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

["Rick Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ron;
        Thanks for that. Do you, or anyone else, think there would be
any value in embossing both sides of the slot. In other words, not only
the side of the plate where the reed is mounted, but the other side.
I'll try it myself when I get a break in the traffic; but it keeps
playing on my mind.
RD

>>> <Captron100@xxxxxxx> 22/06/2007 6:13:20 >>>
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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