Re:[Harp-L] Reed Wrenches?

[G <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Thu, 1 Jun 2006 16:54:46 -0600
From: "Paul LaBrier" <paul@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Reed Wrenches?
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx

> I am trying to gather the tools I need for simple harmonica repairs.
> The tool kits I find only have reed wrenches for their particular
> reeds.  I need a wrench for Hohner and Suzuki.  Is there anywhere
> these can be purchased or a website with DIY instructions on how to
> make them?
> Paul

I made mine from 0.008" feeler stock (stainless steel), you can buy a foot
of it from McMaster & Carr, also very useful for supporting thick low reeds
when tuning up.
  Cut off 1.5" for the reed wrench tool, use a rotary tool with a hard thin
abrasive disk to cut along the length of that to give you a width of 5/16".
 Use a file or sander or grinder to flatten and smooth that side of the
resulting rectangle of feeler stock.
  At this point its worth saying that you should good wear eye protection,
and solidy secure the parts you're working on so they don't fly off.

  The trickiest part is cutting out the area for the heel of the reed to
fit in.   For Hohner reeds it's about  1/8" wide 5/32" deep.  Use a scribe
to very carefully mark out the area on the feeler gauge. Have a reedplate
on hand. 
  Secure the wrench to be securely in a fashion that allows you to hold the
rotary tool with good support - for instance taped down with the end of the
wrench protruding over the edge of a table, and use the side of the table
to secure your hand while grinding.
  Then use the same rotary tool with hard thin abrasive disk to cut into
the middle of that area, then work your way out towards the edges of the
area you've marked out.   Check against the reed regularly, take your time,
be patient.
  For the last fraction of adjustment, before the wrench can just about fit
around the heel of the reed, use a fine equalling file (at least Swiss cut
2, 6.25" long, available from McMaster & Carr - very useful for tuning
thick reeds up, and shortening reeds), to make the last final adjustments
to the sides of the cavity, as well as squaring off the back of the cavity.
  You want to be able to fit the wrench all the way up the heel of the reed
to get a good solid hold.  You want a tight fit.  If there is slop, then
you risk damaging reed heel, and it makes fine adjustments more difficult
than it needs to be.
  A warning with reed wrenches, it's very easy to loosen a reed with too
much fiddling with the wrench, so keep that in mind.  That said I'm glad I
have mine on hand.

  For reed replacement, I subscribe to Pat Missin's methodology (altered
states, replace.txt) using a small hammer, 1mm punch, and a good solid
support for removing rivets, and a pair of 5" linesman pliers with the
cutting edge ground out for installing reeds.  It's cheaper to set up than
most alternatives, and with a bit of practice reaps consistant good results.
You can purchase brand new Hohner MS rivets by the thousand, they fit most
harmonicas, with the exception of models with thick reedplates, and some
care is required with Tombo products because their reed holes are slightly
wider.  That said I usually play Lee Oskars and replace the reeds in them
using MS rivets.
Cheers,
-- G.