GermanHarpist
448 posts
Jul 04, 2009
1:53 PM
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Fist off: thanks for the tips everybody. That was very helpful (especially the vids of proveit). Consequently replacing the nails of the reed plates was a piece of cake.
However, just around the corner, another LOL moment...
When I applied the varnish on the comb all looked good. However when I looked on the comb again after 2-3 minutes the tines were bend in all directions...(lol, just the thing I wanted to avoid), leading to a temporary heart attack... ;) (I should have taken photo, but I guess you can all imagine how it looked)
Once I got that sucker beating again I thought about how to get the tines back straight again. The only thing I came up with was to apply the varnish at the right locations using the same effect that had previously blemished the comb. After 5-6 tries I got the tines more or less straight again...
However, this really can't be the right way to go... So, am I using the wrong varnish, or what? I use a varnish for model toys, cos I had it laying around.
And as a follow-up question: how do you apply the varnish so that the layer is completely flat. There's no sense in sanding the comb completely flat, when the varnish reverses that effect.
Here's a foto of how far I got...
I...
-replaced the nails with bolts using M2x10 and M2x16 as supports.
-opened up the back with hammer
-sanded the comb (240 & 400 sanding paper)
-sealed the comb
-sanded off the corners and the swollen tines.
all pretty rudimentary, but it looks awesome.. :) (in my eyes anyway).
cheers everybody.
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germanharpist, harpfriends on Youtube
Last Edited by on Jul 04, 2009 2:46 PM
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Tryharp
231 posts
Jul 04, 2009
4:49 PM
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Nice Harp, well done!
Dont really know about the varnish, havent tried it. Maybe if you did one complete tine at a time it would stay straight, and maybe you could give a light resand with fine grit after it dries, to get it flat again. Dave Payne recommends Butchers Block oil in his Vid, so that would be a good one to try.
I didnt really go down the track of varnish due to the drying time, and wasnt sure what was food safe and what was not. From what I read about it I think most are OK, something for models probably would be, cause kids could chew it.
You could try beeswax next time, because you dunk it all in you dont get the uneven bending of the tines, and its dry and ready to go in a couple of minutes.
The way I normally get it flat again is to scrape all the wax off with a feeler gauge, then really quickly rub it on a bit of paper on a flat surface, I think the friction softens the wax a bit and it polishes up to a flat glassy surface.
Tryharp
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MrVerylongusername
388 posts
Jul 04, 2009
5:22 PM
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The only time I ever sealed a wooden comb, I did some reading up on finishes first; specifically around 'foodsafety'.
There's a lot of info on wood-turners' sites; essentially they were saying that any finish is OK assuming you allow it to properly cure. Some of the varnishes they mentioned took weeks to truly cure (as opposed to being dry to touch) and I just wasn't prepared to wait that long. When I read about which solvents they used I decided to play it totally safe. In the end I decided to avoid anything manmade and go for 100% natural (yellow) beeswax, just as Tryharp mentions. Dead easy and no worries about safety.
On my quest I also tried to buy 'salad Bowl' finish in the UK and could not find anywhere except one on-line dealer who had a minimum order of £25 and very high P&P charges (I only wanted a little £8 tin). Anyone know where I could get it cheaper?
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Buddha
770 posts
Jul 04, 2009
5:24 PM
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MrV, read my post...
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MrVerylongusername
389 posts
Jul 04, 2009
5:28 PM
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Yeah, I was writing mine at the same time as yours - but seal-a-cell is bythe same company as the salad bowl finish so I might have trouble finding that too. I'm sure there's an equivalent in the UK though. Mineral spirits? Is that what we called "liquid paraffin"? (baby oil without the perfume)
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Philosofy
240 posts
Jul 04, 2009
8:00 PM
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I've got 20 years in the coatings industry, and here are my thoughts:
First, don't use a water based system. That's what will warp the wood.
Beeswax is natural, but really doesn't have any durability.
Mineral spirits is a slower evaporating solvent: it will work, but be prepared for a crappy tasting/smelling harp for a couple months.
I would use a quicker dry solvent based system. Deft makes a great spray can lacquer that dries quickly. I doubt it would cause any health problems (we're just putting our lips and tongue on them, we're not ingesting the stuff.)
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GermanHarpist
455 posts
Jul 05, 2009
1:33 AM
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" First, don't use a water based system. That's what will warp the wood. " yeah, lol, I kinda suspected that... although it didn't say so on the can.
I will go with this quick drying spray, thanks Philosofy.
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germanharpist, harpfriends on Youtube
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Kingley
184 posts
Jul 05, 2009
2:27 AM
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I use beeswax. Because it's easy to use and a harp sealed with it can be used straight away.
I've never had durability problems with it.
However I am always looking at alternatives just in case there is something else that's better.
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belfast_harper
57 posts
Jul 05, 2009
5:14 AM
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I have been using beeswax to seal my combs. It seems to work ok for a week or so and then starts to wear off and the comb takes in a little moisture but it doesn't swell up as much as it usually does.
I have been using a double boiler to melt the wax to try and avoid it bursting in to flames, if I get the wax hotter using a stove to heat it, will it do a better job of sealing the comb.
What is a safe temperature to heat beeswax to?
Last Edited by on Jul 05, 2009 5:16 AM
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Kingley
185 posts
Jul 05, 2009
5:58 AM
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I use a double boiler and just heat it up to the piont where all the wax has melted.
Usually I wait about a minute after that of continued heating until I put my combs in.
I leave them in for about 45 seconds. Then I repeat the process and put them back into the wax 3 times.
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Tryharp
233 posts
Jul 06, 2009
12:01 AM
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B_H,
I melt mine in an old electric wok. If you look up wiki it will tell you what temperature the wax will ignite via a flame, and what temp it will spontaneously ignite without flame.
I have found it to be durable and had no issues on a 2 YO harp. I accidentally washed one in a washing machine, and it did not swell.
I warm the comb a bit in the oven first, then just dunk it in once for a minute or so.
Tryharp
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scstrickland
111 posts
Jul 06, 2009
5:10 AM
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I have also used wax recently and am happy with the results. Have had some trouble with stray pieces of wax getting stuck In the reeds at first, but is a minor nuisance. When I do this I don't sand the side of the comb with the key printed on it. The wax coating seems to protect it so that it doesn't wear off so quickly.
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harpwrench
44 posts
Jul 06, 2009
2:07 PM
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Just don't leave waxed harps in the car! I think it's 140 degrees Fahrenheit that it starts melting.
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superchucker77
188 posts
Sep 14, 2009
3:45 PM
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Buddha:
Is seal-a-cell non-toxic, and can it be used without the mineral spirits? Detailed instruction on using it would be greatly appreciated.
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Brandon Bailey
Superchucker77's Youtube
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jonsparrow
1007 posts
Sep 14, 2009
3:57 PM
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i just soak mine in regular mineral oil for a few hours then dry with a paper towel. havnt had a problem yet.
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