state.  There are no stepping motor
drivers or computer interface.  There is a software NC program in basic that
you could use as a starting point.

If you are interested in having it, contact Greg G. <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
and make a case for your qualifications and intentions. He will send it to
whomever he thinks is most likely to use it well. The mill will be free but
the freight will be about $75 by water or much more by air.

Vern