Re: [Harp-L] valve problems! need help!

[Michelle LeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Vern Smith contributes:
> You guys just can't bear to let a fellow keep a proprietary secret.
>
> I clamp half of a one inch wide strip of Ultrasuede between two pieces of very flat steel with many 10-32 bolts pulling it together.  There has to be over a thousand PSI of pressure.  Then I cook the whole thing for about half an hour in an oven at about 250 degF.  Then I apply fabric guard waterproofing to the half that is not compressed.  Finally I cut the strip into valves.  See...nothing to it.
>
> The compressed part is thinner, stiffer, and springier.  The uncompressed part retains its soft texture and cannot become wet.  I claim that it is the perfect valve.  Used against a waxed reedplate, it eliminates sticking, popping and rattling.  If you don't believe it, send for some free samples and try them for yourself.   Then report your results...good or bad...on Harp-L   Hey...they work for me.
>
> Now that you have the "formula"  and can make them for yourselves, will anyone be interested in buying them from me???
>
> There, SSSOB, goes my dream of becoming rich and famous as the valve king of the chromatic universe!
>
> Vern
>    

As always, Vern displays his sense as the superb mechanical engineer he 
is. Thank you once again, Vern for your generosity in sharing your 
remarkable skills and experience.

Personally, I've been waiting for PT Gazell or Brendan Power to chime in 
on this thread, as they are both expert Ultrasuede valvers. World 
travelers that they are, I suspect that they are incommunicado right 
now. In their absence, I'd like to humbly mention what I've learned 
directly from PT, whom I think learned from Brendan. Interestingly, in 
contrast to Vern's method, PT doesn't go to the trouble of heating and 
compressing the Ultrasuede or treating it with fabric guard. Nor does he 
wax his reed plates as far as I know.

When I learned to half valve from PT several years ago he was using a 
tiny dab of DAP Weldwood Contact Cement to glue the tip of the valve 
over the rivet end of the reed slot. He then cut his valves a tad short 
of the opposite end of the reed slot, leaving about 1 - 1.5 mm or so of 
the end of the reed slot exposed. I don't know why he does that, so I 
haven't felt the need.

One practical tip I can offer is that I have found that cutting the 
strips of Ultrasuede with a roller-type fabric cutting wheel avoids 
problems I have encountered in cutting them with scissors. Cutting them 
with scissors can tend to impart a twist across the short dimension of 
the valve and a slight curl to the long dimension. Using a fabric 
cutting wheel doesn't do that, so while you are at the fabric store, you 
might think about picking up a wheel-type fabric cutter. Using one also 
makes cutting perfectly uniform widths of the material a snap. I cut 
long strips of the material holding the cutter against a steel rule and 
then cut the strips to the desired lengths for each of the reed slots.

I follow PT's valving method precisely except that I cut my reeds so 
that they do cover the end of the reed slot. I play my set of 
half-valved Suzuki Promasters a lot and have not experienced ~any~ 
problems with the valves sticking or curling. I don't use any special 
method of warming the harps with a heating pad or the like; I just warm 
them in the palm of my hand for a couple minutes before I start playing 
like I do with any harmonica. (I think the Promaster metal combs help 
conduct the heat through to the reed plates.) It just seems to me that 
the porous nature of the Ultrasuede material is part of the magic that 
makes it ideal for valving harmonicas. Doing anything to change that 
seems counterproductive to me.

Of course, my experience valving with Ultrasuede is limited to 
half-valving diatonics, but I don't feel there would be any particular 
or unique issue that would make it any different with chromatics. Bottom 
line, with all due respect to Vern's sage advice, I'd first try using 
plain, carefully cut strips of Ultrasuede to valve your chromatics. No 
doubt, Vern's method is sound, but IMHO going to the length of making a 
special compression jig and baking the material to compress it and then 
treating it with fabric guard may not be necessary.

I usually make it a rule to avoid even mentioning my name in the same 
discussion with PT Gazell's, but plain old Ultrasuede seems to work fine 
for us. :-)

At least that's the way I see it,

Michelle

PS: PT or Brendan, please speak up if you can add anything or if I've 
misconstrued anything here.