[Harp-L] Screws for reeds (was: Vern Smith's Solder method)

[gnarlyheman@xxxxx]

I am pretty happy with the screws that Suzuki uses--but if a donor reed has the rivet still attached, I will use that.
I must point out, however, that harmonicas are designed and manufactured to be sold, not repaired.
Gary

> On Nov 1, 2017, at 12:26 PM, Joseph Leone <3n037 at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> 
>> On Nov 1, 2017, at 2:26 PM, Vern <jevern at xxxxx> wrote:
>> 
>> Those difficulties are exactly the ones that motivated my experiments with soldering.
> 
> Ok, ever since J. Vern Smith (aka Le Pro-fess-Or, aka Mr. Magician) sent me this info many moons ago, I was immediately amazed, enthused, excited, embalmed. 
>> 
>> With screws, you can eventually arrive at a proper reed alignment.
> 
> That’s eventually spelled with 11 eventuals. lol. 
> 
>> If the holes closely fit the screw, then any error in hole position prevents proper alignment.  Oversize holes allow the freedom to align the reed in the slot, but the act of tightening the screw often spoils the alignment.
> 
> I started using tiny screws commandeered from small portable radios and such way back. These screws could best be described as sheet metal screws inasmuch as they had severe thread angles. Probably designed for 
> quick assembly. The problem was that because of the thread angle you couldn’t get them to seat in your material flush. Unless you tried to bury them and have the receiving material volcano UP and protrude (or swage)
> to meet the receiving material. Also too much pressure on the screw could crack the rivet boss. 
> 
> Eventually I moved to eye glasses/spectacle screws. While true machine screws, they needed the proper tap. Which are hard to find. Eventually I went to studs driven in from the back, and a nut on top of the reed. The
> problem was that eventually vibration would loosen this assembly and the reeds would ‘walk’ sideways. Tighten too much and the reed boss would crack. I used to use cigarette papers to center the reeds. But an anti theft
> strip will also work. Bent into a ‘saddle’. :)
>> 
>> I had even more trouble with rivets.  In most cases, the rivet is softer than the parts being fastened and can be easily expanded to fit the holes.  In the harmonica, the steel rivet is harder than the brass reed and plate.  In Seydel harps, the plates are especially soft.  I found that an off-center hammer blow would knock the rivet awry and damage the plate.  I acknowledge that many can use rivets successfully and swear by them….just not fumble-fisted me.
> 
> The problem with rivets is that you have to be exact. With Vern’s method you have wiggle room. Bottom line? All the methods I have previously used took too long for a repair person. Fine for a hobbyist, but time is money
> and a repair person couldn’t expend that much time PER reed. Oh, and a repair could amortize the expense of the soldering rig.  Admittedly I am not the best with small repairs. While not watch repair level work, this work is certainly in the realm of jewelry repair. 
> 
> p.s. I have been blessed to have learned a lot from Vern over these last 25 years. He is a treasure to the harp community. And never puts out bad skinny. lol. 
> sm0joe  /  formerly the 4M company. (Mars machine metallurgy manufacturing, p.o. box 777, Mars Pa.)
>> 
>> Reed angle (adjustable with a reed wrench) is not the only mode of misalignment.  Displacements across and along the long dimension of the slot can also be troublesome and are more difficult to fix.
>> 
>> Using a .001” sheet of plastic (such as Scotch tape) to align the reed derives from the use of cigarette paper that Joe told me about. 
>> 
>> Vern
>> 
>>> On Nov 1, 2017, at 8:13 AM, David Pearce via Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> The reason that I became intrigued with Vern's solder method is because of problems I've had replacing reeds in my Seydel chromatic plates using screws and nuts.  I find that I spend a lot of time using the reed wrench when a reed goes out of alignment.  Another problem with screw and nut is that the nut will sometimes move the reed towards the rivet end when it's tightened and leave a gap near the non-rivet end of the reed.  I recently had to get rid of the nut and use only a screw in order to eliminate the gap near the end of the reed slot.  My chromatics are half-valved for interactive note bending so eliminating any gaps is crucial.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I've ordered some parts to build my own soldering station and I'll let everyone know how it goes.  
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> David Pearce  
>