[Harp-L] Reed Plate Gaskets

[Aongus Mac Cana]

Being a mechanical engineer and being into cars I was familiar with the idea
of gaskets and in fact had often cut them out of brown paper using the
traditional method of tapping a ball peen hammer against the metal component
whose joint I was trying to seal and make oil tight. 

The need for gaskets arises from the virtual impossibility (at reasonable
expense) of machining two components so absolutely flat that no oil or water
will escape through the joint when they are bolted together. Hence the idea
of sandwiching  a sheet of paper or cork  between two mating components to
stop oil or water leaking out.  

With this in mind I asked Rick Epping at Willie Clancy School one year
whether gaskets might not be a good idea for making a mouth organ more
airtight. He was not enthusiastic  about the idea.

Seeing that Rick has successfully built and customised more harmonicas than
I have had hot dinners I am prepared to take his word for it.

Beannachtai

Aongus Mac Cana