Re: [Harp-L] Golden Melody cover screws

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Do you mean reedplate screws? All Golden Melody harmonicas have screwed-on covers, but earlier ones used drift pins to fasten the reedplates.
 
Several sizes of screws would work for the purpose. American sizes 0-80 and 1-72 are often used by customers, while Hohner uses various metric sizes, including M1.6 for chromatics, and other sizes for MS (thread compatible with 0-80) and classic models (larger than 0-80). The screw needs to be of a large enough diameter that the existing hole in the reedplate can be threaded to accept the screw, but not so large that it wont fit through the holes in the plastic comb, which will not respond well to being drilled out to a larger size.
 
You can get screws in these sizes at the appropriate lengths (enough to be slightly longer than the combined thickness of comb and reedplates) with your choice of head, from suppliers such as McMaster-Carr, Small Parts, MicroMark, and others.
 
You'll also need a tap of the appropriate thread to thread the hole in the bottom of the reedplate, and a handle to hold the tap. Don't rely on the screw to cut its own thread unless it is sold as a self-tapping or thread-cutting screw. Some lucky folks report success with relying on a screw to cut its own thread, but why risk stripping out an hole and having to move to a larger screw sizer or using a longer screw with a bolt (and bolts in tiny sizes are very expensive)? An ounce of prevention and all that.
 
You may also want to slightly expand the size of the holes in the upper reedplates both to accommodate the screw and give some wiggle room to adjust the palcement of both reedplates relative to each other and to the comb. 
 
You can look up the drill sizes for both clearance and threading for any given screw thread via various reference site that you can find via internet search.
 
Winslow

Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
            Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
            Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
Resident Harmonica Expert, bluesharmonica.com
Instructor, Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance


________________________________
From: Roger Beck <beckmeister1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Thursday, November 1, 2012 9:34 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Golden Melody cover screws

I am a newbie at fixing my own harmonicas.  Am getting the bug though after joining this list. I have many older Golden Melody harps built without cover screws.  
Learned from Rockin' Ron that replacing with Hohner screws is nearly cost prohibitive for what you get.  Are there other less expensive screws from other
harp types that will work with GM's and, if so, where can they be purchased?  Thanks,  Roger