Brasswork for the harp

Things are coming to a head! If nothing untoward happens this baby will be ready for strings next week.

I added some cherry reinforcing inlay to cover the topside glue line. The loop in the corner is just for fun.

Several attempts to apply an etching mask to the center strip failed. I had a really cool design worked out but here is plan B, done with various cutters in the drill press.

And here it is setting on the harp. The curved bit at the top is where the strings fan out from under the neck.

Here are the cheek bands. The holes are too close together for the same treatment as the center strip so they are just chamfered a bit. 3/4 of the nails (brass escutchion pins) are decorative. The onnes in the photo have been cut off and peened flat on the back side.

I researched the diameter of 18 ga pins and found .0403 DIA so I got a #60 and a #59 drill bit. Afterwards I had to find the pins at a different store. hey are .010 oversize, so today I invested in a couple of #55 bits. The first one broke off in the first hole I tried to drill.  The second one broke four holes short of finishing the first cheekband.
What to do?  I actually managed to sharpen the bit (.052) not just once but twice after I broke it a second time. So three broken bits, two sharpenings and I got all seventeen dozen tiny holes drilled and the decorative pins hammered in.

Here is a close up of the cheek bands. The wee empty hole are for the nails that will fasten the brass to the harp, the tuning pins will run through the larger holes.