Re: [Harp-L] Altering reed slots

[Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

I have not ever shortened a slot, but I would approach it in the following way.

- Find a reedplate having a slot of the desired length.
- Place a piece of masking tape over the reed and slot. Better yet...remove the reed before placing the tape.
- Turn the reedplate over.
- Build a well around the slot with masking tape.
- Spray the well and slot with parting compound.
- Fill the well and slot with silicone rubber.
- Cut with an Xacto knife around the reed so that the rubber will come out of the slot. Keep the knife out of the slot.
- Clean the slot to be shortened with alcohol so the epoxy will stick.
- Insert the rubber mold in the slot to be shortened.
- Be careful not to touch the inside of the slot where the epoxy will go with the rubber mold that is coated with parting compound.
- Fill the unwanted length with epoxy.
- Remove the rubber mold.
- File/sand away any epoxy protruding above the surface of the plate.

The silicone mold can be saved and used repeatedly. 

You can get the silicone rubber and parting compound from MicroMark and the epoxy & tape at the hardware store.
It isn't cheap, but you must be highly motivated to attempt this in the first place.  ;o)

Good news: A minimum order of silicone rubber will do a very large number of slots.
Bad news: Silicone rubber has a shelf life of less than a year.  So get busy!

I predict that the slot will be very close to the desired length and only a tiny amount of filing (if any) will be required.

It might work!

Vern

On Aug 9, 2010, at 10:44 AM, joe leone wrote:

> On Aug 9, 2010, at 11:15 AM, Gary Lehmann wrote:
> 
>> Just reading a little Pat Missin and read about altering reed slots to
>> accomodate shorter reeds . . .
> 
> How? with solder? liquid steel? aqua mend? set screw? It would have to be something that can take a HARD sharp edge. For the air splitting,
> 
>> Do anyone reading these words alter their reed slots?
> 
> yes, but mostly I lengthen the slots, not shorten them. All it takes is a .10" square tapered file.
> 
>> Seems like (I am now realizing) that tunings like the one Michael Rubin
>> proposed a few months back, with bass notes on top, would be fairly doable
>> if one were to alter the reed plate (now why did I not consider that that
>> was possible?) . . .
> 
> You haven't worked with metal?
> 
>> Why, you could even manifest the "ska tuning" as proposed by my buddy Grant
>> Osborne, where all reeds were tuned to the same note . . .
>> If you needed a hobby, that is . . .
> 
> OR, you could find a life.  lolol
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> G
>