Re: [Harp-L] Re: Soldering Reeds

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

Masking the area to remain free of solder with pencil is a great idea.  It is probably more effective than using flux to delineate the boundaries of the soldered area.  If / when I solder again, I will use both...belt and suspenders!

I would not have thought of pencil in 100 years.  The internet in general and Harp-l in particular are wonderful.  A good idea disseminated worldwide in seconds.

Vern
Visit my harmonica website www.Hands-Free-Chromatic.7p.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: rick epping 
  To: Vern Smith 
  Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 12:51 AM
  Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Soldering Reeds


  If I'm adding a massive amount of solder to lower the pitch by, say, a fifth, I'll apply a line of graphite using a soft lead pencil on the surface of the reed at the point where I want the solder to end and along the edge of the reed to help prevent the solder from flowing where it is not wanted.  Someone on harp-l passed on the suggestion some years ago to apply the pencil marking on the surface of the reed and an attendee at a workshop I once gave in Trossingen thought of the idea to add the graphite along the edge. 

  Best regards,
  Rick

   
  On 4/9/07, Vern Smith <jevern@xxxxxxx> wrote: 
    My experience is the same as Rick's. The mass of the reed is so small that
    it assumes the temperature of the much-more-massive solder and iron almost 
    instantly.  The flux is the key to getting the solder to flow and stick, not
    pre-heating.

    I also agree with Rick that there is little danger that a soldering iron
    will overheat and anneal the reed.  The iron is just not hot enough to do 
    that.  The danger in taking too long is that the solder will flow over the
    edges of the reed and have to be laboriously scraped away to avoid
    interference with the edges of the slot.

    I recommend a brief, deft touch with a small drop of molten solder hanging 
    from the pointed tip of a small soldering iron at the center of the area
    where flux has previously been applied.

    Vern
    Visit my harmonica website www.Hands-Free-Chromatic.7p.com 

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "rick epping" <rickepping@xxxxxxxxx>
    To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
    Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 3:01 AM 
    Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Soldering Reeds


    > I prefer not to heat the reed before applying solder.  I've found that a
    > reed has so little mass that the molten solder itself will usually heat
    > the 
    > reed sufficiently within a second or so to bond.  This way, the reed is
    > less
    > likely to become overheated in the process.  I don't know if it's even
    > possible to overheat a reed with a soldering iron - Vern might be able to 
    > answer this one - but I think it takes a little less time and might be
    > safer
    > to let the solder heat the reed.  I would guess that any overheating from
    > a
    > soldering iron would not be high enough to affect a reed's temper but 
    > might
    > be enough to detension the reed and cause a temporary drop in pitch.
    >
    > Best regards,
    > Rick Epping