Stephen Selby

So. Everything done. New pads, new valves. Yet... There is still some breath through the pads, even though I can't blow back through them from the back. The reed pan is not leaking around the edge. Is it the high pressure that does that? Is it an inherent issue with miniatures? Or do I still not have the pads set right?

The amazing Nicole Murray (from Australia) has provided the following, detailed information about the photographs: Here is the story for image one, which comes from New Zealand: https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/04-02-2018/the-most-badass-photograph-ever-taken-in-new-zealand/ And here’s the story for image two, which is Australian: https://www.facebook.com/LandlineABC/photos/a.655982667795317/2347068868686680/?type=3&theater

From Wikipedia: ""Truth was a newspaper published in Sydney, Australia. It was founded in August 1890 by William Nicholas Willis and its first editor was Adolphus Taylor. In 1891 it claimed to be "The organ of radical democracy and Australian National Independence" and advocated "a republican Commonwealth created by the will of the whole people",[1] but from its early days it was mainly a scandal sheet. Subsequent owners included Adolphus Taylor, Paddy Crick and John Norton.[2]"

Is this a comedy skit or social satire? Someone reading a publication called 'Truth'; Someone aiming a gun; someone holding up a bottle of whiskey, a skull and cross-bones, someone getting a haircut. concertina, mandolin. Not an ordinary day in the life of clogging folks.

The Zulu design reflects the fact that the concertina 'squashbox' was a Zulu national instrument in colonial days. I had rather wondered whether the image above was racist; but concluded that it represented a real marketing of a Czech product. If you look up 'Zulu concertina', you will find lots of interesting history and recordings.

STOP PRESS: I did it! Took a lot of force; but one side had more give than the other. Once one reed pan was out, it was no trouble to push the other out from inside the bellows.

Is it an English? I have lots of Lachenal spares if you're short of anything.

I looked at that. It doesn't secure anything and only goes in about 2mm. It doesn't give enough purchase to use pliers and I'm nervous about trying further without expert advice.

I have attached some photos of a Wheatstone English miniature dating from around 1962. I need to do some minor maintenance on the reeds. 1. How do I remove the reed pan? There's nowhere to get a purchase. 2. What are the little metal brackets (below the half-removed long screw)? There's one at each end. They fit into holes and come out easily. Observation: the leather seals on the reed pan look really clunky. Is that how they made them in the 1960s?

Thanks for this invaluable advice.

Do you?

Compare: http://manningsmusicals.co.uk/concertina/rare-wheatstone-miniature-english-concertina/

Three long screws and three to hold the cover plate?

Can you explain the difference in the long screws, please?

Does anyone want to sell one? Or make one for me?

Would the slots in the ends have been to allow insertion of a music holder?

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?