Re: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Embossing

["Blake Taylor" <taylorb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

O.k. -    Made my first attempt at embossing last night - used a penny
and rubbed it with some force, using the curved edge, up and down the
slot.  Didn't see a great deal of difference visually (I was trying it
on a sp20).  Obviously the reeds needed to be re-gapped. After
regapping, I gave it a blow, and noticed a buzz in some of the reeds.
I'm guessing I may have overdone it on the embossing. Any ideas /
suggestions?

 - Blake

>>> "Blunt White" <playharp@xxxxxxxxxxx> 11/03/05 8:40 PM >>>
I have recently used the tip of needle nose pliers. They are easy to
grasp 
and the outside of the tip has a nice round shape and is very hard.  It
also 
permits working each side independently of the other.  I smoothed the
plier 
tip with crocus cloth.  I have also found that one or two light passes
on 
the edge of the reed slot before starting with 320 on a sanding stick 
removes the burrs that often drag and catch during the embossing
process.

Tim what size socket head do you use?

Blunt White
Banker by day, bluesman by night


>From: "Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re:  Re: [Harp-L] Re: Embossing
>Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 13:17:02 -0000
>
>Vern Smith wrote:
> > If I were to make an embossing tool, I would chuck a 6-inch length
> > of 1/4" diameter steel rod in my drill press. While it was
> > spinning, I would file the end into a hemispherical shape, then
> > polish it with 600-grit sandpaper and then crocus cloth.
>
>I personally prefer a cylindrical, rather than spheroid (or
>hemispherical) shape for embossing.  A cylinder, with a slightly
>smoothed edge, will allow the embossing to work closer to the tip of
>the slot.  Embossing with a sphere can only get so close to the tip
>before the ball starts to contact the tip of the slot.  I use a
>stainless steel socket.  Of course, a cylinder has to aligned
>properly with the slot.
>
>I also prefer something somewhat larger than 3x the slot width.  The
>socket I use is probably 10x the slot width.  I use fairly subtle
>embossing on the harps I customize, having found that extremely
>tight tolerances can result in an extremely bright and brassy tone.
>
>-tim
>
>
>
>
>
>
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