[Harp-L] Which Dremel Tool?

[Tom Halchak]

I have been following this thread for about a week but I was out of town
away from my PC and I didn’t feel like typing out a long post on my
phone.  There
was a time, not so long ago, that I was the new kid on the block, and
didn’t know a reed plate from a reed wrench.  But now, after having built a
couple thousand custom harmonicas, I am inclined to offer my two cents on
the subject.



I think a big part of the tools you use to work on harps depends on how
many harps you will be working on and how often you will be doing it.  If
you are only looking to tune a couple of harps it is hard to justify buying
tools that you won’t be using much or at all in the future.  In that case,
anything that will remove a little material from a reed will suffice – an
X-Acto Knife, a Sanding Wand, or a file.



If, on the other hand, you plan to tune a lot of harps on an ongoing basis,
then it would make sense to invest in some tools that will make your life
easy.  The right tools will enable you to work faster and more precisely.
Precision and speed are a good combination.  Over the years, I have tried
everything.  Here is what I have evolved to and have been using for at
least a decade.  I use a Manicurist’s Rotary Tool paired with a Shofu
Brownie HP PC2 Polishing  Bit.



You can find the Manicurist’s Rotary Tool on Amazon simply by doing a
search.  As I composed this post, I did a quick search and was able to find
one for $27.54 and it would be delivered to my home tomorrow.  The
advantages of this tool are several.  The tool comes with a base that acts
as a control unit with the rotary motor attached via a coiled wire like an
old telephone cord.  The rotary part of the tool is essentially a fat pen
that is much easier to handle and control than a Dremel.  It has a variable
speed control up to 45,000 RPMs.  Slower speeds are fine for soft Hohner
brass reeds.  Phosphor Bronze or Stainless Steel reeds are harder metals so
having the ability to crank up the speed really makes the job of tuning
those reeds easier.  The on/off action can be controlled by a switch on the
base or by a foot control pedal like a sewing machine pedal.  The direction
of the rotation on the rotary is reversable.  This is a handy feature for
fine tuning the blow reeds after the reed plates have been attached to the
comb.  I insert a probe into the front of the chamber to push the reed up
through the slot to grant access to the tip of the reed.  The ability to
reverse the direction of the rotary enables me to tune the tip of the reed
without having to turn the harmonica around.  This may or may not be your
preference, but it works for me.



I actually have three of these rotary tools set up on my workbench, each
with a different bit, so I don’t have to waste time changing bits for
different jobs.  FWIW, the HP shank diameter is 2.35mm so if you wish to
purchase additional bits to use in these tools, make sure it is the correct
shank size.



A Shofu Brownie HP PC2 Polishing  bit is actually a dental tool.  I was
turned on to these by Michael Easton of FatHeadHarmonicas, who has been
working on harps for 25+ years.  By profession, Michael is a Dental
Technician.  It looks like an eraser on a pencil.  It is made of silicone
with a mildly abrasive grit embedded.  One of the comments that has been
made about using a Dremel or an engraving tool is that it is easy to go too
far and remove too much material and potentially even destroying the reed.
You won’t have that problem with the Shofu Brownie.  You would have to be a
clumsy oaf to do that with this tool.  You can find them on eBay for about
$40 per dozen.  A dozen will last you a couple of years.  At the most
recent SPAH, Micheal turned me on to a website called RioGrande.com.  They
sell similar bits for polishing jewelry.  I haven’t tried them yet, but I
plan to, and they are less expensive.



Of the other two rotary tools I have set up on my bench, one has a diamond
encrusted needle, and the other has a silicone polishing pin – which is
different from the Brownie.  The needle will come in the kit included with
the rotary tool.  I use the needle to engrave my notes on the reed plates
and to fine tune the blow reeds (while they are attached to the comb) if
the pitch is sharp.  I have used a draw scraper in the past.  It is a nice
tool but eventually the edge gets dull and it is difficult to recapture
that edge.  I have found that using the needle on the rotary tool is far
more convenient and easier to use.  The silicone polishing pin fits into a
collet and is finer point than the Shofu Brownie.  I pretty much use the
Shofu Brownie and the polishing pin interchangeably.



Like I said – this is just my two cents.  I tune dozens of reed plates
every week.  I have tried every tool that has been recommended over the
years on the various forums.  These tools enable me to be precise and work
quickly.


*Tom Halchak*
*Blue Moon Harmonicas LLC*
*P.O. Box 14401 Clearwater, FL 33766*
*(727) 366-2608*