Subject: [Harp-L] Repairs

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Gail writes (snipped):
 
....."I finally took it apart after reading several harmonica repair  sites.  
There
were 2 tiny hollow plastic or rubber pieces that seemed to  be just floating
around inside the works.  I got it back together and  the slice works fine,
but I didn't get those tubes in.  They surely must  go around a screw for
increased air tightness , but I couldn't get the plates  back on with them
around the screws.  The direction I am heading is that  I had an old 10 hole
chromatic in my harmonica grave yard that had some stuck  notes and a stuck
slide.  I took it apart to carefully study it and  learn more.  Good news, I
cleaned it in warm water as I read to do and  it appears that I repaired it.
My Super 64 seems fine, but has a very slight  wheeze.
I was thrilled to get the 10 hole revived.
Less technically  challenged Gail"
 
Hi Gail: 
 
 I'm thrilled you took the plunge  Yaay!  for us technically  challenged 
folk!  I thought we did talk about those spacers  offline.  If not, that was my 
mistake.  The spacers are the last part  of the mouthpiece assembly -- and I 
don't believe are only for air-tightness --  they're there to allow the slide to 
function smoothly and properly.  I  bought an old chrom without them and the 
slide just won't work.  The long  screws holding on the mouthpiece go into the 
spacers and then into the holes --  remember my telling you that was why my 
old chrom had to be put back together by  the pros at Buckeye?  - precisely 
because I didn't lay out the parts of the  mouthpiece correctly (well I did but 
the cats got into it when they saw those  tempting little bouncy toys <g>) -- so 
then I had no idea what the order  was either.  Jimmy Gordon and Richard 
Sleigh were amazingly gracious and  helpful in putting that harp back together for 
me - it was an especially  difficult one because the pin was extremely short. 
 
 Your spacers are going to have to be reinserted properly to  help the slide 
operate efficiently.  The ones I took out of my old  chrom were narrowed at 
one end -  if you look at yours it will give you an  indication which end gets 
pushed down into the screw hole. So I'm afraid  it's OFF with the mouthpiece 
assembly once more.  Then lay at least the  first plate back onto the harp and 
either use tweezers to place the spacers down  into each hole through the gaps 
in that plate, or - do what I saw someone do at  Buckeye -- insert pieces of 
toothpicks through the spacers down into the holes  just to hold them in place 
while the rest of the mouthpiece is placed back  atop.  The last plate should 
hold them in place (admittedly this is tough  to do one-handed because it's 
such a big harmonica) so I ended up wedging it  between my knees  (hey -- 
whatever works!)<g> then carefully remove  the toothpicks and put the screws back in 
place.  I managed to put mine  back together with just the tweezers and 
screwdriver.  It takes a bit of  maneuvering (and occasionally some bad language, 
lol).  I'm  thrilled you're moving on to the other old chrom though -- we'll 
muddle through  this together, my friend.
 
Elizabeth