Step 2, and there is already a hitch

Monday September 17, 2007 (6:59 – 8:21 PM, 1 ¹¹/₃₀ hours, 17 ¹¹/₁₂ hours total)

Oy vey. I had to test-fit the sides, base, and top of the harp together. It was difficult, considering the considerable length of the sides. Naturally, I asked my dad to come down and be an extra pair of hands to help hold the pieces together. When we did, we hit a major issue: they did not fit.

The base had a wedge-like gap in between it and a side, signaling a piece that was not shaped properly. We did not know what it was, so we tried different placements just in case a piece was up side down. Alas, we had the pieces in correct alignment. I then called up my mentor, and we had a difficult time describing it over the phone (he had no car to drive over). Gradually, he agreed with our assessment that a piece was warped. We carefully looked at each piece and found out that a side was bent inward. That was not good.

I now have to e-mail the Musicmakers and ask for a replacement part for the harp. I am upset that we had to press the pause button so early into the project, but I want to do this correctly the first time. They have a neat offer to finish constructing your harp if you have problems, but I do not want to use that feature. It is a last resort to keep this project moving.