Doesn't do much good. I spent a few months embossing the back side ONLY when I was learning, because I didn't understand the concept. I was embarassed about that for a long time and don't think I've ever mentioned it before. Violincat is the one who actually showed me how to emboss the correct side.
Thanks again for all the replies. You know, this is the purpose of this forum -- ask questions and learn from mistakes. I guess this question was too shallow for Andrew.
Andrew, I used to fiddle with V8 engines. I was thinking venturi effect, but the reedslot itself was the restriction. I knew engines, didn't know harmonicas.
Back in those days, there wasn't all these harmonica repair videos on Youtube. Before I put the first one of mine up, there was one harp customizing video that I could find and I looked hard, very hard. There was one, but it was in Italian. What there was were things to read, like overblow.com, Pat Missin's site, etc. It was easy to get temporarily confused.
Yikes (I'm studying graduate level fluid mechanics right this moment)!
Reminds me of the time we were down the pub, drunk, about 10 years ago, and a biologist friend asked which shed more heat, a smaller object or a bigger object? I think I mentally divided the formula for the area of a sphere by the formula for the volume of a sphere, possibly differentiated (I'm a bit hazy on that one), and came up with the wrong answer. He replied "think of little baby mice shivering". I told him what method I had used, and he smiled and bought me another drink.
P.S. Sorry if my reply came across as supercilious, 99.
Last Edited by on Jul 02, 2009 2:45 AM
Hey Andrew, what equation should we use to determine the Reynolds number of air going through the reed slot, and are we getting laminar flow or turbulent? Does a bend cause a change in the Reynolds number? Whats the effect of the pressure waves caused by the vibrating reed?
First, thanks for posting your video ElkRiverHarmonicas as it was very informative to me. Secondly, Andrew-- I am a bottom feeder when it comes to intellect and embossing. I had to look up what supercilious meant. I mean, I have heard of Fergalicious and Bubblicious, and even superstitious, but supercilious threw me. I have learned two things today. It was a good day!!
As always entertaining, humourous and extremely well presented and highly informative. You always give people the confidence to have a go, which is no mean feat.
It would be great if at events like SPAH, Rocker in the Rockies and the Gindick Workshops they had a maintainence and customisation workshop run by you.
I think you have the perfect teaching manner for enthusing people and explaining things in such a way that anyone can grasp the facts.
Last Edited by on Jul 03, 2009 12:31 AM
"It would be great if at events like SPAH, Rocker in the Rockies and the Gindick Workshops they had a maintainence and customisation workshop run by you."
Jason and I did one at Rockin in the Rockies. I've always answered questions at SPAH and Jimmy Gordon used to have a table at the Filisko Teach-in dedicated to Harp mods.
One warning about the tech tips at overblow.com most of it is good info but not all of it is right. No I won't expand on the comment.
Last Edited by on Jul 03, 2009 5:58 AM
I'm glad to hear that they do have these kinds of workshops at those events as I feel it's very important for players to learn at least some level of maintenance on thier instruments.
But Chris as much as I do respect you, I do feel that to make a statement such as "One warning about the tech tips at overblow.com most of it is good info but not all of it is right. No I won't expand on the comment." is rather silly.
You are I believe actually doing people a disservice by not pointing out which info isn't correct. Unless of course by saying "not all of it is right" you really mean that it's just not the way you do it.
Sorry if this offends you. That is not my intention.
I'm merely trying to point out that if something is indeed not right, then surely it's beneficial to the harmonica community as a whole to point those things out and thereby make peoples experience of the community a better one.
The info at Overblow.com will get you a good harp. If there is something that was totally erroneous, and would wreck your harp, I would say so and give a correction. There are just some things there that some of us don't do or do differently.
Jusst don't think you're going to get a harp made as well as XXXXX would make one because all of the info is not there or based on a different set up.
My days of giving harp set up tips for free are gone. Too many people have taken advantage of my knowledge and I find that I am having to compete with them. Then there are others who take my info and report it back to others.
So secrets are secrets now and it's through the actions of others that have caused this. Sorry.
Last Edited by on Jul 03, 2009 7:08 AM
But in an effort to contribute to this thread, embossing is more about controlling the air flow rather than air leaks. If you think about it that way then you will have the right mindset to build a good harp.
Too many people think about air tightness when the real "secret" is about air flow control.
My lotus harps have very little if any embossing as it's actually a rather small component to making a good harp.
Last Edited by on Jul 03, 2009 7:01 AM
having the right tools is essential to setting up a good harp.
I do make tools for doing the job correctly. If you're interested send me a note off list - groovygypsy at gmail.com
Last Edited by on Jul 03, 2009 8:32 AM
********************************************** AND ON THE QUESTION OF ARCING. **********************************************
Having watched a few manufacturers videos on making harps, I've never seen one where arcing has been mentioned. Seeing as it would be quite a time consuming and delicate processs, I would have thought they would show it.
I'm beginning to wonder whether the arc in the reed is what would naturally occur when the reed is stamped out rather than someone introducing the correct amount of arc, post assembly to the reedplate.
Reed tuning looks to be a very quick procedure but I would have thought arcing would be quite time intensive and expensive to do for each and every reed.
With my attempts at re-gapping, I haven't paid too much attention to the arc and wonder if it as crucial as we are led to believe. Or maybe, the mere practice of regapping introduces a sufficient amount of arc that no further work is required.
Sorry to throw this into the mix but it's puzzling and I need to get this straight in my mind.
I have a few ATM slips I'm willing to sell for a few $ for gapping your reeds.
Just joking - nice tools makes the job easier and the results can/should be more satisfying. At least that's what my wife tells me. Heh, heh
A better harp can be had on the cheap as far as tools go. Chris has a nice video on embossing etc.. where he's using a socket.
I am interested in a better kit to put on my wishlist. I'll shoot you an e-mail Chris. I want to compare to others (Seydel (through Dave), Hohner, Lee Oskar, etc..) as well as what I can put together on my own (ATM slip, socket, etc..)
There is no other kit available like mine. They are the actual tools I use to build harps with one exception, I use a tool used for eye surgery, they are however $6000 but my mother is a surgeon so I get used ones. I have approximated one for my kit.
The the case of some customers that buy a harp AND a tool kit, I send the ACTUAL tools I used to create the harp.
That's some serious mojo, Buddha, with used surgical instruments. Back when I was making longbows, I used to cut myself all the time. I'd always request the tools everytime they stitched me up. They charge you for them anyway.
Chris, how much is that tool kit of yours? I didn't find the info on your website.
Just bought a Marine Band (C) today. Won't wait for that tool kit. Decided to ruin the harp tonight... lol. ---------- germanharpist, harpfriends on Youtube
Last Edited by on Jul 03, 2009 10:40 AM
That's too bad because they toss them most of the time. Clamps and forceps are always reused but certain other item aren't.
I'm very lucky that my mom run at surgery lab at the University so I've been privy to lots of things normal minds can't dream of. The only other person that has one of these tools is Dick Gardner.
"Back when I was making longbows, I used to cut myself all the time. I'd always request the tools everytime they stitched me up. They charge you for them anyway."
Back in the Seventies when I made electrical gear, I got a load of used dental burrs from my dentist - they supplement a set of drills really nicely - you can use them for cutting channels in copper-plated board, for example, if you don't want to do acid etching.
Last Edited by on Jul 04, 2009 3:43 AM
