Building a harp from scratch

[Paul A.]

My 12 year daughter wishes to build a harp for a school project.

[Charles]

Paul,

Once you start building harps it’s kind of addictive.

There is a great Yahoo Group called Harpmakers.

It’s packed full of professional, first time, hobby builders.

Also you could give the fine folks at musicmakers a call

they are super friendly and helpful.

I hope this helpful,

Charles

[galen-reed]

Re: epoxy…

[carl-swanson]

Galen- It’s not that the glue must be weaker than the wood. It’s that the glue must be reversable so that the violin can be taken apart if it ever needs repairs or adjustment. Hot hide glue is certainly stronger than any wood when it’s used properly. And the beauty of it is that it’s easy to loosen it, with heat.

Epoxy is a one way street. Once you’ve used it, your stuck forever with the results. Same is true of epoxy paint.

To the original post: Spruce is not a substitute for maple. In a harp, the maple is necessary for structural integrity and spruce is necessary for sound. They are two completely different functions.

[Paul A.]

Thanks everyone!

[jessica-wolff]

Sitka spruce is fine for soundboards (on both harps and guitars), but not for backs and sides.

[harp guy]

Or the NECK/Pillar!

Having built one of the musicmaker kits, and knowing people who have built many harps from scratch, it really is necessary to build everything but the soundboard from a hardwood species like maple, walnut, cherry, rosewood, etc. Oak isn’t necessarily a good idea because the grain is so straight (using it in the neck would risk breakage because the short grain length in the curve of the neck). That is, unless you don’t mind the sides and back matching the neck/pillar assembly. In that case you could probably build the sound chamber (except the soundboard) out of oak without too much trouble.

Usually it’s recommended to laminate the neck, but if I am not mistaken Musicmakers usually produces this model with a solid neck… I think. It’s such a small harp that as long as you avoid hardwoods with really straight grains, and make it the thickness indicated, it should be okay I think.

Use sitka spruce for the soundboard.

[Paul A.]

I talked to the folks at musicmaker.

[Charles]

Paul,

I can’t wait to hear

[Paul A.]

I will send an update now and then.

[Karen Johns]

I’ve built two Musicmaker harps from kits- the Voyageur & the Limerick. Both very nice-sounding harps. If you have any questions I would be happy to help in any way. And the folks at Musicmaker’s are top-notch- you are working with a great company!

Karen

[carl-swanson]

-most marine grade epoxies are used for impregnating fiberglass cloth for composite boat building, they can not be used alone for gluing, fillers must be added-

Paul- Why do fillers have to be added when using marine epoxy to glue wood? I use West System 105 epoxy to glue a layer of carbon fiber into my necks. So actually I’m not gluing wood to wood, but rather wood to carbon fiber to wood. It’s the only place in the instrument where I use epoxy. So my question again: why the necessity to add fillers, and what do they do? Thanks. I might add one thing. We started doing this at my factory maybe 15 years ago, and I’ve never heard of a single one of my necks having any problems.

[Charles]

[carl-swanson]

Charles- I’m not sure I understand what you are asking. Are you talking about a pedal harp?

[michael-rockowitz]

Paul,

Here’s a potentially useful site for you from :

Sligo Harps

If you scroll down the page, there are various useful links related to harp construction that Rick Kemper has written/assembled.

Michael

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