Harps and sunlight
Bud Wertheim (bwertheim@zelacom.com)
Thu, 22 Aug 1996 09:09:42 -0400
Debra is correct, sunlight will not damage a harp. As an old time luthier. I
have repaired many fiddles and re-varnished them. The only proper way to
cure the varnish is either in direct sunlight or use an ultraviolet light.
It's the ultraviolet rays that do the curing. I have a cabinet lined with
reflective material and several long ultraviolet lamps in each corner with a
fan for air circulation (vented to the outside). The violins and
occasionally other instruments like dulcimers and once a harp, are hung
inside the cabinet to cure. Prior to the cabinet, I cured them in sunlight
on dry sunny days. It is important not to use driers in the varnish to
hasten curing as the driers tend to make the varnish brittle and leads to
early crackling of the surface. A properly cured surface will remain
flexible for many, many years.
>>Date: 21 Aug 96 9:58:00 EDT
>>From: Debra Knodel/HQ/3Com
>>Subject: Harps and sunlight
>>To: EMARGERUM <EMARGERUM@mecn.mass.edu>
>>I think it is more important to keep harps out of intense heat for extended
>>periods of time (like more than 10 minutes in an enclosed car??) than to keep
>>them out of direct sunlight. Sunlight does affect the finish, but the
sunlight
>>itself doesn't damage the harp or the strings - it is the heat that does that.
>>Harpmakers, am I correct?
>>Deb Knodel
..............Bud