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Chapter Three: Saving A Jeffries Bellows


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Some of the previous bad patching was actually an advantage. It was easy to remove.

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I've found the best way to loosen old patches and bellows papers is to use warm water and cut up sponge pieces.

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It is easy to put the pieces right where they are needed to keep the leather to be removed moist. they can easily be renewed by dipping and squeezing them in warm water. How wet you make the sponge allows control of the application of moisture. What you do not want to do is get the underlying card wet to the point where it loses its integrity. Slowly but surely you can lift the patches a little at a time. Sometimes the old bellows paper comes off in clumps but more often there is a process of wetting and scraping, wetting and scraping.

 

Getting the replacement leather ready. Sharfix skiver, sharp Israeli blades, supple lambskin leather.

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I use Tandy Leather Weld glue for my bellows work. Wally Carroll introduced me to it and I have not found anything better. It dries in about a minute so there is time to properly position and reposition if necessary. First two gusset patches are on. I like to lay down the valleys first and then cover with the gussets. post-120-0-66356200-1485923849_thumb.jpg

Edited by Greg Jowaisas
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I noted that you put your gusset patches on the outside. I'm not questioning your work because clearly you are one of the experts, but David Elliot's book advises patching from the inside to keep the bulk down / for cosmetic reasons. Placing them on the outside certainly would be easier because of access and visibility. The one and only gusset patch I ever placed was on the inside because of the book's advice. When do you put gusset patches on the outside and when do you put them on the inside?

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RWL,

If you look at the condition of the original bellows, and in particular the gusset patching, you will see why I chose to do a lot of outside gusset replacement. In many cases in removing the patch there was no underlying gusset left.

 

I don't believe I have any interior pictures but I'm sure there was some internal gusset patching done as well. You are correct in that patching from the outside can lead to extra bulk on a bellows. Since many of the exterior patches took the place of the original gussets and the fact that I used my best and thinnest skived sheepskin for gusset and patching material led to the result that my customer and I were very pleased that these bellows did not bulk up and still closed nicely.

 

The reason for putting the gusset over the valley is that it gives you double protection in a leak prone area. I've had to reglue nearly all the leaky valleys on several bellows made by a prominent maker who chose to "butterfly" the bellows folds instead of using conventional valleys. Wheatstone concertina bellows during the 50s and 60s used the same technique and sometimes were prone to valley leaks as well.

 

Good question. I used a careful and particular technique for a special case.

 

Greg

Edited by Greg Jowaisas
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