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

[Isaac Ullah <iiullah@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'd like to say a BIG thanks to Vern, SmoJoe, Michelle, and Elizabeth for all their insightful tips on this matter. Like I said before, I've found it very difficult to find information about DIY valves (google pointed me to lot's of info about how to replace valves with stock replacement valves, but not how to make your own). The only info was a small paragraph I found by PT himself about ultrasuede, and the an article about making the mylar/micropore type which I tried (and am not satisfied by). 
  My wife is a very crafty gal, and I've been eyeing her tools enviously for quite a long while! In fact I kept borrowing her tiny, super sharp sewing scissors so frequently that she bought me a pair. Maybe if I now start to ask to borrow her cutting mat, she might buy me one of those too? :) I actually used her cutting mat when making the micropore valves. I used an exacto knife. Do you think an exacto knife is too much worse than the cutting wheel for imparting torque to the cut valves? It should be better than scissors, though. Also, I was cutting lots of little strips across the width of the tape/mylar composite. I have a feeling that this may have something to do with the unwanted curve of my valves, and it also lead to a lot of waste and extra cutting, and to valves of non-uniform width. The idea presented by Michelle (I think) to cut LONG strips and then cut each valve to length seems to be just a better idea altogether. It is possible that, using
 this techinique, I may be able to make micropore/mylar valves that do not curve away from the reedplate, but I think I'd still like to move on to ultrasuede. 
   Regarding ultrasuede, thank you for those links and tips on sourcing it! That was very helpful. I had originally gone to the local Jo-Annes to look for it, but I was a bit overwhelmed (it's a BIG place!). Being unfamiliar with how those stores work, and the fact that it was just before Christmas and the place was super crowded, I just poked around myself for a while before getting frustrated and leaving. My wife just laughed at me when I told her this, and said that I needed to get an employee to help me find what I was looking for, or I'd never find it... She's probably right (as usual). I did find something called "microsuede" that, as Elizabeth noted, had some mesh fabric backing on it. Since it wasn't exactly like what I'd read, and it wasn't ultrasuede, I wasn't sure about it, and thus I didn't buy any. 
  And as for the various weights of ultrasuede, is there a specific weight that folks have found to work better than others. I imagine that one would not want a too-heavy weight valve, as it might tend to stick or hang down more, but too light weight might get all flappy and not work well either. Have I just answered my own question? (ie. go for mid-weight?)

Thanks again,

Isaac