Soaking Reed plate in hydrogen peroxide

[servus]

I once bought a 280 at the fiea market real cheap. That was in the 1990s. I knew nothing about valves, combs, reeds etc. All I knew was that it wasn't playing right. I called up Hohner (in Germany where I live). They told me to send it in. They returned it with an ABS comb and all gussied up to boot - and didn't ask a penny for the work. I guess they used to give lifetime guarantees. I have no other explanation. I still have the instrument. I should give it a go again.

[Ed McCullough]

Yesterday evening I used ye Olde Google.com to search for words something like "Brendan Powers chromatic harmonica comb 270".

The response list was rather long and showed combs for prices around $32. I never did go directly to Brandon Powers' website and see what he has there.

[Gnarly He Man]

https://www.brendan-power.com/combs-hohner.php

We’re pals, but I’m not a business partner.
I should spend some money on his stuff, but haven’t recently.

[smojoe]

As I mentioned 24 years ago, linen micarta is one possibility for combs. But I wonder how much 'flu-flu' it would throw when milled. It is usually used in high power electrical switches.

Il uomo con non chiamare

[Gnarly He Man]

Chris Michalek was starting to make combs with denim just before he died.
Tom Halchak has a bunch of custom combs, don't think he is doing chromatic tho.

[Ed McCullough]

Today I cleaned my French horn mouthpiece and some of the pipes by soaking them for 10 minutes in normal apple vinegar. They came out clean after only 10 minutes. Can you think of any detriments of soaking harmonica reedplates in vinegar?

[Gnarly He Man]

I've tried that, didn't seem to help.

[smojoe]

I had mentioned linen micarta to Chris. He couldn't find out where to get the size(s) he needed. I gave him a piece from the power board from the old abandoned Laurel hill tunnel of the Pa. Turnpike. Don't know if he ever used it. Twas about 1" x 3" x 10", (25x75x250mm). And since denim is much like linen fabric, I suppose it would work with pressing multi layers in epoxy resin. Under pressure till it oozed out some. ?

You could also use polyesther resin but that is usually used for earth bound products (like cars) whereas epoxy is used for the rather hostile environment of salt water. (like boats).

Vinegar is a very mild acetic solution. Not sure about apple. I would think that citric acid powder mixed in water, OR swimming pool/brick cleaning muriatic would be much quicker. Would have to be careful with the timing though. I once tried a quick, very quick, wash of something called 'Goof-Off'. It had the proclivity to goof off all of my valves. lolol.

The boy who knew too much

 

[Age]

Today I cleaned my French horn mouthpiece and some of the pipes by soaking them for 10 minutes in normal apple vinegar. They came out clean after only 10 minutes. Can you think of any detriments of soaking harmonica reedplates in vinegar?

Pretty sure it would take the tarnish off, then again, it might make it totally black. Try it on an old plate.

[Age]

I had mentioned linen micarta to Chris. He couldn't find out where to get the size(s) he needed. I gave him a piece from the power board from the old abandoned Laurel hill tunnel of the Pa. Turnpike. Don't know if he ever used it. Twas about 1" x 3" x 10", (25x75x250mm). And since denim is much like linen fabric, I suppose it would work with pressing multi layers in epoxy resin. Under pressure till it oozed out some. ?

You could also use polyesther resin but that is usually used for earth bound products (like cars) whereas epoxy is used for the rather hostile environment of salt water. (like boats).

Vinegar is a very mild acetic solution. Not sure about apple. I would think that citric acid powder mixed in water, OR swimming pool/brick cleaning muriatic would be much quicker. Would have to be careful with the timing though. I once tried a quick, very quick, wash of something called 'Goof-Off'. It had the proclivity to goof off all of my valves. lolol.

The boy who knew too much

Yeah, I never thought about muriatic acid,🤔 but I'll bet the valves will get hosed in that stuff. Hmmm!

[Ed McCullough]

I think I have a gallon of 100% acetic acid leftover from my days in wet darkroom photography. Does anybody want to come over and buy it from me?
I suppose I could stop using vinegar and just dilute the heck out of the pure acetic acid and use that on my salad.

[Gnarly He Man]

I had mentioned linen micarta to Chris. <snip> And since denim is much like linen fabric, I suppose it would work with pressing multi layers in epoxy resin.

Interesting--so he got the idea from you!

You're like Forrest Gump, ain'cha Joe?

[smojoe]

Hence the dichotomy A.J. Does one want to give priority to cleaning the reed plates, OR does one prefer to retain the windsavers. One of the major struggles of life.
 
Think of it this way. A fellow named Neil DeGrass Tyson wrote a book. And he says that since scientists (which he claims to be), aren't interested in sea level as an imperative, that Mauna Kea in Hawaii is actually taller/higher than Everest. He 'claims' that when measured from the sea floor (19,700 ft.) added to the volcano (13,803 ft.) the total is 33,503 ft. OR taller than the 29,029 ft. of Everest.

So, here's the fun part. I TOO can play that game. When taking the lowest point (Phillipine trench) and adding THAT to Everest, the total is 64,482 ft. Almost double that of Mauna Kea. Take that Mr. Tyson. Check mate and touche. lolol.

Yes Gary, I'm no one to mess around with. Chortle chortle. But I can't take credit for something that others may have been working on. There isn't a plethora of things that haven't been tried in the harmonica world by some of the old timers.

The count..... who loves accuracy