Greetings y'all. It's torment to have harp that isn't playable. I've recently become the owner of a sadly neglected Witcher Trinity harp that is infested with...
Karla, Let's not panic here. This probably looks a lot worse than it really is. The back of a harp like this is not under a lot of stress. Without getting into...
Is it structurally sound? The number of holes in the back is a bit of an artistic choice. If the harp can be fumigated and the dust cleaned out, if it would...
Hiya Karla, I think Craig has the right suggestions, play the harp. The rear panel has only a light compressive load. see Rick Kemper's harp analysis: ...
I've decided-- at least for the moment-- to use ash for both the frame and the neck of my Vulcan harp rather than paying for the much more expensive walnut to...
I'm afraid I can't give you a specific recommendation, but I believe there are some excellent references available on wood finishing that are not specific to...
I'm usually lurking on this list, but now someone has given me a small harp with a cracked neck and I welcome your suggestions for making it playable. Its a...
Robert Winokur
robruadh@...
Oct 16, 2007 6:36 pm
3675
... If you view this Yahoo group via the Web, you can search the message archive. I had a similar problem on my new-built harp & fixed it. See the message...
I've never repaired a harp... But I repaired the headstock on a few guitars... and elmers wood glue and some clamps does the trick... Make sure you get it...
Sorry to disagree. Do NOT use elmer's glue. It is a plastic resin. Great glue for shear...very bad for tension. These plastic glues stretch over time and...
Greetings One way this type of problem used to be cured was by using a meatl band to clamp the neck together, just as if you are holding a glued joint...
Robert, On his kit harps, Glenn bolts the neck to the cap of the sound box from inside the harp. If the neck is firmly glued to the cap, it may be easier to...
One more caveat regarding glue choice: does the neck have a penetrating oil finish or a simple surface finish (lacquer or varnish)? A real oil finish could...
Rick: Excellent summary and detail. Just for clarification of what I meant about plastic glues....if the break will NOT be stressed in tension from the...
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions and information, especially Rick Kemper's tutorial on the epoxy-glass reinforcement and sources of materials. I've...
Robert Winokur
robruadh@...
Oct 17, 2007 7:01 pm
3683
Dear Robert, Rick, et al, ... A constructive, and non-weakening, way to extend the open time of hide glue is to add a touch of fish glue. If you get a chance,...
Robert, If I had to try to fix the partial neck fracture, I would remove the bolts holding the neck/pillar armature into place to see if the sound box could be...
Hello Robert, Rick and group! It has been interesting reading the various ideas and advice on repairing one of my harps ! :-) You have gotten pretty good info...
Hi Glen, I thought you'd answer sooner or later! And yes, I thought that looked like a lacquer finish! I've posted some photos here: ...
Robert Winokur
robruadh@...
Oct 20, 2007 6:42 am
3687
Put some strings on it and tune it up until the crack opens up enough to get the glue of your choice all the way into the crack. Craig Craig R. Pierpont ...
"Put some strings on it and tune it up until the crack opens up enough to get the glue of your choice all the way into the crack. Craig" Wow! Now THAT'S a...
Hi, Guys; As I get close to finishing the Vulcan harp, I have this bit of a problem: the plans call for harp to be 1-1/2" thick and the bridge (it supports the...
A free String Analysis Spreadsheet is now available at MusicMakers, www.musikit.com, menu "Library", "String Analysis". The formulas used in the Microsoft...
Hi, All; I came across an article recently that said that woods like spruce come apart from the stress when used in harps-- or more precisely, when used in...
Hummmm,... I am going to guess that this article was written by one of the folks who sell harp kits with ply sound boards ? Or assembled harps with same ?? ...
That brings up a question I've been pondering about soundboards. A few years ago, I saw one of the most gorgeous lever harps I've ever seen. The soundboard was...
Ron, About 70% of the soundboards I have had to replace were plywood boards, but I think that says more about cheaply built harps than it does about the...
Acctually it might have been the quality of th ply chosen. Baltic birch delaminates under tension. One should use Aviation Grade Baltic Birch to assure a safe...
Hi Just as a matter of interest (or paranoia), how long after stringing does ply typically fail? My Regency harp has been strung for 2 years and seems to be...
Greetings All Nearly 20 years ago I built a version of the Robinson's Gypsy harp. Mark Boles helped me "soup it up" by going up one string gauge and four (4!) ...
