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torquillI was looking back on my previous posts about the harp(s), and realizing how things have changed during the process.
Originally I wanted a black-and-blonde harp for the Desert Witch, with a black pillar and string rib. I managed to get very light wood for the sides and pillar, but when I finished the neck it turned out brown. During second assembly I looked it over and decided that a black pillar would create a tricolor harp, which I really don't want. So I threw that out and finished the pillar in natural, never mind the blemishes which I had fixed with wood filler and figured would be hidden by black lacquer. I figure if it were perfect, it wouldn't be the Witch.
This also changed a lot of my design ideas for painting the harp. I think I won't be able to really lay out the designs until after final assembly.
I changed the head shape just after I cut the head for the Desert Rose (which was part of the point of a sister harp, as a trial run). I wanted the Witch to be sharper, more triangular, following the line of the pillar. I had to assemble it before I could finalize the line, but it came out well.
I had to drop the lowest bass string when it became evident that the modified design I was following required the pillar to overlap the soundboard for stability, and it would overlap straight onto the hole for the lowest string. I had a choice of cutting the pillar away a bit, or trying to drill a hole through the tail of it so the string could pass, but I finally settled on just making a 28-string harp. If I were to do another, I'd probably extend the soundboard and tweak the shape of the pillar just enough so that its overlap could happen a half-inch further down the soundboard, but that won't be happening for this harp. After all, the current soundboard is the most unique part of it.
I spent a lot of time turning dowels on the lathe, because 1.25" pine dowels are not 1.25". I might consider using hardwood dowels next time, as the expense of the oak or maple would probably be minimal compared to the sheer time and hassle.
I'll be cutting variable-size holes in the back, because I hate the optical illusion of uniform holes descending a long trapezoid. Fortunately, I have more than a 2" hole saw at my disposal. I should be able to get a 3" hole at the bottom and 2" at the top, with intermediates between, which looks pleasing when pencilled in.
I didn't expect the soundboard to need special treatment, until my test-finish revealed that the luan turned dark and blotchy with shellac (and just dark with oil). Oh dear. I had a brainstorm, and used the CrystalLac I had on hand (I had bought a tub thinking it might help smooth the grain on the neck piece) to seal the soundboard first. My test looked promising, so I smoothed on two coats ever-so-carefully with a putty knife, waited a week, and sanded it smooth. (I avoided the string rib glued to the middle, because I wanted mineral oil on the maple to bring out its luster.) That did the trick, and I came out with wood that looked almost exactly like it had at first blush. Still, I hadn't expected that little plot twist, and I'll have to remember it for the Rose.
I originally wanted aluminum tuning pins, as guitar tuning machines have too many moving parts that can be gummed up with playa dust, and brass corrodes. I cut over twenty pins in 1/4" aluminum, and found that they were anything but uniform. So I considered stainless steel instead. My dad shot that down, saying that stainless is very hard to cut, and perhaps we should consider a different cutting tool... I was skeptical, until I finally tried the Diamond Tool that he bought. It uses tangential cutting, meaning that it cuts like you'd peel an apple, rather than straight-on. I made thirty-two beautiful, uniform aluminum pins in about four hours, then gave them square-drive ends on the milling machine. The bridge pins have been a bigger hassle, actually, as my cutting method wasn't terribly precise and left me having to grind them to exact length. I'll correct that for the Rose.
My first plan was to create the Desert Rose first, or in tandem with, the Desert Witch. As Burning Man grew nearer, I've had to put the Rose aside and focus on the Witch. Still, it was very helpful to have two rounds while cutting the pieces to shape, and when finishing the wood I have scraps to test on rather than relying on another harp to go first. I'll still push to finish the Rose, because that will hopefully recoup a bunch of the expenses I've incurred on the Witch. Assuming somebody wants to buy a Paraguayan harp with brass tuning pins. :)
I'm amused that one of my first ideas, finishing with shellac, seems to have been a very good choice. It's turned out far nicer than I expected, and it isn't nearly as hard to work with as I heard. I actually rather like it, and I appreciate it still more after doing a keyboard tray in polyurethane. (You want a PITA...) Shellac will be far easier to repair than lacquer, it's easier to apply, and it has excellent acoustic properties.
It's been quite a ride. We'll see how it finishes up.
Originally I wanted a black-and-blonde harp for the Desert Witch, with a black pillar and string rib. I managed to get very light wood for the sides and pillar, but when I finished the neck it turned out brown. During second assembly I looked it over and decided that a black pillar would create a tricolor harp, which I really don't want. So I threw that out and finished the pillar in natural, never mind the blemishes which I had fixed with wood filler and figured would be hidden by black lacquer. I figure if it were perfect, it wouldn't be the Witch.
This also changed a lot of my design ideas for painting the harp. I think I won't be able to really lay out the designs until after final assembly.
I changed the head shape just after I cut the head for the Desert Rose (which was part of the point of a sister harp, as a trial run). I wanted the Witch to be sharper, more triangular, following the line of the pillar. I had to assemble it before I could finalize the line, but it came out well.
I had to drop the lowest bass string when it became evident that the modified design I was following required the pillar to overlap the soundboard for stability, and it would overlap straight onto the hole for the lowest string. I had a choice of cutting the pillar away a bit, or trying to drill a hole through the tail of it so the string could pass, but I finally settled on just making a 28-string harp. If I were to do another, I'd probably extend the soundboard and tweak the shape of the pillar just enough so that its overlap could happen a half-inch further down the soundboard, but that won't be happening for this harp. After all, the current soundboard is the most unique part of it.
I spent a lot of time turning dowels on the lathe, because 1.25" pine dowels are not 1.25". I might consider using hardwood dowels next time, as the expense of the oak or maple would probably be minimal compared to the sheer time and hassle.
I'll be cutting variable-size holes in the back, because I hate the optical illusion of uniform holes descending a long trapezoid. Fortunately, I have more than a 2" hole saw at my disposal. I should be able to get a 3" hole at the bottom and 2" at the top, with intermediates between, which looks pleasing when pencilled in.
I didn't expect the soundboard to need special treatment, until my test-finish revealed that the luan turned dark and blotchy with shellac (and just dark with oil). Oh dear. I had a brainstorm, and used the CrystalLac I had on hand (I had bought a tub thinking it might help smooth the grain on the neck piece) to seal the soundboard first. My test looked promising, so I smoothed on two coats ever-so-carefully with a putty knife, waited a week, and sanded it smooth. (I avoided the string rib glued to the middle, because I wanted mineral oil on the maple to bring out its luster.) That did the trick, and I came out with wood that looked almost exactly like it had at first blush. Still, I hadn't expected that little plot twist, and I'll have to remember it for the Rose.
I originally wanted aluminum tuning pins, as guitar tuning machines have too many moving parts that can be gummed up with playa dust, and brass corrodes. I cut over twenty pins in 1/4" aluminum, and found that they were anything but uniform. So I considered stainless steel instead. My dad shot that down, saying that stainless is very hard to cut, and perhaps we should consider a different cutting tool... I was skeptical, until I finally tried the Diamond Tool that he bought. It uses tangential cutting, meaning that it cuts like you'd peel an apple, rather than straight-on. I made thirty-two beautiful, uniform aluminum pins in about four hours, then gave them square-drive ends on the milling machine. The bridge pins have been a bigger hassle, actually, as my cutting method wasn't terribly precise and left me having to grind them to exact length. I'll correct that for the Rose.
My first plan was to create the Desert Rose first, or in tandem with, the Desert Witch. As Burning Man grew nearer, I've had to put the Rose aside and focus on the Witch. Still, it was very helpful to have two rounds while cutting the pieces to shape, and when finishing the wood I have scraps to test on rather than relying on another harp to go first. I'll still push to finish the Rose, because that will hopefully recoup a bunch of the expenses I've incurred on the Witch. Assuming somebody wants to buy a Paraguayan harp with brass tuning pins. :)
I'm amused that one of my first ideas, finishing with shellac, seems to have been a very good choice. It's turned out far nicer than I expected, and it isn't nearly as hard to work with as I heard. I actually rather like it, and I appreciate it still more after doing a keyboard tray in polyurethane. (You want a PITA...) Shellac will be far easier to repair than lacquer, it's easier to apply, and it has excellent acoustic properties.
It's been quite a ride. We'll see how it finishes up.
