[Harp-L] Loose screws (on my Seydels, not in my head)

[Joseph Leone]

IF we’re talking diatonics here it has been my experience that the reed plates are affixed with self tapping sheet metal threaded screws. I suspect that an adjustable driver is used and is set to a
definitive amount of torque (twisting force) set in either inch ounces, foot pounds, Joules. As such the driver may free wheel on it’s hydrostatic clutch at a certain setting as the amount of torque 
applied reaches the setting. Ergo, depending on the amount of restriction or ‘jam’ effect on the threads can have an influence on their tightness. And some may not seat flush. Especially due to the
‘volcano type cone’ that these screws produce.

A side effect is that to (properly) insert and retract these screws it is advisable to keep them in the same order in which they came out.  

> On Jun 6, 2018, at 12:17 AM, Robert Hale <robert at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> I have no commercial "tech" credentials, except 20 years maintenance of my
> own harps.
> I have never tightened reed plates on a Lee Oskar harp, nor have I found
> any need to do so.
> 
> Robert Hale
> Serious Honkage in Arizona
> youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL
> DUKEofWAIL.com
> 
> 
> On Thu, May 31, 2018 at 8:23 AM, Richard Hunter <rhunter377 at xxxxx>
> wrote:
> 
>> I recently wrote to this list to mention that I'd had a leaky Seydel
>> chromatic that turned out to have a lot of loose screws holding the plates
>> together.