[Harp-L] new embossing tool

[cscharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Apparantly my first post did not come through for some reason, so I will Start over.

I went to Michals's Arts and Crafts to buy some LSU colored paint for an old Thorens I am working on, and I stopped by the Stencil Department, and saw a little tool set called "Embossing Stylus Set", Part Number SET-RD90.  It was $4.95.  It consists of 3 Wood handles with little chrome balls on the end of metal rods, sort of like the tuning fork ball, but much smaller.  They range from .5mm to 3mm. There are 5 balls in all.  I bought one and started fiddling with an old reedplate, and this is what I have decided to do.

I took a .0011 feeler gauge, and ground the end of it flat.  I put the feeler guage on the reed parallel to it and against the pad and close enough for whichever ball I use to rest on the feeler guage, and one edge of the slot.  I then make a few firm strokes to emboss one edge.  It does not seem to push the reed into the slot, I think because of the thickness of the Feeler Gauge. I was able to get a clearance of a tight .0001", which is the thickness of the security strip that we all seem to be using.  And with the smaller balls, I can go all the way up to the pad.  

I think it is going to work just great.

Harvey Berman