Re: [Harp-L] Bolt on Reeds

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "samblancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2006 5:32 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Bolt on Reeds


> As long as people are talking about bolting on reeds can anyone tell these
> two things: 1 what size of bolt do you use to do this and 2, if R Farrell
> isn't around where can you get them and  get the little nit driver you 
> need
> to put them on? The size is important as I have no idea abut the sizing of
> those things.  It seems you'd need a punch that size too to knock out the
> rivet and all.

Farrell used a flathead 00-90 screw inserted from the back side with a nut 
over the reed.  This requires countersinking the far side of the plate for 
the screw head and a special driver for tightening the nut.

I have used 0-80 screws with the head of the screw on the reed and the rivet 
hole tapped.  This requires an 0-80 tap and a pin vise to hold it.  An 
ordinary tap wrench is too big and klunky.  The rivet hole can be tapped 
without any diameter change.  The hole in the reed must be enlarged.  I 
tapped the hole in the reed, then tightened a SS screw in the hole until it 
stripped the brass threads. This also requires grinding off the part of the 
screw that protrudes from the far side of the plate.

For a punch, I have used a short piece of  #68 drill rod chucked in my drill 
press.  You need a piece of material drilled to accept the head of the rivet 
to back up the plate.   The place where the hole is in the backup needs to 
be raised about .020 so the reedplate doesn't bridge on the adjacent rivet 
heads and cause the plate to spring downward.  It all gets complicated.

I have also used a C-clamp-like press of my own design to force the rivet 
out. It all gets a little complicated.

One of the German websites has tools and tutorials for replacing reeds.

You can get most of the hardware from http://www.mcmaster.com/

Vern