Wheatstone Concertina Retoration Project

[HelenG]

Interesting that the reeds on yours, changed tuning, though. Are you going to re-tune them? I liked using a large size Exacto knife the best, for fine tuning, there seemed to be less stress on the tongues, with less distortion to the contour. If you tune them, keep in mind that the small reeds sound about 15 cents sharp outside the box, so you will have to compensate.

Jon

Hi Jon - sorry I haven't been around - am half tuned! What's an Exacto knife? this messing around with wet and dry sandpaper is a bit time consuming! I measure the sound with the whole thing intact then file off as much as I think on all the reeds, then refix and tune again making a note of all the measurements as I go - I'm within 10 cents on everything on the left hand and am just starting to look at the right hand. Have managed to break a bit off one of the chamber edges - very thin! I hope I've managed to mend it but it was a bit hard and I daren't open up the left hand end again at the moment to finish off - just a couple of steel reeds being a bit difficult. After that only the papers to put on and then it's finished - unless something goes really wrong - I wouldn't put it past some of these brass reeds to fail as I'm not all that sure what I'm doing, but at the moment they seem OK. Have a great Christmas, Helen

[Jon C.]

Hi,

A exacto knife is a craft knife with replacable blades. I used the knife to scrape the reed, but it is not a good technique for sharpening the reed, just flattening it. You can also use a flat jeweler's file, but draw it down the reed, so you don't make any grooves. I had the same problem, of breaking one of the baffle walls, but it glued back together without a problem. Well, just go slow and keep at it!

Take care, and Merry christmas!

Jon

Edited December 22, 2008 by Jon C.

[david_boveri]

Hi,

A exacto knife is a craft knife with replacable blades. I used the knife to scrape the reed, but it is not a good technique for sharpening the reed, just flattening it. You can also use a flat jeweler's file, but draw it down the reed, so you don't make any grooves. I had the same problem, of breaking one of the baffle walls, but it glued back together without a problem. Well, just go slow and keep at it!

Take care, and Merry christmas!

Jon

 

exacto knife doesnt sound like a good way to go about it. but yeah, i've done the same thing on a harmonica, lol.

Edited December 23, 2008 by david_boveri

[Lee Sinclair]

I'm not sure if you are aware of the Wheatstone in the Edinburgh collection? It looks almost identical to the one in the photos and dated 1858. The only difference I can see is the Edinburgh one has glass buttons. http://www.flickr.com/photos/14702822@N03/4523610320/

I have just bought a similar model on ebay and hope to do a full restoration on it. Hope I can do as good a job.