Subject: Subject: [Harp-L] Reed Wrenches?

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

I got a nice response back from Bill Romel about my request to  post the 
information he'd given about  reed replacement here.  Besides mentioning that he 
believed  he was still a Harp-L member so it'd be perfectly ok to repost here, 
he  added the following comment on reed wrenches:
 
Elizabeth
 
" One thing you may mention is that reed  wrenches are not a standard item 
and they have to be made unless someone  knows of a source.  I make my own but 
having one for each  manufacturer would need someone to make them for the 
person.   

Bill"
 
.....  so that pretty much leaves us  with G's instructions on how to make 
your own from feeler gauge  stock...I have acquired a neat kit of cobbled 
together tools for my harps,  but this goes well beyond my meager abilities...so  if 
anyone out there wants to start making (and selling) them....I'm  sure they'd 
find some ready customers  :)
 
Here is Bill's original post:
 
"Bill Romel"  romel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon May 29, 2006 5:58pm(PDT)  
Subject: Re: Reed replacement 

I find it troublesome that any  harmonica tech or  instrument modifier would
present information  that discourages players from performing simple
maintenance on their  own instruments.  Replacing a reed on a diatonic or
chromatic  harmonica is a relatively simple technique and it does not
require any  sophisticated equipment. 
Equipment can be obtained from most any  hardware store or can be purchased
for a few dollars from persons  technically competent to make the tools.  A
bar of steel about 2  inches wide and perhaps an inch thick with a hole
drilled the size of  the rivet head will suffice. 
Two pins made of steel, one with a sharp  point and one with a flat head
will work very well.  A small ball  peen hammer and some spare reed plates,
or today you can purchase new  reeds from your Hohner district office.  All
Hohner reed plates  use reeds that are the same in width, that eliminates
one  problem.  Hering has reeds that are within a fraction of a  thousandth
of fitting on a Hohner plate if necessary.  Run  a  small diamond file along
the slide of the reed just once on both sides  and you have a replacement
reed from a Hering.

I advocate the  rivet reed replacement method.  Nine out of 10 times it
works  perfectly.  The tenth time there is usually a problem with  reed
alignment but you can solve that problem with a screw. 
The key  to the rivet method is removing the reed used as a replacement
from a  spare reed plate without removing the rivet.  Not a problem. 
Set  the rivet head in the hole in the metal block and tap the rivet on  the
opposite side gently with your ball peen hammer a few times.   The rivet
will move.  Turn the plate over and grasp the head of  the rivet with a
needle nose pliers and gently twist back and forth a  few times and the
rivet will release with the reed attached.
It  works every time.

Once you have obtained the reed you  required,  Remove the old reed that is
fractured or broken from  your working reed plate.

To install the replacement reed,   place the reed plate on the metal block
and place the sharp pointed pin  into the receiving hole and tap it once
with the hammer.   Why?  It will spread the sides of the rivet hole outward
just a  very small amount without distorting the hole  and allow you  to
start the new reed and rivet into the hole in the plate.  You  may be all
fingers at this point. 
Once the rivet has been started  in the hole slide a thin shim under the
reed so it will not fall into  the slot and will remain relatively straight
while you tap the rivet  into the plate with the flat head steel pin and
your trusty ball peen  hammer. 
The reed will be loose in the hole.  Next is to set the  rivet as my
machinist friend use to say.
Turn the plate over  and place it on the flat surface of the metal block
so the rivet head  is flat on the surface.   If the shaft of the rivet  is
protruding in the opposite side of the plate, then we must flatten  it out
with the flat head steel pin. 
Turn the plate over and lay  the head of the rivet on the metal block. 
Hold the plate steady and  with the flat head pin resting on the protruding
rivet body strike the  pin a few times until the rivet is flat.
. Now we will set the rivet  with the sharp pointed pin.  Place the point of
the steel pin on  the rear end of the rivet as close to the center as you
can.   Secure the reed plate and steel pin with one hand and strike the
sharp  pointed steel pin about two to three times with the hammer.   This
will cause the body of the rivet to expand  sufficiently to  be tight in the
hole. 
Check the reed to ascertain that it is secure  and tight.  You may have to
align the reed with a reed wrench and  generally you will have to do some
touch up tuning.

Thirty years  of experience and trying all methods has convinced me that
this is  still the best method of reed replacement.  Granted there will  be
times when a screw is necessary due to misalignment but it is the  rare
occurrence.  I like the 0-80 Phillips Round Head stainless  steels screws
for this problem.  Just tap the plate and drill out  the reed it is done in
a few  minutes.
Regards,
Bill"