Thread: Smartwood harp repair

So, loosen the strings (i taped them so they didn't fall through the soundbox, but in the end i didn't need to actually remove them from the tuning pegs)
Then remove the block and clean it up.
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More to come

So, i drilled very carefully a vertical hole, using a set square, in the block, and used a dowel centre to mark the soundbox.
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But a test fit with a dowel showed my holes were neither vertical nor aligned.
So, plan B.
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In my metal milling machine, which happened to have a 6mm cutter. It went very nicely through the wood.
I then used the dowel points again to transfer the hole positions (i think using 2 not one helped, because it kept the block parallel.)
I then used the mill to drill a vertical hole in a scrap of composite deck to use as a drill guide.
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Unfortunately i drilled the hole a little deep, and i could only find one piece of 6mm dowel which i had already cut.
So i added a tiny slice to the bottom of the hole
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And success..
Glued and Square
Next day, retension the strings.
Then a tiny adjustment to a couple of levers which were now missing the string. I suspect the levers were added after the arch started to move.
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I think it will take a little while to settle down and the tuning to stabilise. But all the strings are now playable, the levers work, it looks better and should be good to go.

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Well done with the repair.
Regards
John

Good to see it will have a few more years making music.
Hope it plays well for your daughter.
Regards
Tom