"Quacks like a Duck and Looks like a Duck ... " TIP OF THE WEEK 9.16.13

Hello Harp Techs
This blog will be for you HT's experimenting with composite comb materials ...

Materials such as Diamond Wood or Pakka Wood are a favorite materials for harmonica customizers, and for good reason. Imagine a comb that looks like wood, sounds like wood, but will never warp or get swollen from moisture (heck, I even put my composite based harmonicas into the ultrasonic bath for deep cleaning). This is possible because this material is actually wood with resin mixed/pressed together. Many knife handles, gun stocks, etc. also use this composite material for it's durability and aesthetics.The resin allows the material to be polished to an absolutely flat, and air tight fit between the mating surfaces of the comb and reed plates.

This weekend, I built a Pakka Wood based Marine Band 1896 and was reminded that resin is a plastic material, and requires a different approach when using the drill press and disc sander.

TIPS
Be mindful of your drill press chuck RPM (speed) and use bits that are plastic friendly. If the bit spins too fast you will overheat (destroy) your bit and comb (if it smells/look smokey, your rotation was too fast!).

For your 10" disc sander, use a quality sandpaper in the 180g range. Don't allow the paper to clog. The resin debris heated by friction will cool quickly, and permanently clog your sandpaper--UGH!. Use an abrasive cleaning stick (looks like a large gum eraser) to frequently clean the disc sand paper.

Your Harpsmith,
Kinya