Harping on It a Little

Whew! After a few weeks of rain and cold that kept me out of my partially-heated studio for most of the time, we’re now experiencing our more typical May weather of sun, some fog, and some warmth. (Warm in Santa Cruz is anytime the temperature is over 65 degrees.) The warmer days make it better for glues to set well and for finishes to dry more efficiently.

Because of the nice days, I was able to finally finish the small, medieval-style harp I’d been trying to complete for the last month. It is approximately 75% salvaged wood. The back is coopered, like old wooden barrel and tank staves, and made from strips of poplar and black walnut. The soundboard, post and peg “beam” are maple.  I call it “Mercury, The Winged Messenger.” It has 15 nylon strings, tuned diatonically, two octaves, in a C-major scale.

The poplar came from a friend who had been contracted to remove the tree, and he gave me several good two foot long logs that I milled and let dry a few years. The black walnut strips and binding are all scrap from previous projects. The maple soundboard is also scrap. I re-milled some small pieces of maple to 1/8 inch thick, and glued it top-to-bottom, so the grain runs horizontally.

Just yesterday, I finished a small stand so the harp can be displayed upright. Actually, I finished it just in time to take everything to the Santa Cruz Art League to put on display for the 90th Birthday show and Art Fair, May 23 and 24th. I’ll be exhibiting at the Art Fair in Booth 1. Hope to see you all there!

Warm weather beckons. Time to head back to the studio.

Onward through the fog!

More Shop Notes

After a record-breaking hot spell, I was able to get back into my shop for longer periods of time again and get a lot of work done. The temperatures got up into the high 90’s, which is pretty unusual for us, being only 1/2 block from the Monterey Bay. My shop got even hotter so I was only able to work early in the day. By mid-afternoon, the interior was 98 degrees. Now the fog is back and the temperature’s dropped to a cool 55-60 degrees—typical for this time of year.

On the workbench are two instruments that are coming along pretty well: a small medieval-style harp, and another Memling-style hog-nose psaltery. I have other projects I need to get back to/continue on, such as two more dulcimers, the larger Chapter House harp, and also the Chapter House portative organ. (So many projects, so little time!)

The top picture shows me sanding the “coopered” staves of the small harp’s body. Shortly after the sanding, I laid out the string spacing and drilled the soundboard for the string pins.

The next picture shows me using a small violin maker’s hand plane to shape the hog-nose psaltery’s soundboard bracing.

The last picture is my carving work area with some of the hog-nose psaltery rosettes in the process of being carved. Next to them are two dulcimer heads nearing completion.

On the restoration/repair front: I’m now working on two concert zither restorations simultaneously. I try to work an hour or two in the morning on these before I head to the studio. I have a work table set up in my garage workshop just for my restoration work. My repair schedule for the rest of the year is now full-to-overflowing with work. And… I better get going!

Onward through the fog.