A Facebook friend asked about Tuning-Embossing-Shaping. "Knowing when I'm getting tired and/or impatient and knowing when it's time to get up & walk away."
Would you like me to make a video about your "best" mistake? Contact me and let me know your ideas!
I design and cut my combs using a CNC mill. This is just a few seconds of one of my CNC mills in action. Here I am cutting a single test comb.
My Dark combs™ are made from a material that is very dense. I need to spray water onto the endmill to keep things cool.
Once cut, I finish, flatten and check each comb by hand myself to ensure it is up to spec so as to provide best performance and outstanding tone. I do not tolerate any air leak. I fix it before it leaves my workbench.
I have improved my embossing tool to provide more flexibility (and safety) at the rivet end. With it, you can emboss with a wide range of angles all along the length of the slot.
Here is an illustration of what the different angles of embossing look like if you zoom in really close to a cross-section of the slot.
This is embossing at a 45 degree angle:
This is embossing with a smaller angle:
Why is the angle important?
I visualize each slot as a tiny swimming pool. In my model, when the reed hits the water it creates a splash and the angle of the embossed edge can change the direction of the splash.
Here is the reed just before it hits the imaginary water:
A sharp angle would make the water "splash" further away.
Here the angle of the embossed edge is a lot smaller. A smaller angle would make the water "splash" higher
Different angles can offer different results as far as tone and response. You can use different angles on different portions of the slot. I encourage you to discover what is the best pattern for you.
