Musicmaker’s Kits SMARTWOOD HARP KIT User manual

SMARTWOOD HARP KIT
Musicmaker’s Kits, Inc.
PO Box 2117
Stillwater, MN 55082
651-439-9120

Smartwood Harp Kit
Pre-cut Wood Parts:
A - Soundboard
B - Back
C - Feet (2)
D - Cap
E - Neck Block
F - Top
G - Scrap for notch
H - Neck
I - Base
J - Base Block
K - Bottom Trim (2)
L - Pillar
M - Sides (2)
N - Side Trim (4)
O - Reinforcement Bar
Hardware Parts:
24 Zither Pins
5 Zither Pins w/enlarged holes
29 Bridge Pins
1 Allen Wrench, 5/64”
3 Large Eyelets
2 Sets Long Barrel Screws
2 Sets Short Barrel Screws
1 Wood Screw, 2”
1 Set of 29 Harp Strings
1 Tuning Wrench
8” Strip, Adhesive Brown Felt
1 Spacing Guide
1 Oz. Small Nails
10 Wood Screws, 1-5/8”
4 Wood Screws, 2-1/2”
26 Medium Eyelets
1 Drill Bit, 1/8”
1 Drill Bit, #24
1 Set Assembly Instructions
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
_____1. Please check over your kit parts to make sure you have everything. Contact us right away if you are miss-
ing parts so we can rectify the problem without causing too much delay for you.
A NOTE ABOUT GLUE
We recommend assembling this kit with standard woodworker’s glue (such as Elmer’s Carpenters Glue or Titebond Wood
Glue). Don’t use Hotmelt glue, Superglue, 5-minute Epoxy, or the plain white School Glue -- they are not suitable for this type
of project. There is no need to look for any specialty adhesive. Every time you use glue on this project, it is wise to have a
damp rag handy for cleaning up afterwards. It is always best to scrub away any excess glue that squeezes out of the joints,
especially on the outside of the harp. Keep your hands and workbench as clean as possible too.
2.
CUSTOMIZING OPTIONS
If you are an enterprising woodworker who wants to make this project special with
some sort of decorations, here are a few ideas for you to think about. You may want
to order decorative materials now so you have them when you need them.
2 Large Wood Rosettes for the Sides
3 strips of Inlay Banding for framing the Front
Decals for the Soundboard
If you have any questions about the assembly of your
kit - please visit our online Builder’s Forum
www.harpkit.com/forum

ASSEMBLING THE FRAME
_____2. Begin by assembling the four frame pieces: TOP, BASE, and two SIDES. ese parts all have to be ori-
ented correctly to t well. We have marked the front of some parts with the letter “F” to help you. e longer edge
of the SIDE piece is the front edge. Use masking tape to hold these parts together temporarily.
_____3. When the parts are properly aligned and held
rmly with tape, use the smaller (1/8”) drill bit provid-
ed in the kit to drill pilot holes into the SIDES for the
screws. Aim your drill through the pre-drilled holes in
the TOP and BASE. e holes you drill will guide the
screws and make it much easier to screw them in without
splitting the wood.
_____4. When the pilot holes are all drilled, remove the
tape and put glue in the joints before installing 1-5/8”
screws to draw the parts together permanently. Glue
and screw both the TOP (2 screws) and BASE (4 screws)
pieces to the sides. e screws should pull the parts to-
gether fully so that some glue squeezes out of the joints.
_____5. Now that the frame is rmly assembled, nd
the little scrap of thin plywood and use that as a spacer
inside the BASE, as shown. Be sure to center it on the
BASE, ush with the top edge. Use masking tape to hold
it temporarily in place.
3.

_____6. Find the BASE BLOCK and mark the smallest surface with
an “X” and the angled surface with the letter “F”, as shown here.
Hold the block with the “X” against the BASE, next to (under) the
scrap of wood you taped down as a guide, and center it on your cen-
terline. You can use a long piece of masking tape to help you hold it
position if you like.
_____7. Use the 1/8” drill bit to put two pilot holes into the BASE BLOCK through the pre-drilled holes in the
BASE, as shown. Be sure to hold the BLOCK rmly while drilling so it does not move out of position.
Once the pilot holes are drilled, you can apply glue and use two 1-5/8” screws to fasten the BLOCK permanently.
_____8. e REINFORCEMENT BAR is a 1/4” thick strip of hardwood a little shorter (37”) than the four trim
strips in your kit. is bar will be glued to the inside face of the SOUNDBOARD. CAUTION: DO NOT COVER
THE PUNCH-MARKS ON THE FRONT (OUTSIDE FACE) OF THE SOUNDBOARD!
Make sure to center this strip on the back of the SOUNDBOARD, and start it ush with the top of the notch, as
shown.
Notch
Use heavy weights to hold the
REINFORCEMENT BAR
in place when gluing, and try
to keep it from slipping o-
center.
_____9. When the REINFORCEMENT
BAR is dry, turn the soundboard over and
count the pin-pricks in the front face -- there
should be 29 of them. If some of them are
faint, use a hammer and nail to deepen the
punches. Otherwise you might mistake a bit
of sawdust for a punch-mark and put your
drill in the wrong place!
Use the #24 drill bit to drill just the rst 3 holes (nearest the notch) through the SOUNDBOARD. is is the
larger bit in your kit. Drill all the way through the REINFORCEMENT BAR too. en switch to the smaller 1/8”
bit to drill the remaining 26 holes.
4.
INSTALLING THE SOUNDBOARD AND BACK
#24 bit (first three holes ONLY)

_____10. Now is a good time to sign and date the inside
of the SOUNDBOARD. Some people add a dedication or
message to commemorate a gi occasion. People will ap-
preciate knowing the origin of the harp in years to come.
_____11. Check over the corners of your harp frame to
see if they need any sanding or levelling. Sometimes there
are globs of glue that need to be removed before you can
fasten the front and back panels to the frame. Use 100 grit
sanding block for this process.
_____12. When the frame is ready, test the t of the
soundboard on the front (longer) side of the box. NOTE:
e panel is slightly oversize. Center it so you have equal
overhang on both sides. Align the bottom of the SOUND
BOARD with the bottom of the frame, and let the excess
length hang over the TOP (that makes for less trimming
later).
Use masking tape to hold it temporarily while you make
some pencil marks aligned with the seams at the TOP and
BASE of the box, as shown.
_____13. en use a straight-edge (or straight piece of
wood trim from your kit) as a guide to draw lines con-
necting these marks along both sides of the SOUND
BOARD. ese will be the lines that guide your nailing.
We don’t want any nails to poke out of the wood!
_____14. When ready, li o the SOUNDBOARD, put
glue along the front edge of the frame, and carefully cen-
ter the board back in position. Use the small nails sup-
plied with the kit to fasten the SOUNDBOARD BACK
in place.
Don’t nail across the top of the soundboard though. You’ll
be covering the nails along the sides and bottom with
wood trim later, but there is no trim piece for the top end.
Place your nails about 1” apart on the front.
Fit the little plywood scrap in the gap of the notch too, us-
ing a couple of nails to fasten it down.
5.

6.
_____14. e BACK panel is next. Choose which side
you want facing out, and draw lines down each side to
guide your nailing, just as you did for the SOUND
BOARD.
When ready, spread glue around the back of the harp
box and position the BACK in place. You don’t need as
many nails holding the BACK as you put in the FRONT.
We usually space them about 2” apart.
_____15. When the front and back are securely fastened,
you need to trim them ush with the box, all the way
around. Here are some options for that:
Large overhangs can be removed with a small saw, like
the Japanese pull saw shown here. We found it at ACE
Hardware, and it cuts very quickly.
Lesser overhangs can simply be sanded ush using coarse
(60 or 80 grit) sandpaper on a wood block, plus a few
hours of hard work. If you have a power sander, however,
you’ll reduce the job to 30 minutes or less. A random or-
bital palm sander is a very useful tool for this project. We
like the Porter Cable model with 5” round sanding discs.
e fastest tool for this process, however, is a router. If
you are looking for an excuse to add this tool to your
shop, this would be a good time to do so. You’ll use a
ush-trim bit for cutting o the overhanging front and
back panels, and a 3/8” or 1/2” round-over bit for round-
ing over the sharp corners of the box later in the project.
Yes, you can do the job with the power sander, but it takes
only 3 minutes with a router.
So have at it: Cut o the overhanging plywood ush to
the sides of the box.
Random Orbital
Sander
_____16. Before installing the TRIM pieces on your harp, be certain the nail heads are all tapped ush (or below)
the surface of the wood on both the front and back of the box. Otherwise the nails will prevent the trim pieces
from lying at. Use a nail-set, or sand the point o a large nail, to tap the small nails fully into the wood.
_____17. Start at the bottom of the harp to install the BOTTOM TRIM ush with the bottom of the box. Put glue
on one face of the TRIM piece and use tape to hold it in place on the bottom of the SOUNDBOARD. Make sure
the TRIM is ush with the bottom of the box. No need to cut the TRIM to exact length rst -- it will be easier to
cut aer the glue is dry.
TRIMMING THE BOX

7.
_____20. Find the two parts that make up the TOP CAP
and glue them together as shown in the le photo. It
wouldn’t be a big deal it you goofed on this step, but when
you get it right, the mounting screws will be hidden by the
NECK, and that just looks nicer.
Just put glue in the groove and press the parts together
fully. Allow at least 30 minutes for drying.
_____18. Look carefully at the long SIDE TRIM pieces.
One end of each piece has been cut at a slight angle. is
allows you to butt the angled end up against the BOTTOM
TRIM and have it t nicely.
Glue each trim piece to the SOUNDBOARD, ush to the
edge of the box, and use masking tape to hold it in place
until the glue dries.
HINT: Use just the right amount of glue on the TRIM
so you don’t end up with a lot of excess squeezing out and
making a mess on the outside of your harp.
_____19. When the trim pieces are dry, remove the tape
and cut o the excess length where the ends hang over the
edge of the box.
_____21. Now you need to t the TOP
CAP to the top of the harp body. To prepare
the box for a good t, you will need to sand
the top nice and at. e goal is to get the
FRONT, BACK, and all the TRIM pieces
ush with the two SIDES. It is not neces-
sary to sand all the way down to meet the
TOP piece -- it’s easier to allow that to be
slightly recessed.
Use 100 grit sandpaper glued to a at sand-
ing block to achieve a good at end on the
harp box.
TOP CAP & NECK BLOCK

8.
_____22. When satised with the t, tape the TOP CAP in place, carefully noting the front and back orientation
shown here. is CAP is slightly oversize, so just leave about equal overhang all the way around.
Use an awl or a long nail to punch-mark the location of the two mounting screw holes. then use the 1/8” drill bit
provided in the kit to drill these two pilot holes in the top of the harp, as shown.
_____23. Put glue on the top of the harp and use two of the 1-5/8” wood screws to screw the TOP CAP in place
on the harp body. Be sure to clean up any glue that squeezes out. It will show prominently on the outside of the
harp if you leave it.
_____24. Sand the edges of the TOP CAP ush with the harp all the way around. Here again, the orbital sander
works best with a 60 grit sanding disc, unless you happen to have a belt sander.
_____25. Your harp will look much nicer and feel better to hold and play if you round all the corners of the body
signicantly. Novice woodworkers don’t realize how much rounding they should do, so we have pictured the top
view of a nished Smartwood Harp here to illustrate the point. is harp was rounded with a 1/2” radius router
bit, which seems aggressive, but really looks and feels good.
You do not need a router to do a nice job of smoothing and rounding your harp though. A hand-held orbital
sander will do the job very well with an hour’s time or so. Be sure to wear a dust mask when sanding this much, as
you will create quite a cloud of ne powder in the room.
Yes, you will be remov-
ing quite a bit of mate-
rial from the front and
back trim along the
sides. is is good --
there’s plenty of solid
wood in these corners.
We suggest starting with about 60 or 80 grit abrasive on your
sander for rounding all the corners. Follow aer that with about
120 grit paper to remove all the scratches le by the coarse grit.
OPTIONAL ROUTER

9.
_____26. Once the body of the harp is nicely rounded, you
can try tting the PILLAR to the bottom of the box to see
how it ts in the notch at the bottom of the harp. You may
need to bevel the front of the pillar a little to get it to t fully
down into the “pocket”.
_____27. Now you can test t both the NECK and PILLAR
to the harp body. Begin by assembling the PILLAR and
NECK using the barrel nuts and longer bolts provided. Don’t
tighten the bolts too rmly -- just hand-tighten them for now.
Be sure the front of the PILLAR is facing forward. e front
is distinguished by the countersunk hole for the screw near
the bottom (and your little bevel).
Hold the NECK/PILLAR assembly up to the harp body and
check the t. Install the two shorter bolts and barrel nuts at
the back of the NECK. See note below if your NECK BLOCK
has no holes.
_____28. Drill a 1/8” pilot hole into the BASE BLOCK for
the screw that will hold the PILLAR into that pocket. en
use the 2” long screw provided to fasten the PILLAR rmly
to the BASE BLOCK. Do not use glue at this joint -- you’ll
want to be able to remove the NECK and PILLAR from the
harp in the future.
FINAL FITTING
Retrofitting Parts From Older Smart Harp
NOTE: You may need to alter the back of the neck slightly to match the
angle of this new body. Draw a pencil line on the side of the neck parallel
to the Top Cap to guide you in shaving some wood off the neck so it rests
flat atop the harp box.
Test the fit again and drill 5/16” holes for the barrel nuts to match the
holes in the neck. (5/16” is the minimum size -- these holes can be larger
if necessary). We provided an undrilled Neck Block just so you could drill
these holes to match your Neck
Just sand a bevel at the
bottom of the PILLAR, as
necessary. You want the
pillar to make full contact
with the base of the box.
Retrofitting Parts From Older Smart Harp
NOTE: If you are retrofitting a neck and pillar from an older foamcore
Smart Harp to this new wooden body, you’ll need to tune down the strings
and un-hook them from the tuning pins in order to remove the neck and
pillar from the old box. Just leave the pins and levers on the neck, and the
strings hanging in the old box for now. You’ll re-use the strings, but it is
best to keep them organized in the old harp body until you need them.

10.
FINAL SANDING & FINISHING
_____29. When you are satised with the t of all these parts, unscrew the bolts and screw so you can remove the
NECK and PILLAR for nal sanding and nishing.
Sand the entire harp with 180 grit sandpaper to smooth out all machine marks and remove any glue spots or
smudges on the outside surface. Use a sanding block where it is helpful, but just fold the sandpaper in your hand
for curved areas and inside corners. is is an important step, so take your time to inspect the entire surface care-
fully. Feel the wood surface with your bare hands to make sure it is smooth to the touch.
Don’t forget to sand the two FEET also!
Now you are ready to apply the nish. Here are some recommendations:
STAIN -- STAINS are coloring agents and should only be used if you dislike the natural color of the wood. We
oen like to stain this light-colored wood, but it is certainly not necessary. If you decide to color the wood, it is
easiest to color all the parts the same. It is more dicult to mask o the soundboard, for instance, and just stain
the sides and back of the harp body because the stain tends to “bleed” under the masking tape. If you are a novice
at nishing, or facing a deadline for completion, we recommend skipping the stain altogether.
OIL -- An oil nish (such as Watco Danish Oil) will give your wood a low luster appearance, bringing out the
natural color of the grain, but it tends soak into the wood and appear dry and “thirsty” aer awhile. e principal
advantage of an oil nish is that it can be applied and wiped dry immediately, so you can proceed to installing
hardware (and strings) right away. e disadvantage of oil is that it usually does not give much surface protection
or sheen, if that is important to you.
VARNISH -- Any regular varnish will work ne on this project, but we recommend the wipe-on Gel Topcoat
polyurethane from General Finishes. is is what we supply in our Finishing Kit. e advantages of this nish are
its simple application (no drips or runs), durability, and deep, so luster.
LACQUER -- Many professional instrument makers still use nitro-cellulose lacquer for their nish. e most
readily available lacquer is called De Clear Wood Finish. It is best to purchase a can of liquid to brush on as a
sealer coat rst, and then use an aerosol can of the same product to spray on the nal coats. e advantage of this
nish is its quick drying time, but the disadvantage is the strong odor of the toxic lacquer fumes. CAUTION:
Lacquer nish may smear some painted decorations or blister some types of decorative decals. If you plan to add
such ornamentation to your instrument, it would be better to nish with polyurethane varnish instead of lacquer.
_____30. So choose your weapon and proceed with nishing all the wood parts. Don’t forget the Feet! Plan on
applying at least three coats of nish unless you are using Danish Oil. Be sure to follow the directions on the can.
_____31. Once the nish is dry and you like the results, you are ready to install the FEET on the bottom of the
body and bolt the NECK and PILLAR back in place.
Install the 2 1/2” wood screws in the pre-drilled holes in the
feet so that just the tip is protruding from the BOTTOM.
Line the FEET up along the seam between the base of the
harp and the edge as shown in the picture.
ere are 2 surfaces on each foot that will make contact with
the ground. Orient the foot so that the larger contact surface is
coming out the back of the harp.
When the foot is properly aligned - press down rmly enough
for the protruding screws to make punch marks in the BASE.
HINT: It is helpful to pad your work table with an old
towel when you do your sanding. is will prevent adding
scratches and smudges from the table surface as you work.