Re: [Harp-L] Treating reeds for stress

["Dan Berger" <dberger1@xxxxxxxxxx>]

What you're doing is annealing the metal, or softening it.

I used to do some blacksmithing and you soften  the metal by heating it and 
putting it in a bucket of ashes and allow it to cool slowly.

The opposite is tempering- heat it and cool it fast in
water- this hardens it but can make it brittle so you
have to know what you're doing (the color of the metal
is the key)  Knife makers can tell you about this.

Dan
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Payne" <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Harp L Harp L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 1:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Treating reeds for stress


> On a molecular level, the stress is kind of like putting a jigsaw puzzle 
> together and puting some of the pieces in backwards.
>
> Dave
> ____________________
> Dave Payne Sr.
> Elk River Harmonicas
> www.elkriverharmonicas.com
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Cliff Hall <12barz@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 1:22:24 PM
> Subject: [Harp-L] Treating reeds for stress
>
> My metallurgical education is zilch. Could somebody explain for any of us
> who might be similarly impaired what the "stress" in the reeds actually
> consists of? Is it some kind of difference in molecular arrangement? What
> kind? Is it measurable? So far, it seems to be relieved by baking but
> also by freezing. I wonder if playing Mozart to the reeds might help? Or
> maybe some "smooth jazz".
>
> Cliff
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