Re: [Harp-L] Reed materials


On Oct 5, 2008, at 1:14 PM, Aongus MacCana wrote:

I seem to recall that someone reported on the list a year or two ago (about
the time that the Seydel 1847 hit the streets) that he had made a
replacement reed from a stainless steel Wilkinson Sword razor blade and that
when he played the harp subsequently nobody could identify the ersatz reed.

Ok, 2 points:
1... The maker of the reed was not the one who advertised doing it (at THAT time).
2... The maker never said that no one else could tell the difference. The maker said that:
a. The reed worked and sounded ok
b. The result was not worth the trouble
c. It was done out of necessity
d. The maker had made 2 reeds previously out of steel
I. A Gillette super blue (steel with acid blued finish)
II. A Schick copper clad (steel with anodized finish)
The steel reeds needed to have their edges coated with chap-stick to keep them from rusting and freezing up the harp.

The Wilkinson Sword was the third try at making a reed. Here's how you do it.
1... You cut a blank as wide as the rivet pad from one side of the blade. Then, using a needle nosed file, you cut into the blank about 1/8" (3mm) from the end of the blank until you have a smile or arc of about 1/3 of a circle. Then, using very sharp cuticle scissors, you cut the blank down further until it is slightly oversized in width. You go the rest of the way with 'slips' made from emory boards contact cemented to the edges of popsicle sticks.

The reason for the smile or curve is because you DON't want a sharp corner at the rivet boss. Fine f you have a fine operating machine, but not good to try by hand. Another way to do the pad is to cut the blank thinner and upon getting near the rivet pad, snip the sliver off with cuticle cutters but do it on a 45 degree angle. You don't want a sharp corner at the pad because you can't tell whether you have left a 'rip' in the metal.

Ok, how to drill the hole? After centering the reed in the slot, you mark the hole by tapping a needle THROUGH the rivet hole enough to mark the rivet pad on your blank. Then you need to tap on this mark until you raise a dimple on the opposite side of the blank. You could use a drill but it would have to be an 080 gage 'Jeweler's' sized drill. A ghard item to find and VERY expensive. If you DO use a drill, they are easy to break, so use Turpentine as a lube. But, a sewing machine needle will do the job.

After raising a slight dimple, you file OFF the dimple. Now you tap again, and again, and again. Each time you raise the dimple, you file. Eventually you have a pin hole in the metal. Then it's a matter of swaging that hole large enough to take a rivet. The last thing you do (size wise) is to cut to length. Tuning is last. It takes a LOT of strokes to remove any ss.

This is an idea that appeals to the cheap in me, although I think it is
extremely unlikely to be true.

This whole thing occurred when the maker was a teenager and didn't have access to a lot of fancy schmancy tools. Had absolutely NO access to anyone who worked on these things, The year was around 1959. Using things that were around the home via a mother and 2 older sisters. (Diamond fingernail file, cuticle cutter, emory boards, sewing machine needle, etc.) The maker provided the popsicle sticks....lol

The one thing that the maker DID have access to was a Jewish friend whose family had a jewelry store. The maker asked the friend's father a L O T of questions.

However if the gifted razor blade blacksmith
actually exists, it would be fun to hear how he did it.
Aongus Mac Cana

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