[Harp-L] Re:Embossing (was Big Rivers)

[Snaruhn@xxxxxxx]

Richard Hunter wrote about embossing the slots and ron tried that too
and asked whether that should be done before or after gapping.

Hmmh, I think that embossing the slot is a measure to decrease the 
gap = distance between reed tip and slot wall, so, ron, I don´t understand
what you mean by "gapping". Then you wrote:

< My reed started to stick at the end and it took me a half hour to fix it! >

Yes, that can happen. Here´s an alternative to embossing I used when
making wholetone chromatics. The reeds of a solo-tuned chrom become
linearily shorter to the higher notes unlike a wholetone harp. These reeds 
become shorter as usual because of the missing enharmonics and double Cs.

When making a 10-hole wholetone chrom with 3 octaves by using reedplates
of a 16-holer and starting with the lowest C the gaps finally become several
mm. That´s of course too much for embossing the slot walls. So, I used a
2-component metal paste and filled the total distance between reed tip and 
slot wall at first and then, after hardening, cautiously filed the gap. 

The obvious advantage: I can make the gap extremely small. Since the reed
tip doesn´t touch the slot wall you can use any material to narrow the gap.

Finally you wrote:

< .....embossing is done on the side of the plate the reed is affixed to, >

Aaah, that´s not a good idea. It should be done on both plate sides. Why? 
When embossing only one side you logically diminish the gap only on this 
side. You understand what I mean?

When the reed comes down the gap is optimal only in that moment the reed
is in line with the plate surface. But when the reed swings through the slot 
the 
gap becomes bigger too fast. 

Years ago, we discussed this phenomenon on the list and agreed that the 
best way to keep the gap constant as long as possible is to chamfer either
the reed tip or the slot wall.

Anyway, besides the off-sets the gaps are the other crucial factor of 
influencing
the responsiveness and all works to diminish them pay off.

Siegfried