[Harp-L] Poor man's embossing station, with appropriate thanks

[Captron100@xxxxxxx]

A quick thanks to harp customizer, Joe Spiers, for his post on  harp-L about 
a year ago, re how to make an embossing work station.  I've  created my own 
simplified version which has enabled me to make vast  improvements in the 
playability of my harps, simply through improved embossing.  
For my embossing tool, i use a small 1/4 inch drive extension with a  small 
socket (i use a 5/16 inch socket), but Joe suggested the ball tip if a car  
antenna as an alternative.  My embossing station is simply  a small cardboard box 
(Shure microphone box, actually), in which i  have cut with a razor knife a 
small rectangle about 3/4 wide x 2 inches long in  the flat bottom of the box.  
For a light source, I use a small night light  on an extension cord.  I lay 
the night lite on a hard surfaced kitchen  table, then overturn the box on top 
of it.  Once I place a  reedplate, rivet side up, on top of the light under 
the  rectangular opening in the box, I get a great view of the tolerances 
between  reed and reed slot (strong reading glasses and magnifying glasses help a 
lot  too).
My procedure has been to finish gapping first, then  emboss.  After viewing a 
reed slot, I lay the plate on the sturdy hard  surfaced table next to the 
box. If it looks like there's a big tolerance at  the free end of the particular 
reed, I first attend to the  free end of the slot, being careful not to 
over-emboss the sides at this  time.  
  After embossing the end of the slot, I attend to the length of  the slot.  
I take ONE run at a time with the socket tool, on the upper half  of the reed 
slot only, then plink with my thinnest feeler gauge (.002"),  then view thru 
the results with the embossing station light. The plinking  will audibly reveal 
and metal to metal contact.  I also play the reed by  putting the slot up to 
my mouth and inhaling (thanks, Rupert). The first thing  to hang up is a reed 
catches on a side of slot.  At this point, i take my  Bill Rommel reed wrench 
($5, thanks, Bill) and I center the reed in it's  slot.  Then i observe the 
tolerances again and take ONE more swipe with my  socket tool, before plinking 
and observing again.  Doing one swipe at a  time saves a huge amount of hassle 
trying to free an over-embossed  slot.  The reason I only emboss half the 
length of the slot with  the socket tool because embossing the slot with this tool 
near the root  will mash the rivet down and ruin your gap.
  For reducing the rest of the tolerances toward the root end of the  slots, 
i use a trick from Rupert Oysler's Harp Repair and Maintenance CD/DVD  ($65. 
thanks, Rupert) -- I take a glass cutter and VERY CAREFULLY  score along the 
sides of the slot towards the reed's root.  A slip at this  point may result in 
the ruination of the reed.  When i finish a  careful embossing like this, my 
harps immediately play more  responsively.
  I'm not a professional customizer, so any comments  and suggestions are 
welcome.
ron 
 



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