[Harp-L] comb questions

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greg Hommert (please sign your emails--I find it makes it a lot  
easier to know who's writing and saying what than looking at the  
email address itself--thanks) writes:

"What material does Filisko and Sleigh use to coat/ seal their wooden  
combs?  If this is unknown information as to the exact material, what  
could be used to do this?"

To the best of my knowledge, neither Joe, Richard nor their partner  
Jimmy Gordon have ever definitively answered this question in  
public.  From what they have said, it is a form of urethane-type  
varnish which is labeled "child safe".  Essentially any clear sealant  
which is designed for children's toys should be fine as these are  
specifically formulated to allow for ingestion.  Though, usually not  
for the extended periods of time which harmonicas are played.  Still,  
it's about as good as you can expect.  Of course, it doesn't have to  
be clear, in case you want to be more colorful.

Greg further writes:

"What type of wood is traditionally used in wooden comb harmonicas?"

I believe the type of wood Hohner has used (thus the most  
"traditional" in the US market at least) is pearwood.  I'm not sure  
if this is still the case, but pearwood was what the wood was  
called.  Exactly what pearwood is, and if this is a specific or a  
generic name (ie, "poplar" and "pine" cover a lot of ground) is  
something I couldn't say.

"Any opinions on possibly superior alternatives?"

Most plastic, various metals, wood composites (what Fillisko, Sleigh  
and Gordon use on their highest-end models) any relatively non-toxic  
hardwood such as African blackwood or perhaps densely grained maple  
not necessarily in that order depending on what criteria are being  
considered.

Paul R. writes:

"Most people use Beeswax to seal combs. If you look in the Harp L  
archives there are lots of posts on how to do it.
Some people use french polish and others use polyurethane varnish as  
well. But the general consensus for the best job it seems is Beeswax."

Seeing as how the general consensus is that the Fillisko Guild is the  
highest end of harmonica costumizers and they specifically don't use  
beeswax, it would indicate to me that this contradicts the last  
sentence.

Beeswax will do it, however it does have some distinct negatives (and  
these are in the archives).  First, it does burn, and more than one  
person I know has burned themselves trying to seal combs with  
beeswax.  Of course, this can be done safely, but it's something to  
consider (and personally I'd ask myself if I wanted to bother with  
the effort compared to just using a varnish).  Second, it can melt  
out of the comb.  Now, most people won't get their harmonicas hot  
enough for this to be an issue, but, again, I'd rather avoid it.   
Third, some people do have a contact reaction to beeswax, and even if  
you don't have such immediately, contact reactions can develop over  
time with repeated exposure.

If I were making combs I would consider the material first and what  
properties are best for the job (hard, inert, easy to work, etc...),  
then address whatever issues come up secondly.  If it is a wood or  
wood-composite which needs to be sealed, I would then look at what is  
the easiest and safest way to go.  A good quality varnish designed  
for objects which are intended to go in the mouth (kitchenware,  
toddler toys, etc...) will probably be a bit more expensive than a  
chunk of beeswax, but a lot easier to work with and do at least as  
good a job, if not better.  To me, ease of work is a big part of it.   
I don't know how long it takes to seal a comb with beeswax from start  
to finish (melting wax, sealing comb, letting comb dry...) but I do  
know that I can apply varnish from a paint can over the surface of a  
harmonica comb in no more than a minute.



 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()   & Snuffy, too:)
`----'