Stephen Selby

Thanks for that.

Ah! A job for bent coat-hangers, methinks!

What do the pros use to hold (old) bellows open, to leave both hands free for internal repair? (p.s. 'Spouse' is not a useful answer.)

Does this work?

I shall try it and let you know. The pads were replaced only five years ago. But where I live, the climate might have affected them. There's only a problem with three or four out of 81!

Thank you for your advice, Geoff, which was spot-on, of course! On examining the action board, I find that it may have warped slightly, with the result that two or three key pegs have risen above the peg-holes so that they stick when pressed down. The solutions seem either (a) to build up the pad a bit, so that the key peg rests lower into the peg holes, or (b) to bend the lever arm to let the key down. Any advice would be welcome.

I've ordered the wax from Stewmack and I'll let you see my test run. I have a lot of worn old EC buttons to test on.

I like to show the musical notation together with the tab. I find that printing out to a .pdf file is easy for me and students. Of course, I realise the advantage of ascii text; but it seems very prone to messing up by different displays and fonts. Please see file:///Users/srselby/Downloads/Lads of Alnwick.pdf .

I need to access the action board of a 1910 Wheatstone McCann octagonal Duet with 81 buttons. From the back I can just see two medium screws securing the wrist block. So to access the action board, do I just unscrew the group of tiny screws on the metal ends? Any other advice from those who have done this?

If it adds anything, my Lachenal Crane system duet has 48 steel buttons, flat ebonized ends, Lachenal's 'English Trade Mark' with reed shoe on one wrist block. The serial number is 576. Width across the ends is about 7".

I have a leather thong attached around the wrist blocks (Anglo concertina) and around my neck. Works well.

Thanks for that advice. How do you think those letters were put on the buttons in the first place? Surely not carved? Pyrography (burned in with a brand)?

I'm restoring an 1880s Lachenal concertina to mint condition. I've even done the gold blocking on the straps. It's only for historical accuracy: I already know where the notes are 😉

Huh! No answers! So any suggestions? I don't want inks because they could leach into cracks in old buttons. It needs to be a paste that would set hard and be proof against sweat and wear.

Did it get sold? I'm interested.