[Woodcarver] Woodcarver Digest, Vol 1198, Issue 1

[Rochelle Summers]

On 2-Sep-07, at 10:02 AM, woodcarver-request at six.pairlist.net wrote:


> Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] Crazzy amateur harpmaker

> To: "\[Woodcarver\]" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>

> Message-ID: <286356.91410.qm at web54303.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>

> Merrilee,

> I am burning as we speak- well not really, but I am here to take a  

> break. My eyes can only take so much burning before they lose  

> concentration. It is about 2/3rds done, and I have a question for  

> youse guys. Should I add color- or not? I was thinking of royal  

> blue and gold. Oil pencil or acrylic- not sure yet. I was thinking  

> of putting the finish on first- and then adding color. Assuming we  

> cannot attach photos on this list I'll send a couple of 'in  

> process' photos for Bill to put somewhere for you to see.

> All advice will be appreciated- if not followed- LOL

> Donna Menke

> http://www.woodworks-by-donna.com

> Author: The Ultimate Band Saw Box Book

>


Hi Donna, I'm not sure if the harp kits tell you this, but I have it  
on good authority (a professional lap harp maker, and also a  
professional harpist) that the more you decorate it, the less rich it  
will sound.  The finishing product, be it lacquer, paint or oil,  
changes the tone to a more tinny sound.  Since you are making a harp  
very similar to the one the harpist played, I'd imagine that this  
rule would apply to your harps.

This might not be an issue for you; as a professional musician, my  
acquaintance has a trained ear and may be warning of a difference so  
subtle that only others with trained ears would hear it.  But the  
harp I have now, the first harp I made, is heavily decorated in paint  
(acrylic) and several layers of tung oil.  To me, since I have a  
musically trained ear, my harp sounds tinny, and I wished I'd learned  
about the decoration issue beforehand.

Since you're making two (the maple and the cherry, right?), might I  
suggest you make one look fabulously colourful and a feast for the  
eyes, and give the other just a thin coat of oil?  Then, if you can't  
hear the difference between the decorative and the plain, you could  
always redecorate the plain one.
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