[Slow] "Scratch" Harp Build

[ihasmario]

8-)

Here's going to be a build diary of a large lever harp. Expect slow progress. I am posting it now (before building has begun) because I am planning the harp myself and because I am having trouble sourcing timber, but I am currently in chats with some people.

I say "scratch" because chances are I won't be doing the shaping of the big pieces of wood, because my tools are very bad for large projects like this. I also definitely won't be doing the soundboard myself.

If the timber becomes too hard to source, I may just be building a harp from precut parts. If anyone would like to help me, where is a good place to get large pieces of hardwood (Cherry, Walnut, Blackwood, etc) in Western Australia? The dimensions I need (excluding soundboard at this stage) are;
1x 4.25cm, 36.20cm, 75cm
1x 4.25cm, 11.5cm, 130cm
2x 2cm, 18.25, 127cm

Where I think the planks are going is outlined in green. Not sure of what kind of sizes are economical and if glue will be strong enough compared to solid chunks + dowels, so I am just guessing as to the plank layout so far. Lots of work and reading to be done.

The only possibly hardwoods I can find at hardware shops are poplar and red cedar, which are ok but I'd prefer something more common for use in harps since I am not sure how well those woods would go (haven't done any maths at this stage).

Depending on the wood and progress, expect a dingotone finish or something similar, 34 strings (C-A, C being red on the diagram), height around 1.5m.

Here's the basic technical drawing, except some modifications and designs to make it a bit more unique. The reported sizes are tentative and are not indicative of what will be built.

Good luck to me

[dingobass]

Over to you, Gavmiester! O Acoustic one

[ihasmario]

Going to leave the acoustic parts until last. The neck and pillar are going to be done and assembled first, which are the tension bearing parts (along with the soundboard - eek).

The soundboard, I will probably use "aircraft birch plywood" - since I am having trouble finding a large enough piece of plywood, let alone a large enough piece of spruce (and having enough money for it). I think I will probably shrink the harp a little to suit local sizes (2440mm length for the plywood). Aircraft birch seems like a pretty common soundboard material for non-pedal harps.

I actually think that overall a lever harp is an easier build than an acoustic guitar in terms of materials, since the soundbox is square and I have no idea how to bend wood. Cutting out the rounded parts is just a matter of having the tools. There's a lot more on guitars that I don't have any ideas how to build from scratch. There are quite a few harp 'kits' out there - but they become less economical since most of them are outside of Perth and the shipping cost is a killer.

I'll probably do an unstrung miniature harp before getting to this big one, but the big one is the goal.

[dingobass]

I could probably source a chunk of tassie blackwood for the sound board.... Be a heck of a lot better sounding than ply )
No problems machining it down to the correct thickness either.. I have the toys..errr...tools to do that

[ihasmario]

I'll email you the details of the soundboard as it looks at the moment some time on the weekend, and revise my size (or wood choice) depending on cost - and the maths of it since the tension on the soundboard is going to be somewhere in the region of 400+kg.

The soundboard blank, if it was Birch would be in American - 1/8", 15-3/4", 49-3/8". So it could end up being too $$y for me. If blackwood is expensive, I'll definitely give it a go on the miniature one I'll make first.

I've got a feeling that depending on the direction of the grain, the blackwood would need to be thicker though. But I need to research that a bit more.

[maxaxe]

"To boldly go where . . . . . "

Sounds scary to me, but at the same time fascinating.

[lawry]

Damn. That's one serious project you've set yourself mate. Really looking forward to the diary on this cos I have no idea how to put one of these together!

[stan]

wow, what a project. Good luck, sounds very interesting

[ihasmario]

Some slight changes, rather than designing the harp, I'll be using an existing blueprint and modifying it slightly (think blank headstocks from PBG). While I would have really liked to do a true scratch design, I simply don't have the time to bend my head around all of the physics required to get something that sounds right and won't fall apart.

Here's the three (four if you include the two sides) major structural pieces laid out. The smaller bits will come later. In the center is all the harp related hardware - 34 strings, 34 bridge pins, 34 tuning pegs. No sharping levers, which alone would double the cost of the harp materials of the harp for a fully chromatic instrument. I will probably add some later but I want to make sure the harp ends up working before I shell out the cash for it.

The gap is for a part I haven't cut out yet. Still got lots of reading to do so I know what the types of cut the blueprints refer to so I can tell DB what I need when I inevitably step into the man-cave.

Bit busy at the moment (recording a lot of music), so progress will be even slower than I expected

Cheers.