[Harp-L] more on combs

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tim Moyer wrote:

>Generally, when sealing the stock harmonica comb, most of the
>original finish remains intact, and the new sealer is applied to
>the "raw" surfaces -- the mating surfaces for the reed plates, as
>well as the inside of the channels, and any new raw wood that might
>be exposed through finishing.  The amount of this area that actually
>comes in direct contact with the skin is minimal.

Ah, but few things come into contact the way a harmonica does.  It's  
good to remember that salad bowls and cutting boards generally aren't  
rubbed across the mucous membranes repeatedly for minutes to hours at  
a time.

Now, I doubt most people will have a reaction to these sealants, and  
they are what I would use and what I've been happy having used on  
harmonicas made for me.  But it's something to be aware of--no wood  
sealant is really designed for use in harmonicas and probably not  
tested for the specific problems of such.  That's why I wouldn't use  
exposed wood for the areas which come into contact with the mouth,  
myself.  Actually, Tim says something similar here:


"Marine Bands currently use pearwood -- the wood of the pear tree --
though in the past they've used peachwood (wood from peach trees).
These woods are generally free of heavy grains, low in knots, grow
quickly in cultivation, and have the added benefit of allowing
producing fruit!  It's easy to mill, and is light and fine grained."

Thanks for the clarification.  I was not aware that peach was used in  
the past.  I would point out, though, that fine grained doesn't mean  
not porous (noting that Tim neither said nor implied such a thing).   
The wood of MB comes is very porous when you consider the desired  
usage--ideally a denser wood such as maple would not swell to the  
degree that pearwood (and perhaps peach--though I'm not sure I've  
ever played MBs with peach) do, which is, frankly, ridiculous.

Further:

" Doussie is
somewhat more dense than pearwood and has a somewhat stronger grain
pattern.  As a result, it's slightly more brittle to mill, but is
not as suceptible to moisture absorbtion than pearwood.  "

And thus a much more reasonable choice, IMO.  Ease of milling is  
important, but I think the swelling is more important.  Certainly my  
lips have in the past (when I've played stock MBs).


"If not a tonal difference, then what?  Wood certainly looks nice,
so, why not pick the nicest looking wood?  Aside from that, I'd say
that plastics and metals are more dimensionally stable and are
cheaper and easier to form than wood.  They each have their own
problems, however, and the choice of comb material tends to be
highly personal among players.  Be aware that some woods can cause
highly alergic reactions in people, so you can't choose a wood
solely on it's appearance (cocobolo, ebony and mahogany, among
others, are known to cause skin rashes)."

A wonderful paragraph.  In the end, there is no practical reason to  
choose wood aside from the ease of purchase and the ease of work.   
Many plastics score as well on the later category, and not much worse  
on the former when one considers the neccessary qualities of the wood  
needed.


" As to the possibility of a contact reaction to
beeswax, this is highly unlikely.  Beeswax is used in a number of
common cosmetics, and carries no material warnings for skin
contact.  What's somewhat more common, however, is the beeswax
acting as a sensitizer for reaction to other materials.  "

I refer you to this page:

http://www.sciencestuff.com/msds/C1298.htm

Particularly this:  "Avoid long term exposure to skin or by  
inhalation."  Which is a wonderful definition of the act of playing a  
harmonica.

Finally, I refer all to Lynda Shemansky's excellent post on this  
subject several years ago, which alas I cannot find at the moment but  
remember from the actual time.  Mostly I remember it because unlike  
the rest of us who comment on this issue, Lynda is actually a  
chemical engineer with years of experience in the cosmetics industry,  
so she actually has a valid opinion  based on experience and study  
and not just conjecture, unlike myself.




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