[HARP-L] RE: Fun with reed replacements

[Robert Coble <robertpcoble@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I just thought of something else. Sometimes in the process of preparing the 
replacement reed, there is a little "lip" left around either the reed hole or the 
reedplate hole. Make sure that the "lip" around the holes is perfectly flat. You 
can pound it flat with a small hammer and anvil, or you can buff the area around
the hole. I use a small jeweler's abrasive wheel for polishing, with one of those
small $10 engraving tools (available from Micro-Mark or Lowe's or several other
places). The engraving tool is very low torque but relatively high speed. You
can use any buffing wheel with a 3/32" shaft. Just polish the area around the hole
until it shines; that's usually enough to flatten any "lip." Do NOT use the engraving
tip (usually a diamond tip) unless you are very careful with it; it's very easy to take
too much off with it (IMHO).

Another possible source of uneveness is the screw head. For some reason, the head
may not be perfectly flat where it touches the reed. Rather than muck about with a 
defective screw, I just toss it and get another one. The defect rate is only about 1 
(or less) out of every 20, so that's not a likely source of the problem.

Regards,
Crazy Bob