Musicmakers BALLAD HARP KIT User manual

BALLAD HARP KIT
Assembly Instructions
Musicmakers
14525 61st ST CT N
Stillwater, MN 55082
Updated February 2021
WOOD PARTS
A. Soundboard, Aircraft Birch
B. Back Panel
C. (2) Sides
D. (4) Long Trim Strips, Sides
E. Short Trim Strip, Back
F. Short Trim Strip, Front (Drilled)
G. Inner Reinforcement Bar
H. Pillar
I. Pre-drilled Neck
J. (2) Feet
K. Top Block
L. Arched Cap Block
M. Inner Brace
N. Base Reinforcement
O. Base Block
HARDWARE
Scrap Soundboard Piece
(34) Threaded Harp Tuning Pins
Brass Driver for Tuning Pins
(10) Threaded Bridge Pins, Large
Allen wrench, 3/32”
(24) Threaded Bridge Pins, medium
Allen Wrench, 5/64”
(24) Medium Brass Eyelets, 1/8”
(10) Jumbo Brass Eyelets, 3/16”
(2) #14 X 2” Wood Screws, Square Drive
#3 Square Drive Bit
(8) Wood Screws, 1-1/4”
(14) Wood Screws, 1-5/8”
(3) Wood Screw, 2”
Wood Dowel, 3/8” x 2”
(2) Maple Wood Plugs, 3/8” dia.
Maple Wood Plug, 1/2” dia.
Harp Medallion, 3/4” dia.
(3) Drill bits (1/8”, 7/64”, 3/16”)
(2 oz) Wire Nails, 17 guage, 3/4” long
(4) Rubber Bumpers
(4) Screws for Bumpers, #6 x 3/4”
Tuning Wrench
Set of 34 Harp Strings
Spacing Guide for Bridge Pins
Assembly Instructions
A
BCD
E
I
F
G
J
H
K
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M
NO

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We strongly recommend that you use a common woodworking glue like Elmer’s
Carpenter’s Wood Glue or Titebond because they hold the parts more securely than
most other adhesives, and they are inexpensive and easy to use. DO NOT assemble the
wood parts of this project with 5-minute epoxy or super-glue or hot melt glue. The
yellow colored Elmer’s or Titebond is best.
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TIPS TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT
Inventory and inspect all your parts carefully. If anything is
missing or defective, please call or email us right away.
_____A.
_____B.
_____C.
Read through the entire assembly instructions before you
start, just to get an overview of the project. This will also
help give you an idea of what tools you will want handy
to complete the project. We highly recommend having an
orbital sander to complete this project. It will help cut down
on a lot of sanding time.
Take your time and enjoy the process. Building a musical instrument is an experience
to be savored, not a race to be won.
If you make a mistake somehwere along the way - please don’t worry about it. Every
mistake can be fixed and the majority of mistakes won’t be noticeable by anybody
butyou.
pPay special attention to notes in these boxes. These notes highlight crucial aspects of
the build or steps that, done incorrectly, can really mess up your project.
A NOTE ABOUT GLUE
We also recommend checking off each step in the directions as you finish it. You might
be skipping forward to another part of the assembly while waiting for something to dry,
and it helps to keep track of where you left off.
When gluing parts together, be sure to put enough glue on the joint to wet the
entire surfaces to be joined. A good sign of proper gluing is that a little excess will
squeeze out around the joint when clamping pressure is applied. Too little glue
may cause the parts to separate later, whereas too much glue makes things messy.
Always keep a damp rag handy for quick cleanup, as necessary. It is especially
helpful to keep your fingers clean while gluing, because gluey fingerprints have
the embarrassing tendency to appear on the finished product in prominent
places.

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ASSEMBLE THE FRAME
____1. Clamp the harp sides to your bench. This will
help prevent the sides from sliding around
during the assembly process. (fig. 1)
(This may seem like an odd way to start, but
it really helps to hold both side pieces firmly
when drilling pilot holes for the screws. We sug-
gest reading through step 5 to understand how
the parts will go together.)
____2. Dry fit the base block and inner top block to to
each side ensure a good fit. (fig. 2) You’ll need to
check the fit on one side and then flip the part
over to check the other side.
If the pieces aren’t perfect, you can adjust them
with a hand plane or sanding block. It’s easier to
remove the excess BEFORE the parts are glued
in place. You can remove the excess by using a
sanding block, hand plane, or power sander.
(fig. 3)
No
Gaps
FIG. 1
FIG. 2
FIG. 3
____3. Drill three, 7/64” pilot holes in both sides for
the base block screws, as well as 2 pilot holes in
both sides for the top block screws. (fig 4)
Be sure to tilt the drill bit to drill parallel to
the plane of the sides. If you drill the holes
straight down, you might split the wood of
the sides.
FIG. 4

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____5. Flip the harp over so that the glued side is on
top. Use the top block to help balance the sides
together. Align the base block, and insert the
screws for the remaining side. (fig. 8) After the
base block is attached, insert the remaining
screws for the top block. Make sure to clean up
any excess glue.
FIG. 6
FIG. 7
FIG. 8
FIG. 9
Place the frame on your bench so that the front
is facing up. (fig. 9) The front is both longer and
wider than the back.
Find and check the fit of the inner brace. Orient
the brace so that the taper matches the taper of
the sides. Be sure that the ends of the brace set
flush with the edges of both the front and back.
____6.
NOTE: Sometimes the brace is not the cor-
rect length to fit between the sides. This can be
caused by poor cutting on our part, but more
likely the sides have bowed a little from humid-
ity changes after we prepared them. You can
check that with a straight-edge and push or pull
the sides into alignment as you glue the brace
in place. If a brace is simply too short, howev-
er, you can shim the space with a thin scrap of
wood. If too long, use a disk sander to remove
a small amount without changing the angle or
rounding the end. If the brace is too thick to
slide into the dado, you can sand it a little at a
time with an orbital sander.
This brace serves two purposes:
1.) to straighten the sides during assembly and
2.) to keep the body of the harp from
deforming later under string tension.
____4. Apply glue to the sides where the base block
connects, as well as where the top block con-
nects. (figs. 5, 6)
Insert 1-5/8” wood screws to connect one side
to the base block. (fig. 7) Make sure to clean up
the excess glue as you connect the sides to the
both the top and bottom blocks. Insert screws
to connect the top block on the same side as you
did the base block.
FIG. 5

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____7. Apply glue and clamps. Please note the various
methods of clamping. Taping scrapwood to the
outside will make it easier to apply the bungee
cord. Choose the method that works the best
for you. Orient the clamp where the brace is
located. Be sure to clean up excess glue drips
that might interfere with installation of the
front and back panels. Practice fitting pieces
together without glue. (figs. 10, 11)
Fig. 10 shows the use of f-clamps (aka. bar or
pipe clamps) and scrap wood (e.g., 2x4s) to
help distribute pressure along the length of the
sides.
Fig. 11 shows the use of elastic/bungee cord,
along with 2x4s.
FIG. 10
FIG. 11
FIG. 12
PREPARING THE SOUNDBOARD
Take note that the soundboard is punch marked
on the outside surface (front) of the board.
Using a hand drill or drill press, drill the lowest
and highest punch marks with a 1/8” drill bit.
These holes will act as a guide for the reinforce-
ment strip. Perform the drilling on a work-
board to prevent the wood from tearing out on
the soundboard. Be sure to hold the drill per-
pendicular to the soundboard. (fig. 12)
____8.
Workboard
Flip the soundboard so the inside faces up. Connect the holes with a straight edge and mark
with a pencil. This line will act as a reference for gluing the reinforcement bar. Dry fit the rein-
forcement bar and trace around each end with a pencil on the inside of the soundboard. Be
sure that the reinforcement bar covers the highest hole. (figs. 13, 14 - next page)
____9.