Lee Harps

I am a member of the instrumental ensemble, Still Simple Gifts, and having had a busy December playing schedule, we celebrated by taking ourselves and our families for an evening out at one of our very favorite eateries, the Thai Palace.

Located at 3608 Market St. Camp Hill, 763-8800:

Ownership and operation has recently been resumed by our favorite Thai chef, Xsy. Since he’s back, the food has returned to being the best Thai cuisine in the area (in my humble opinion). He has redone the interior and the atmosphere is welcoming and most pleasant.

At the entrance, sitting on the end of what was once a buffet counter was, of all things dear to my heart, a very ornate Thailand Hammered Dulcimer!

To the left, near the wall by the cash register, is another Thai instrument, a very large wooden glockenspiel (don’t know what they call it in the Thai language).

Xsy and his new partner do not have a state liquor license, so there was fine wine (BYOB)

and the entrees were well presented and delicious!

A wonderful time was had by all, and after the meal, photos were taken of our group

and, before I managed to go on home, well fed and happy to have dined with good friends, I had to give it a try:

Ordinarily we get together to rehearse or to perform, and it is such a rare treat for us to get together just to enjoy each other’s company!

We’ve been having very mild weather (temps in the 60’s ?!) here in Pennsylvania — almost unheard of for January! The other day my wife mentioned that her mother has difficulty climbing our deck stairs when she comes to visit and we ourselves aren’t getting any younger, so would I consider adding stair rails to the deck? It sounded like a good idea to me, the weather was mild for working outdoors, so, for the NEXT snowstorm, we’ve got RAILS!

Here’s the BEFORE:

Here’s the AFTER:

And, if you want a bit of detail, here’s what I came up with:

Some pressure-treated 2×4s, a couple of 3/8″ galvanized lag screws and washers, some gray stain and VOILA, it’s done! Not ALL projects need to be lengthy and complicated!

NOTE: If you have any information about Linrud harps (below), please leave a comment at the end. Many thanks! Lee

Today I received a phone call from a lady telling me she has a harp with a broken string, and would I please look at it to see if I could determine what strings she needed (she had purchased it at a yard sale several years ago and received no string chart with it). I had hoped to offer her a used, wound string to bridge the gap until we could have a string analysis done and new strings made.

She brought the harp to my workshop this evening and what an amazing harp it is!! At first glance, it looks pretty much like an ordinary small harp:

The label on the front said it is a “Linrud Model E” built in Riverside, California. It has 31 strings (E-d).

On closer inspection, I realized the base had an aluminum frame and legs! Further investigation showed that a part of the aluminum base casting projected up into the soundbox to become the lower end of the string rib!

This was unlike anything I had ever seen! The shell of the soundbox was spray-painted gold (inside AND out), so the question was: What is it made of? Using a sharp object to scratch an inconspicuous area, we determined that the shell, the soundboard and the inner string rib were all a single aluminum molding! No seams, no sitka, no nothing!! I have never seen a harp like this.

One of the lowest, wound string had broken, so we tried to remove it. Using every means we could think of – pliers, pry bars, etc., we could not get the broken string to exit the soundboard. This was one of the strings that went thru the metal string rib that was part of the base, then thru the hole in the soundboard. After much struggle, we finally forced the string out of the instrument. I then tried to insert a similarly sized wound string back thru the hole, only to realize there was no opening there! We noticed that the soundboard had bowed from the string tension, so the probable reason we could not get the string out nor replace it was that the bowing of the soundboard from the string tension had misaligned the holes, therefore they no longer lined up and the two mismatched metal holes were acting like a pliers, preventing us from removing the old string or inserting the replacement string. After a few feeble attempts at redrilling the hole from inside, we decided it would probably be better to await all new strings, then see if the holes would line up again once the tension were removed from the harp.

Here you can see the harp lying back, showing the aluminum shell, soundboard and base:

Here is another view of the bottom of the harp, looking up thru the open bottom into the interior of the soundbox:

Here’s another detail photo of the aluminum legs with rubber feet:

The design and finish of the neck are quite nice as you can see:

An interesting feature of this harp is its sharping blades. They are each fitted into a recessed housing at the neck which has a stop for them. To keep them in position and to prevent them from vibrating, each lever rides against a piece of spring wire. They function very easily, they are large enough to make shifting quite easy, and are probably the best blade design I’ve seen to date.

Interestingly, we noticed string damage in the string holes, particularly in the lower end of the soundboard where the strings exited thru the aluminum of the soundboard.

My first reaction was to drill the holes a bit larger, then use brass eyelets in the usual fashion to protect the holes from string tension damage. My second thought, however, was that aluminum and brass might not work together, so we will probably go ahead and install new strings via the “slotted” holes.

Looking into the back of the harp at the junction of the “base” string rib (yes, “base” rather than “bass”, as this part of the string rib is an integral part of the aluminum “base”) and the molded upper string rib, our first impression was that the lower string rib had been broken as a result of the string tension. I took a photo to demonstrate this and, upon closer examination of the photo, my thoughts are that it isn’t broken at all, but was designed to be in two pieces, thus accommodating the angle of the lower end of the upper string rib:

  Note: On restringing this harp, the small piece of metal was, in fact, designed to accommodate the angle of the upper string rib and was found to be a separate piece, not a piece broken off. We reinstalled it with the corresponding NEW string.

I have sent the string lengths and note names to Laurie Neilsen of Markwood Strings for analysis and, once we receive the new strings, it will be interesting to see what effect the new strings have on this harp. It has a rather lovely tone as is, so perhaps we are en route to a GREAT harp here! I “Googled” Linrud harps and, try as I might, could find absolutely NOTHING about them. What a well-kept secret!!

Applying a finish to a newly completed project, I must admit, can be a scary proposition. What happens if I had gone to all that work, and then really screw it up with the finish?! I’ve been pretty consistant with using nitrocellulose lacquer as, I guess, my favorite finish material, but decided to try out the more environmentally sound water-based Target finishes on my instrument cases to see how I like them. I’m following the steps of Larry Fisher, who told me about Target, and am trying to emulate his really fine finishes.

First, one needs the material and the equipment.

Here are the items I’ve acquired to date: an Astro HTE Conversion Spray Gun, a pressure regulator (the little cleaning brush comes with it), and a few small cans of Oxford water-based finishes just to try. The small jar on the right is the nozzle soaking in acetone — a practice recommended to me by the Target sales person.
The Astro spray gun is a gravity-feed unit with the can on top.

This was recommended for these finishes and it is powered by an air compressor (which I just happen to have sitting in the floor below). It is supposed to be of a design that minimizes overspray much like HVLP but gives good atomization. I’ve found this, indeed, to be the case.

Not wanting to have overspray flying thru my shop, I decided to make a poor man’s spray booth. By doing surgery on the carton that my Festool vac. came in, I came up with a spray booth that was just the right size for this project.

In it, on blocks, you can see one of the box lids that needed spraying. If you look to the left of the photo, you can see a small squirrel-cage blower that I’ve placed beside my “booth” to draw air thru a furnace filter to help “collect” the overspray.

With the small wedge to help keep it in close proximity to the hole I’ve cut into the box, it did an amazingly good job of limiting the amount of circulating overspray while keeping the room heat within the room. It is recommended that one use these water-based products in 70-degree temps.

With my past experience of using highly volatile and flammable nitrocellulose lacquer, it was such a pleasure to use something that I knew would not ignite! It had very little odor (if any), and was quite easy to apply. I began with plain water to be sure the sprayer was working and quickly changed to the real thing.

For this project, I initially applied with a cloth pad, a sealer coat of Oxford garnet-colored water-based, dewaxed shellac (yep, water — no alcohol), after which I sanded and chose to use the Oxford water-based polyurethane for the ourter finish on these cases so as to get good durability. After the shellac, I applied, I would guess, 3-4 good coats of polyurethane over a period of several hours. AFTER having done so, I read the can to learn that, unlike the water-based lacquer, the polyurethane is supposed to dry for 3 HOURS between coats. Too late. I had already applied it in MUCH lesser time. The end product really does look nice and I’m hoping I won’t go to the shop tomorrow or the next day to find that my finish has begun to flake off or something.

Anyway, I’m now planning to give it a day or two to dry thoroughly and am eager to see how the finish rubs out. Until such time, here’s what they look like at the moment:

I actually think they look darned nice! As per usual, now that the finish has been applied, I realize I should have used a wood filler on the teak. But, hey, it’s an instrument CASE, not an instrument and it’s still going to look pretty snazzy!

Applying a spray finish mid-winter here in Pennsylvania is a luxury I have never experienced before. My mode of operation was to construct things during the winter, then move to the driveway to do my spraying in the sunshine when spring and summer arrive. Not a very efficient way to run a workshop (and there are insects outside in the summer who LOVE to walk in paint and lacquer)!

This project seems to be dragging on a bit, but next week I hope to rub out the box finish, reinstall the hardware, and proceed with finishing up the interior, making the fake-fur and/or velvet covered inserts for the respective musical instruments the boxes will house. With fingers crossed, I can say at the moment that I think I like the Target finishes!

So here we are, all cyber-preppy with my very own blog and all keyed up to upload earthshaking things for those who know me to access on the GREAT BIG WEB!!

6:30 AM – Check my emails; nothing earthshaking has come in overnight.

3:30 PM – “YOU ARE NOT CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET.”

Between the hours of 6:30AM and 3:30 PM while I was at work, a cyber-gremlin came into my home and destroyed my modem! The little green lights were either blinking or not on at all! Call tech. support, spend an hour online (nearly missing the Thai dinner I had been looking forward to all day), it has been determined that the problem REALLY isn’t my computer, really isn’t my Airport, but is, in fact, a BAD MODEM! Too late to find anyone in the warehouse (they were there when we STARTED this consultation!) to arrange a replacement; call back after 11 AM tomorrow. That was yesterday. This morning, check email at work – important but not earthshaking. Call tech. support re: modem at 11:30; told one will be delivered to the house after I return home from work 1:30 or 2:00 PM. Modem arrives at NOON, handed to my wife. Unpack new modem when I get home, install, green lights glowing brightly, “YOU ARE NOT CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET.” Try everything. Call tech. support. “I have not been trained yet on how to help you, but I’ll have someone call you when they are available.” Phone rings about 30 minutes later, knowledgable techie tells me to enter numbers in places I didn’t know existed on my computer. Green lights still glowing, hit my Internet software, YEAAAA – “YAHOO”!

Check email. Check on what Steve Jobs introduced at MacWorld this morning. Looks like a pretty neat new line of Intel-based computers. Life is good.

Back in October, I happened to hear Russian mandolin virtuoso, Tamara Volskaya, in concert with the Abaca String Band. I guess I had never seen/heard classical mandolin and, since the mandolin is very much like a plucked, fretted violin, I decided I needed to have one (I play at the violin on occasion). As luck would have it, a lady by the name of Tanya was selling her late father’s instrument collection on eBay and was selling a mandolin just like the one I had heard Ms. Volskaya play! I placed bids, I won the bid, and amazingly, I received a Russian mandolin a few weeks later from Cherkasy, Ukraine!

Unfortunately, while lovely to look at, it is not in the best of shape, so I will need to do some work on it to make it fully playable (subject for a later post…). A short time later, I received from a friend another mandolin/banjo type instrument, the name or origin of which I am still trying to find out.

It has Oriental writing and design on the skin head and back,

but I have not yet found out if it is Japanese or Chinese writing. When the case is finished, I plan to show it to the Japanese lady, Yoko, who runs our favorite local sushi restaurant to tell me if she can identify the writing.
Neither instrument came with any sort of instrument case, so I’ve decided to make each a protective case before working on the instruments themselves. Part of my incentive for making these is that I am planning to use these wooden cases as practice pieces for using Target water-based finishes. I hope eventually to use these finishes for my harps.

For the Russian mandolin, I decided to use some 1/8″ cherry plywood I’ve had for many years, and for the banjo-like instrument, I’ve used some 1/4″ teak-clad wall paneling that had been given to me by a friend, Rob Howe, at least 20 years ago.

First, I made simple boxes of appropriate sizes. It was simply a matter of cutting the 6 pieces to size for each box, then edge gluing the pieces all together in the shape of a box using Titebond III yellow glue.

Here you see the Oriental instrument lying atop its future teak home. Notice that the corners are still exposed and the lid and body have not yet been separated.

To finish the corners, the router is used cut a square groove, then to inlay a square strip of hardwood in all 8 raw corners of the box.

The corner inlay, being nearly as thick as the box material, it is necessary to enhance the corner joints so that the box pieces will not fall apart when the inlay groove is cut out. To prevent this from happening, I first of all used the table saw to separate the lid portion of the box from the lower part of the box.

ADVISORY: In separating the lid, it is important to have both opened surfaces very neat and straight. As one makes the saw cuts, it is particularly difficult to keep the saw-cut opening immobile so as to not have the saw blade damage one side or the other. My way of preventing this was to tape small pieces of thin plywood over the end cuts, thereby preventing the sawcut space from closing onto the blade.

After having cut the lid from the box, I reinforced the inside corners with fillet of thickened West System Epoxy (see diagram above).

This epoxy has a slow setup time (45 minutes to an hour) and I choose to use this particular type epoxy so as to give myself plenty of time to apply it.

The grooves were then routed for the corner inlay.

Depending upon the size of groove needed, it is sometimes difficult to fine-tune the router depth of cut. Here is the system I’ve come to use, wherein I can adjust the size to the router roller by applying plastic tape.

Having applied the epoxy fillet and having glued the hardwood inlay into the corner grooves, it is then time to consider how to deal with the raw edged between the lid and the box bottom. I chose to make finish trim for the opening as follows:
The trim pieces were formed using the table saw and a round-nose router bit.

Here are both cases with inlays and box trim applied and the corners having been rounded with a 1/4th round router bit. The teak case is on top, the cherry case below it.

Next, it is time to install the box hardware.

With the box being essentially finished, it is now time to remove all the hardware, do the finish sanding, and begin application of the final finish. This will be an activity for the upcoming week.

I had intended this entry to be entitled “Breakfast of Royalty!” For years I have enjoyed eating Weetabix for breakfast – a product of Canada which has always had printed on the package, a graphic of the Royal Crown and a statement basically saying, “Endorsed by her Majesty, the Queen of England”.

Today, as I checked out the box of ORGANIC Weetabix that I received as a Christmas gift from Jon (along with this web site), I could not find the reference to the Queen! I was devastated! For some reason, a California company has gotten permission to market an organic version of the product that, I guess, the Queen does not approve of! Happily, it tastes just as good as the one the Queen eats, so I’m still a happy camper! For those of you who have not tried it, Weetabix is a Canadian variation on shreaded wheat cereal. It is much lighter in texture and is very easy to eat (and it tastes good and is good for you!)

Weetabix, for some reason, reminds me of our family trips to the More-Than-Music music camps in Kingston, Ontario, years ago when the kids were small and still taking piano and violin lessons. These were week-long family times together and we would always get the kids up around 4 AM and leave well before dawn. As we would drive north with the sun coming up, I would be play Zamfir panpipe

music via cassettes on the car radio. Ah, memories!