[Harp-L] Embossing and Chamfering

[captron100@xxxxxxx]

Rick Epping wrote: When embossing for maximum performance I aim for a clearance of about
0.01-0.02mm along most of the length of the reed....snip.....After embossing, it's important to lower
the reed at its rivet end into the slot to compensate for the embossing having lowered the effective edge of the reed slot.

  Rick, thank you so much for your detailed info.  For us unfamiliar with the metric system, I looked up the metric conversion from 
millimeters to inches for .01 and .02mm:  01 mm = 0.000393 ";  02 mm = 0.000787".
 If you have time, could you be so kind as to clarify a few points?  
  We would like to know how you lower the reed at it's rivet end. 
  Thank you for the picture of your embossing tools.  The second one  I suppose is more accurately a "chamfering" 
tool since it apparently cuts a groove into the reed plate.  It looks like a thick needle which has 
been ground on a 45 degree angle to a point.  When using this tool, do you use some kind of guide along the reed slot or do you 
do as I do, which is to stuff a relatively thick feeler gauge under the reed and let the reed edge act as a guide?
  Thank you for sending the picture of your chamfering tool, which was made by grindingan old reed file, thereby turning it into a 
chisel.  The original link which appeared in your mail did not work for me, so I fooled around with it and finally got it to work.  
Hopefully this will show the link in a workable form: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dckkn2d6_32vjf4qr  .  With this tool 
I assume you run the chisel along the edge to remove metal along the reed's edge.  Can you please tell us what this 
accomplishes?  
  Again, thank you so much for all your valuable posts to harp-L and thanks in advance for your answers.
Ron (hoping my post appears legible, without extraneous punctuation marks and gobblygook)