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Chris Ghent gave me a bit of help with a trial piano felt to make bushes to go into keys, so that the lever arms are snug. But... as a (learning) bookbinder, I have ready access to fine, good, the right thickness leather from my Maestro that is snug, offers a cushion on the top part of the hole, or if you turn the 'bush', the tiny sausage sideways, to the top and bottom of the hole. Likewise, I can punch out the tiny pads that fit over the pads on the ends of keys. I've done a couple, and my Lachenal has not complained. I don't think it will rot or fall apart quickly.

 

Have I committed a venal sin?

 

Thanks

 

Larry

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The post WWII Wheatstones used very thin, soft leather for their arm/lever bushings. (plastic button cores) Seems to have worked just fine.

 

Many of the modern makers and repairers have placed "seat belts" over the ends of the lever arms to help secure pads on anglo concertinas.

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Leather might work but which is the better material? Without research it seems to me the felt has a greater thickness range between static and crushed and will fill the gap better and retain pressure longer. The leather will give up sooner and take an impression of the hard things each side of it. In addition, the hole in the button is essentially two cones meeting in the middle and if the meeting point is at all sharp it will cut the leather over time.

 

In the drive for quality it is worth noting no modern material has turned up as a substitute for the two materials the makers had available in the classic era. They had leather and wool baize too, and they chose baize. Either the baize was much cheaper than leather or better.

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Another thought process, felt bushings that are original turn up in concertinas and are still fit for purpose, however valves and pad facings are brittle and useless. felt has to stay compressed and to some extent flexible.

 

Dave

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been using something called Willy Cloth which is a wool synthetic mix woven felt that is commonly used on pool tables and the like. It is about the same as the woven felt from piano tuning suppliers, but is more cohesive and has no tendency to ravel even though you still use it on the bias. Having used both, I find it much superior and much more durable than the straight wool woven felt.

I second Dave's remarks about leather aging.

Dana

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I have been using 1.5mm ID silicon tubing. Does not clatter, stays in place, and fits firmly and nicely over my 1.6 mm action arms I figured it does wonders in the medical world and industry, especially as hose under the unforgiving bonnet of a car, so why not concertinas: Hmm, time will tell.

 

david

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I have been using 1.5mm ID silicon tubing. Does not clatter, stays in place, and fits firmly and nicely over my 1.6 mm action arms I figured it does wonders in the medical world and industry, especially as hose under the unforgiving bonnet of a car, so why not concertinas: Hmm, time will tell.

That's an innovative idea. Are your levers made from round rod? How does it perform on the shortest levers?

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I understood that the red felt(?) bushings on my Anglo were constructed using the self same material which was, and possibly still is, used for the ceremonial tunics worn by her majesties brigades of guards. After 38 years of play they still function well and reveal no signs whatsoever of wear and tear.

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I have been cutting little silicone rubber grommets from 1.5mm id. Tube to replace the little felt washers for 20 years and they are still going fine. There is a place for everything. The silicone rubber has enough spring to it so it isn't so good where things need to allow a lot of movement with little resistance. It does last though. It is sensitive to cuts though and tends to tear at a slit, so it does have some drawbacks.

Dana

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Alex, my rods are 1.6 mm round brass. I flatten the pivot points with a fly press (flattens to approx 2.70mm) and use 1.2mm x 5mm solid brass flat head tacks for pins. They are pressed into titanium pivot posts using an arbor press, forming such close embrace with the titanium they will never move, but I peen them anyway. Hitting the brass with the fly press instantly hardens the material at the contact point, it make a nice hard rubbing surface. When I began I used 2mm nickel-silver rods, but found the thinner rods, even with the hole through them were remarkably strong, so have settled on them.

 

Even on the shortest rods the silicon tubing does wonders, only the width of the button is needed, so there is plenty of room for the springs. I have just completed a 31 button, G/D 5 5/8 inch (142mm across the flats) instrument, and even in this confined space everything fitted nicely.

 

David

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