DavePraties

Many thanks All for such great advice. The fish glue/liquid hide makes much sense, with its reversible nature. Thanks also Dave for the tip about the overlap. I have tried to clean the leather overlap, and keep it undamaged to cope with just this problem. I have done this before a couple of times, but not for over 30 years, so I'm back to being a beginner! Dave.

Excellent, thanks Alex. I have both to hand, so will get going with one or other of them. Dave.

Hello All, I have embarked on replacing the chamois gasketing on a Lachenal duet. It was damaged in areas, and the bellows to end flat surfaces were completely compressed beyond any fluffing up. Would be interested to hear any advice from anyone who has done this, particularly the best glue to use - presumably one that does not soak into the chamois? Dave

Many thanks for this. Exciting to hear of vaudeville connections. How could I find more of this? What information have you that connects it to the Dixon brothers in Philadelphia? Would love to know more. Again, many thanks

Hello, Dowright, could I please trespass on your good nature and ask if you could give me a date for my two Lachenal concertinas? First one - 68key MacCann duet, no 2184. Metal ends and buttons, extended hexagon shape, steel reeds, radial reed pans. Second one - 55 key MacCann duet, no 1876. Riveted action, steel reeds, parallel reed pans, extended hexagon, metal buttons and ends, but ends not original. Inside is a picture of its owner and the written legend “ Harland and Rollison, musical grotesques” and a Bradford address. Very many thanks, Dave.( I have photographs of both if they were useful)

Hello, has any one spotted this one yet? What on earth is it? Not any kind of duet I have ever seen, but I am not an expert! D https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-WHEATSTONE-DUET-AEOLA-72-Keys-AG-1926/173268894906?hash=item2857a184ba:g:qcMAAOSwDCxa0K-h

hola i think ive just started following you on instagram :-) I too do a lot of playing in a vehicle :-) Im probably going to get hung for this but..... I get the impression that in the UK at least many concertina players are, perhaps, of a generation that is not so familiar with the various social medias available. Well, I think that there is more to it than simple familiarity with social media. I work in a University, am of a certain age, but fully aware of available social media – we use it to attract, retain, and contact students. However, although I enjoy contact with others, I simply don’t want the all-pervading density of contact offered by such systems. In the same way, I love music but don’t, unlike most of our students, want it piped into my ears from waking to sleeping and beyond. I do not experience silence as an existential void to be feared and filled. Indeed, I fear the effect of stimulation density addiction on people’s ability engage in mature reflection on what they hear, be it words or music. Aaah, how nice to be old enough to refer to the sound byte generation in a smug and patronising way!

Anyone spotted this one? it looks like a piano keyboard variant. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Concertina/263342342431?hash=item3d506d411f:g:UmkAAOSwAHBaGAhH

Has any one seen this one? Who made it? https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/morphets-of-harrogate/catalogue-id-srmor10108/lot-f2b00ea1-ca46-4349-934b-a800012ddd99?utm_source=auction-alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=auction-alert&utm_content=lot-view-link

Hi Bill, Have emailed you off-forum. Cheers, Dave.

Hi Bill, Thanks for your reply. I think I could raise the ends, but I guess I would need to work out by how much, and in what way it would distort the shape. I may go to flat ends. Roughly what would the cost be, and what CAD drawing would you need? Best wishes, Dave

Ah, right, I understand. This is what I have always known as a hollow end mill, and are available from tool makers. Don't know if the exact size needed for concertina bolts is readily available though.

That sounds like a good piece of kit Theo, was it designed for Crabbs, or is it a known tool? Do you have drawings? Dave

Hi Alex, Really enjoyed your bolt-making article. One thing struck me though, I use a late from time to time and sometimes I turn fine shafts that flex under a cutting tool. How I have always fixed this is with a traveling steady, fixed to the back of the tool post, and which moves with the saddle. Each cut, you re-set it to support the next cut. I may have misinterpreted the problem, but it may be worth a try. Best wishes, Dave.

Dave, This is great mind-focussing advice. Thanks very much for it. Whilst I'm here, should I decide to replace the crude, non-original alluminium ends with Nickel silver ones, do we know of anyone who would laser cut them if I produced a CAD drawing? Should I roll the raised part around the buttons first, or after the cutting? Dave