Koch Fidelio Concert-Artist

These first two pictures are Top And Underside as it arrived. A bit bent, rusty bells, tarnished and oxidised covers, which, like the plates are made of ZINC. The photos look better than the harp really was at this stage. It is a single sided, 32 hole 16 reed instrument. Only the top plate has reeds, the bottom one being blank.

The second pair of pictures, show on the left,partial stripdown with the bells derusted and the covers after removal of all the dings and bends that shouldnt have been there! One of the combs was broken, but luckily the piece was still inside the harp. This was glued back in place with "Superglue".
In the righthand picture you can see the tarnished blank plate on the underside.
Looks like rust in the pic, but is in fact zinc oxidisation
Covers have been polished at this stage, ready for lacquering..

On the left are the various constituent parts, cleaned repaired, lacquered and ready for reassembly. The wood combs are carefully cleaned with a miniature rotary brass brush to clean out any "gunk".

On the right you can see the harp, ready for its covers with the blank plate in situ and sealed with wax. (Its impossible to get thin zinc off without deforming it!) Comb has been recoloured and lacquered using hard setting clear nail varnish.

And here lastly, we have the finished job !. No bends, dings, rust or tarnish. Guess it must be c.a.1910.? Maybe you know. Think its a scarce one.
Now, if I can find that shot gun, I can have a go at the 1812 overture!!