Hal. An additional tip. Someone told me at MLAG that instead of wax paper that no longer works you can use the liner to a cereal box. I tried it, bought a couple store brand big boxes of corn flakes, threw away the flakes and box and kept the liner. I just siliconed two harps. It worked great. Silicone didn't stick! Try taping it down to a flat surface (I used some plexiglass I had on hand). When taping it down stretch it out to take out wrinkles. Can reuse. I dusted them with baking powder, which is largely corn starch. In addition I found out that trimming it by laying it on cardboard and using a razor knife to cut down one side was quicker and more accurate than using scissors. I did use scissors to trim gaps between pads. Anyhow, thats what I know. David Shucavage
Hal, you’re working in what’s now the largest autoharp manufacturing and maintenance facility in the world, so your view carries some weight! I just got a chance to hang out and visit with Pete, Greg, John and Ray at MLAG, but this is the 1st I’ve heard on this. My needs for felt are minimal - mainly for my own harps and those of occasional students, but what with the decline of the autoharp in general visibility and popularity this comes as no surprise. We can be thankful that George, Tom and Greg got a handle on the making of autoharp strings, which is another choke-point on the making and maintenance of autoharps. My first thought is that one other industry which uses lots of felt is the manufacture and maintenance of pianos. Is felt in _sheets_ of varying thickness and stiffness available for piano repair? If so, it should be straightforward at the scale at which Pete and Greg work to fabricate machinery to cut it into accurately sized strips with appropriate widths on the scale at which you all and Greg Schreiber work. I’ve observed that Greg, in particular, because of his background as a machinist, is quite adept at making and modifying tools to do specialized manufacturing jobs. I’ve worked in his shop making strings for him and have admired his creativity in adapting and improving his string winding machine! The REALLY specialized part of autoharp felt has to be the peelable, self-adhesive backing. It isn’t essential, but makes the job truly DIY. Thanks for the tip on waxed paper. We’re always dependent on other people’s manufacturing methods, no matter how remote they seem. Where can we get the mold release compound you show? I’m truly an “old timer” who went through many tubes of silicone sealer for both pre-treating felt on bars and for refurbishing bars with notches.
hmmmmmm... I am a textiles person. I felt bags and artsy stuff, boots etc.. I know there are machines in the textile/ home crafter world that can make "prefelt" sheets...for folks making garments its a very loose thin felt, you decorate with other fiber, and then felt is harder. But... with that said, how firm or soft your prefelt sheets are is determined by how many passes through the machine, and how thick the layers are you lay down in the machine before felting..... this might be worth looking into for having your own source of firm felt at a thickness you want....
Yikes! I just ordered 20 feet of felt from Ebay yesterday! They say it just shipped from Michigan and is on its way. I hope it will be okay! If it isn't, I'll try your silicone trick.
Michigan...that's probably Elderly? Yeah, I don't know what autoharp felt they sell, but it's not this stuff. We are the only people who recieved it. Might be oscar schmidt, might be some that's left from Aetna. YOu should be ok
What depressing news. As someone with well north of 100 chord bars in various stage of needing new felts (I'm really tough on them) I guess the only thing for me to do is to NOT go to MLAG this week, and just sit in the basement, depressed and not playing.
Those are all good do it yourself solutions but take too much time in the quantity we need here at the shop. Plus it's hard to find mouse pads anymore . Routerpad has to be doubled and silicone...but can work.
If you mean polyester I think the current Oscar Schmidt stuff might be. Not sure might even be acrylic. But if you mean rubber or neoprene they have been tried. Neoprene has some promise but is difficult to cut and a time sink to apply correctly. Some people like it. Rubber is either too soft or too hard. Stuff like weather stripping or window gasket doesn't hold up.
Neoprene is not difficult to cut at all. Much easier than felt. I have used both and self adhesive neoprene strip is very convenient. Here in the UK it is a good alternative because piano felt is too hard.
Hal. An additional tip. Someone told me at MLAG that instead of wax paper that no longer works you can use the liner to a cereal box. I tried it, bought a couple store brand big boxes of corn flakes, threw away the flakes and box and kept the liner. I just siliconed two harps. It worked great. Silicone didn't stick! Try taping it down to a flat surface (I used some plexiglass I had on hand). When taping it down stretch it out to take out wrinkles. Can reuse. I dusted them with baking powder, which is largely corn starch. In addition I found out that trimming it by laying it on cardboard and using a razor knife to cut down one side was quicker and more accurate than using scissors. I did use scissors to trim gaps between pads. Anyhow, thats what I know. David Shucavage
THAT IS AWESOME. I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO TRY IT! 😊
Hal, you’re working in what’s now the largest autoharp manufacturing and maintenance facility in the world, so your view carries some weight! I just got a chance to hang out and visit with Pete, Greg, John and Ray at MLAG, but this is the 1st I’ve heard on this. My needs for felt are minimal - mainly for my own harps and those of occasional students, but what with the decline of the autoharp in general visibility and popularity this comes as no surprise. We can be thankful that George, Tom and Greg got a handle on the making of autoharp strings, which is another choke-point on the making and maintenance of autoharps.
My first thought is that one other industry which uses lots of felt is the manufacture and maintenance of pianos. Is felt in _sheets_ of varying thickness and stiffness available for piano repair? If so, it should be straightforward at the scale at which Pete and Greg work to fabricate machinery to cut it into accurately sized strips with appropriate widths on the scale at which you all and Greg Schreiber work. I’ve observed that Greg, in particular, because of his background as a machinist, is quite adept at making and modifying tools to do specialized manufacturing jobs. I’ve worked in his shop making strings for him and have admired his creativity in adapting and improving his string winding machine!
The REALLY specialized part of autoharp felt has to be the peelable, self-adhesive backing. It isn’t essential, but makes the job truly DIY.
Thanks for the tip on waxed paper. We’re always dependent on other people’s manufacturing methods, no matter how remote they seem. Where can we get the mold release compound you show? I’m truly an “old timer” who went through many tubes of silicone sealer for both pre-treating felt on bars and for refurbishing bars with notches.
Hi Lindsay; Pete sez he gets the Mold Release Agent from a place called Freemansupply.com or you can go to Amazon.
hmmmmmm... I am a textiles person. I felt bags and artsy stuff, boots etc.. I know there are machines in the textile/ home crafter world that can make "prefelt" sheets...for folks making garments its a very loose thin felt, you decorate with other fiber, and then felt is harder. But... with that said, how firm or soft your prefelt sheets are is determined by how many passes through the machine, and how thick the layers are you lay down in the machine before felting..... this might be worth looking into for having your own source of firm felt at a thickness you want....
Yikes! I just ordered 20 feet of felt from Ebay yesterday! They say it just shipped from Michigan and is on its way. I hope it will be okay! If it isn't, I'll try your silicone trick.
Michigan...that's probably Elderly? Yeah, I don't know what autoharp felt they sell, but it's not this stuff. We are the only people who recieved it. Might be oscar schmidt, might be some that's left from Aetna. YOu should be ok
I've got a good supply of felt from D'Aigle in reserve thank goodness. I'm wondering though, if the self adhesive foam weather stripping would work?
Nope.
@@wildautoharp OK, thanks, I was just wondering but I was thinking not. :)
It never hurts to ask
@@kristischutz8229 Very true!! :)
What depressing news. As someone with well north of 100 chord bars in various stage of needing new felts (I'm really tough on them) I guess the only thing for me to do is to NOT go to MLAG this week, and just sit in the basement, depressed and not playing.
Or buy a new AutoHarp!
whatever happened to mouse pad? router pad? what else?
Those are all good do it yourself solutions but take too much time in the quantity we need here at the shop. Plus it's hard to find mouse pads anymore . Routerpad has to be doubled and silicone...but can work.
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
OMG RUSH ON FELT! OH NO…..
Is there such a thing as poly felt?
If you mean polyester I think the current Oscar Schmidt stuff might be. Not sure might even be acrylic. But if you mean rubber or neoprene they have been tried. Neoprene has some promise but is difficult to cut and a time sink to apply correctly. Some people like it. Rubber is either too soft or too hard. Stuff like weather stripping or window gasket doesn't hold up.
Neoprene is not difficult to cut at all. Much easier than felt. I have used both and self adhesive neoprene strip is very convenient. Here in the UK it is a good alternative because piano felt is too hard.