[Harp-L] Vern and Michelle’s post on reed replacement

[Joseph Leone]

> On Oct 5, 2018, at 4:24 PM, Gary Lehmann <gnarlyheman at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> So great to have your perspectives on these issues.
> Michelle’s new tool looks tempting, not currently in my budget, but rather efficient!
> I am like its little brother, now I have a better idea why!

I kinda think that I am the Harry Caul of harmonicas. I make my own stuff. Michelle the Magnificent has a bunch of wonderful ideas. 
My own reed replacement tool looks like hers. It is a ‘Bar joist clamp for conduit’. It’s alum. They also make them for pipe. They are
steel. They used to come in various sizes. Don’t know if they still exist. Haven’t done electrical high scaffold work since the 60s. lol.

The clamp is about 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” and half an inch thick. One side is cut out about 1/2” x 1”. It looks like a square letter ‘C’. The top 
has a square headed machine set screw for grabbing the bar joist flanges. The bottom has a slotted screw holding a conduit clamp. 
I set that aside. I pressed some copper tubing into the top hole to accept a broken drill shank 3/16” dia. Ground to an ‘almost point. 
I left the tip about 1/32” (maybe .3125”) flat. I used the bottom hole to accept a mounting board. It is teak. Only because I had some
scrap when I did the floor in the house. I have a slot in the bottom large enough to accept the size of the reed. I do NOT like to loose
the rivet from the reed. I punch half way and then use an exacto blade to pry off the reed. I chamfer the tip of the rivet to make it 
easier to re-install. If I have an off center hole, I place a punch on one side or the other and swage the brass to where I want it.  

I really examined her tool (as I do with everything she does), and came to the conclusion that it is a swell tool. I like the way she speaks
of ‘Us OTHER people’. Those of us whom are either a bit klutzy, don’t have surgeon’s hands, and not a lot of conditions in which to work,
or are poor. Trust me on this or believe me later, Michelle is a brainiac. An unsung treasure in a sung harmonica world. 

smo-joe said it….and I’m sticking with that.