Re: [Harp-L] pros/cons rivets/screws

[Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

All of the professionals use rivets.  If you have the technique, it is faster. I envy and admire their skill.

With rivets, I often have a misalignment where the centerlines of the reed and the slot are offset.  This can arise from manufacturing tolerances of the hole locations in reed and plate, or in an inept reed-removal operation. A reed wrench won't fix the problem.  I try to tap the reed sideways at the rivet but I sometimes damage the plate in the process.  I have problems particularly with Seydel plates that are made of softer brass.  The iron rivet is harder than the brass hole.  It seems to me that for best rivet performance, it should be the other way around. For every other harmonica repair operation my dexterity is good, but I seem to be ham-handed with rivets.

I prefer to tap the plate 0-80 and use a washer and screw.  I drill the hole in the reed larger than the 0-80 screw.  Then if there is an offset, I can loosen the screw and adjust its side-to-side position vis-a-vis the slot.  I spend more time adjusting but avoid the problems and frustrations of moving a riveted reed sideways.  When the reed is playing satisfactorily, I place a tiny drop of super glue on the reed and plate on the end away from the slot.  

Once I stripped the 0-80 threads in the plate but successfully installed a 1-72 screw to replace it.

For me, screws are faster if I consider the time spent trying to move a riveted reed sideways.  I prefer the longer process with a greater probability of a satisfactory result.

Vern

 




On Mar 8, 2011, at 11:12 PM, sheltraw@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Hi Guys
> 
> Thanks for all the great information regarding rivet tools and rivet
> removal/replacement.
> 
> OK. Now I am ready to hear your opinions about rivets vs screws for reed
> replacement. Which do you think is the better method and why?
> 
> Also, does the Seydel rivet removal tool work well for Hohner instruments?
> 
> It appears to me that one nice thing about using screws is (provided that
> the Seydel rivet removal tool works for Hohner harps) that one can get
> everything one needs to do the job in Seydel's "basic tool kit". Is this
> true?
> 
> When one uses the rivet replacement method does one have to smooth the
> edges of the rivet hole prior to inserting the new rivet? The reason for
> my question is that I think that I may have heard that setting the rivet
> causes the edges of the hole to stick up a bit.
> 
> 
> Cheers!
>