I'm proud to say that I've sanded even more and am nearing the end of the sanding process. I need to now switch up to a 320 grit paper, sand it all again, and then do an interesting process. My mentor suggested that I should coat a small cotton piece of fabric with a very small amount of water, barely damp. I should then gently rub it across the surface of the wood and let it sit for a bit. I then should sand off the slightly risen grain. That will help my varnish go on much smoother. I'm pretty excited. I can see the end in sight!
Or, at least the end of the harp's construction. After it is built, fully assembled and everything, I have to sew myself a case for it. That means I have to learn how to sew, and I have no idea how to do that. This will be a fun experience.
And for the few that read this, here's a picture of the harp so far.
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Here I am, playing my Voyageur Harp named Pelleas!
We all know how tedious the Senior Project can seem to be, what with 60+ hours of new learning. I hope to make my experience count, though, so I am constructing a Voyageur Harp from the Musicmakers ( www.harpkit.com ). Feel free to comment! Great news! The Musicmakers Website has now linked this blog to the testimonials page for the Voyageur harp. Salutations to all who came here from Musicmakers.
The Harp So Far
Here I am, playing my Voyageur Harp named Pelleas!
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About Me
- Matt
- Lynnwood, Washington, United States
- I am Matt, a college student. I love the harp, astronomy, calculus, and classical music. I like gazing in the glorious sky, taking pleasant walks on the beach, and marveling at the beauty of nature.
7 comments:
Great project, Matt! I'm elated to see that you've put so many pix online (more PLEASE!). I'm working on the same harp -but in Europe- and it's very helpful to see the approach of others. I'll be finishing in shellac and adding Truitt levers. How 'bout you?
I will be adding a full set of Jordan levers, due to the economic affordability, ease of installation, and similarity to loveland, which I am use to. I will also be putting on a varnish, the same one Musicmakers sells. It's really great to hear from someone else who's building a harp.
Matt! What a terrific project! Thank you for sharing your challenges and victories with us. I'll be watching for more. Now that you've had some experience, do you think a middle-aged woman with very little woodworking experience can do this? I've always assembled kit/kd furniture (desks, shelves, etc), and 20 years ago I built a weaving loom from a kit (and loved it!), but I've never tried anything as intricate as a musical instrument. Do you think I should go for something simpler first, say one of Musicmaker's Reverie Harps? Thank you for sharing!
Karen in Idaho
I think that you very well could. I have had very little real experience with carpentry, and with a little help from extra hands at the beginning, I found this to be a rewarding, entertaining, appropreately challenging, and exciting project. I have complete faith that you would succeed in what you do. I think that a Limerick harp may be appropreate, due to its aesthetic quality, decent range, easy assembly score, and small size. I would have started on that first, but my project had to be a larger harp to pass. You should create your own blog, too, and chart your journey. I'd love to see it.
Nice progress. I can't wait to see the final project. Tell Miss Johnson I want to be a judge for your project. Oh, maybe you can't judge the project of a person you consider a son! bev
Hi Matt! I just found this link from the fall and checked out your senior project during our super intriguing and fascinating faculty meeting this morning. It looks awesome and I am so impressed! I can't wait to see the finished product! Great work, it sounds like it has been a meaningful experience for you. You make me proud! ~ Hunter
It has been a meaningful experience, Hunter. I've learned a great deal. As you have taught us, change and growth can only come through conflict. I feel like the largest conflict in this project was my own patience. I have now, I feel, become for patient because of this.
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