Drilling
can be done by hand but if you own an electric drill on a stand, the
job will be more accurate. As for the bits, you need a 3mm (1/8 in.)
for hole no. 34 and up to hole no. 24: from nos. 24 to 14, a 2mm bit
will do. For the rest of the holes, use a 1.5mm bit. A very shallow
chamfer must now be made in the Formica around each hole, just enough
to smooth the sharp edge. If you make it too deep you may reach the
underside of the Formica, and the sharp bevel will eventually cut
through the strings.
You
can now glue the upper string bar in position. Place
weights on it and leave it overnight. Cut the soundboard along the
temporary battens, and glue it on the body of the harp, securing it
to the side rails with panel pins. When the glue is dry, trim the
edges.
Veneering
The body of your harp is now ready for veneering and mahogany veneer
is the most suitable. The whole body should be veneered including
the back, but not the soundboard, of course. Pay particular attention
to the three elongated holes on the back, as the veneer around these
holes should be trimmed with great care in order not to split the
edges. A plastic moulding should be glued around them as it will hide
the edges of the veneer and enhance the appearance.
Now,
another moulding, in wood or in plastic (gold), should hide the edges
of the soundboard, as shown on Fig. 1.2D.
Thus,
the body of your harp is virtually finished. It only needs varnishing
and decorating, and this will be dealt with at a later stage. It remains
to drill the string holes right through the soundboard, and this can
be done with a hand-drill. If your harp is Paraguayan or Celtic, you
can now make the feet and screw them under the base as in Fig. 1.8,
but do not use glue as the back feet may need readjusting for balance
when the harp is finished. If your choice was a Minstrel harp, a base
and a base plate must be made as described in Fig. 1.8, as only then
can the feet be screwed.
