[Harp-L] How a Harmonica is Made
- To: Harp-L Harp L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Subject: [Harp-L] How a Harmonica is Made
- From: Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2012 22:57:51 -0700
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The most interesting part to me, the cutting of the reed thickness profile, is not shown in this video. However, it is shown briefly on another Youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=XxeR1vifJBg&NR=1
At 1:10 you can see a horizontal mill cutting the thickness profile along the edge of a much wider strip of .012" thick brass. In yet another video, I have seen a better view of the machine which has three blades on a spindle that appears to be 6 or 8 inches in diameter. The flying pieces of brass are not reeds but chips. Then at 1:15 it switches very quickly to the machine that punches the reeds from the brass strip. Then you see the strip with the slots where the reeds were punched out emerging from the machine If you don't pay very close attention, the switch from the mill to the punch at 1:15 can go un-noticed.
another excellent video is the Seydel one,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTs2rMfUSDc&feature=related
At 0:41 you can see the cutting of the thickness profile (the cutting spindle is hidden inside the machine) and at 1:01 the punching of the reeds.
In both factories, the thickness profile is cut into the edge of a wider strip of brass and then the reeds are punched from that.
In making harmonicas, the trickiest operations are cutting the thickness profile into the brass strip, punching the reeds, and punching the slots into the .040" thick brass reedplate. The assembly and tuning is interesting but the machinery for making the reeds has to be very specialized and precise. IF you have experience tuning reeds, you know how only a tiny change in thickness can greatly affect pitch. This machinery has been designed long ago and refined over a period of many years.
Vern
On Jun 11, 2012, at 8:05 PM, Tony Eyers wrote:
> Found this on YouTube. It shows how the Special 20s are made. More hands on than I would have expected.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMnbjCclpog&feature=related <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMnbjCclpog&feature=related>
>
> The guy playing at the start is Gerhard Müller, head of Hohner harmonicas.
>
> Tony Eyers
> Australia
> www.HarmonicaAcademy.com
> ...everyone plays
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