Post by Rex on Mar 12, 2018 16:21:31 GMT
Sarge sold me a nice Chrometta 10. Now I'm sure he isn't spreading nasty germs, but I like to clean used harps just as a matter of course. This is one of the older ones made in Germany and is held together with small pins. I used a 1 inch C clamp and two Allen set screws to remove the pins. I put an Allen set screw over the head of the pin and used the C clamp against the set screw and the point of the pin and pushed the head of the pin into the hole for the Allen wrench. When the clamp had done all it could I used pliers to pull it the rest of the way out, twisting as it went. These are a tight fit. I think I can press them back in the same way using a smaller set screw over the point end and pressing against the smaller Allen set screw and the head of the pin. I marked all the pins by taping them to a piece of paper with a diagram of where they came out so they could be replaced into the exact same holes. If they seem loose I will take a tiny punch and hammer and mash the receiving hole just a bit for a tighter fit. The pins could be replaced by screws and nuts but don't think that will be needed.
Sarge is a very clean player. Once apart I couldn't see anything that needed cleaned. Don't eat food while playing and your harps stay clean inside. Since it was apart anyway I cleaned the comb and slide and covers. A tiny spot inside the bottom cover needed a tiny amount of rust buffed out but it was just on the surface and cleaned up nicely. The reed plates had valves so I worked around them with Q-tips and alcohol. The valves themselves were the toughest. I cut strips of paper towel and used a needle to put damp strips between the valve strips and then gently pulled them out while applying gentle pressure with my finger. Then I used dry strips of paper towel the same way to finish the job. That took some time. In fact, I only have one reed plate done but should find some time later today (hobbies come last) to finish the job. I won't be able to play it for a couple of days because everybody in my house has a cold right now and I'm not going to clean up a harp made like this just to blow germs back into it! In fact it may be longer before I play it because I am currently practicing Irish tunes on the tremolo for the coming holiday.
Sarge is a very clean player. Once apart I couldn't see anything that needed cleaned. Don't eat food while playing and your harps stay clean inside. Since it was apart anyway I cleaned the comb and slide and covers. A tiny spot inside the bottom cover needed a tiny amount of rust buffed out but it was just on the surface and cleaned up nicely. The reed plates had valves so I worked around them with Q-tips and alcohol. The valves themselves were the toughest. I cut strips of paper towel and used a needle to put damp strips between the valve strips and then gently pulled them out while applying gentle pressure with my finger. Then I used dry strips of paper towel the same way to finish the job. That took some time. In fact, I only have one reed plate done but should find some time later today (hobbies come last) to finish the job. I won't be able to play it for a couple of days because everybody in my house has a cold right now and I'm not going to clean up a harp made like this just to blow germs back into it! In fact it may be longer before I play it because I am currently practicing Irish tunes on the tremolo for the coming holiday.
