[Harp-L] Arbor Press to fasten reeds

[Vern]

I misunderstood that you meant to SET the rivet, not remove it.  

The problem with harmonica rivets is that they are harder than the brass of the plate.   (In steel, rivets are heated to make them softer than the plates that hold them.)   That means that if you apply force off the centerline of the hole, the rivet can tip over and you have a mess.

I think that the best tool is a modified set of pliers.  I prefer screws or soldering* but I would use a modified pair of pliers for setting rivets.  I can envision a vicegrip with a pair of pads ground into the jaws to contact the ends of the rivet. A Dremel with an abrasive wheel could be used to grind the pads. 
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With an arbor press, the important thing is the shape and size of the parts that touch the rivet.  With a big press, you could easily apply too much force and damage the plate.  

* For soldering, see https://youtu.be/DOBJCpZQ68Y <https://youtu.be/DOBJCpZQ68Y>

Vern

> On Sep 25, 2018, at 5:42 PM, David Pearce via Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx> wrote:
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> I meant using an Arbor press to fasten the reed in lieu of a hammer.  Or how would one go about making a reed riveting machine?
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> Love your detailed and informative explanations Vern!  Keep em coming!
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> David Pearce
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