Rod Pearce

Paul I contacted Steve a while ago. He said he has no stock of brass for reed making. He did offer some advice of what spec of material to use, together with a possible source. I am reluctant to 'publish' Steve's his comments for general viewing without his permission as it was a one to one conversation. However, if you feel you would like to know his comments then PM me and I will OK it with Steve first. Rod

If you have a fretsaw with a fine blade you may be able to cut a slot in the top of the broken bolt and turn it out with a small screwdriver.

Hi Geoff Is the button bushed? If so has this worn allowing the button to move sideways? Similarly, the locating hole for the button, is this enlarged? Has the lever arm or pivot post become bent, pulling the pad over? Has the pad loosened over time, and need securing? Check the affect the spring is having as you press the button up and down. I have had the situation where the spring pulls to one side rather than staying put. A small tweak to one side has cured the problem, or a replacement spring. Have you tried operating the button with the end removed so you can see exactly what is going on? I'm sure there are other possibilities.

Thanks , Paul. Definitely worth a call to Steve. Regards Rod

Don, Dave Thanks for your replies. I will go with the source I have found and see how it goes Regards Rod

I had raised this post as a continuation of an earlier thread entitled Making A Brass Reed For An Antique English Concertina , but it has become overshadowed. So I am raising it as a new thread in its own right in the hope of attracting further responses. I am interested in having a go at making some new brass reed tongues to replace several broken ones in a Lachenal 48 key English, but I don't know what specification of brass to use. There are a number of UK suppliers of brass sheet on the internet, e.g. https://www.metaloffcuts.co.uk/product/natural-brass-sheet/ but I would not know what proportions of copper / zinc would be suitable for concertina reed tongues. This website sells its sheets with the following specification , Grade CZ108 (Cross references UNS – C27200, ISO – CuZn37, EN – CW508L) also known as common brass and has a composition of 67% copper and 37% zinc ( I know the maths doesn't add up, but that is what it says). Would this be suitable? If you can offer any advice I would appreciate it. Thanks, Rod Chris, thank you for your earlier response . I will follow this up.

I am interested in having a go at making some new brass reed tongues to replace several broken ones in a Lachenal 48 key English. This thread describes a process in some detail, but isn't specific about the specification of brass sheet needed There are a number of UK suppliers of brass sheet on the internet, e.g. https://www.metaloffcuts.co.uk/product/natural-brass-sheet/ but I would not know what proportions of copper / zinc would be suitable for concertina reed tongues. If you can offer any advice I would appreciate it. Thanks, Rod

This is how I started to make my own springs - courtesy of Alex Holden https://www.holdenconcertinas.com/?p=831 All the steps and materials are listed here in great detail. It works very well for me, though my winder is not as elegant!

Where are the reeds located - in the same area of the reed pan or spread about? If they are in the same area it may be that you are losing air in that location under the higher pressure caused by a warped pan or badly fitting gaskets?

Photos of the broken ends may be helpful. Where are you based?

Chris Why not try calling / mailing Steve Dickinson at Wheatstone Concertinas. I'm pretty sure he has the stock left over from when Lachenal went out of business (contact details below). I'm not sure this would include replacement ends though, particularly if it is an early instrument. Alternatively you could have new ends made. There are a number of makers / repairers on the site. Telephone: +44 (0)1449 615523 Email: concertinas@wheatstone.co.uk 21 Bridge Street Stowmarket Suffolk IP14 1BP UK

I have had the situation where the lever arm is being depressed by the underside of the end. probably caused by a slight warp in the wood or the pivot /arm being too high. This caused the pad to be slightly open when the end is closed. but appears OK when the end is removed. A tweak of the arm has cured the problem.

Yes, Dave. The leather is wider than I suggested. My memory is fading! Regards Rod

Genepinefield It may be that the problem is you are using synthetic leather. How stretchy is it? When I have fitted new top runs, I have used skived goatskin leather, and this can be easily shaped over the apex by puling it to stretch it slightly, and using the thumb and forefinger in a backwards and forwards motion over the curve until the creases disappear. I usually fit the top run all the way round first, then come back to each apex in turn and work it flat while the glue is still wet. Using a cloth damped in a little warm water helps with the flattening and cleaning off surplus glue. The leather is skived to 0.5 to 0.7 mm. Also 20mm width seems a bit big, From memory I would use about 12 mm wide

There is a 1 year old Rochelle for sale on ebay. It is in the UK, but may be worth a look. Depends on your budget. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255039433543?hash=item3b6188eb47:g:afEAAOSwA0Bg1cvC

Larten Have a look at this. It is a bit on the long side but explains the principles very well http://www.concertinaconnection.com/concertina%20reeds.htm To increase the gap I use a feeler gauge between the reed and its frame. and twist it upwards slightly a step at a time, checking it each time to see if it is sounding, until I get the level I am looking for. If the reed is too high I use a thin wooden stick (cocktail stick) to push it back down lowering the set.

Ramron Do you feel confident enough to open it up? If so. check the corresponding reed. Is it present? It could be missing, or dropped out of its slot into the body of the instrument. If this is the case you can cut a sliver of paper and fit it along one side of the reed chamber to improve the fit of the reed. If present, is the reed tongue in tact? If not, you will need to get a replacement reed. If yes,check for debris in the reed and remove by sliding paper between the reed tongue and frame. Also check the end of the tongue is slightly above the frame, otherwise the reed will not sound. There are plenty of entries on this forum of how to adjust the reed. It is also worth checking the corresponding valve is not stuck in the slot, as this will prevent the reed from sounding. Consider purchasing a copy of Dave Elliott's Concertina Maintenance guide for resolving these sorts of problems.

Doodle I assume you need Anglo straps? If so, I have a couple of new sets installed on instruments that are currently sitting on a shelf. I won't be parting with them . They came from Mark a year or so back and have hardly been used, The straps are Design no 1 on Mark's website. I may also have a set of D rings, but I would need to check. I am willing to remove a set and lend it to you until yours come through, at which point you can return it. It may take a few days to organise, though If that's of interest send me a PM Rod

Geoff, Stephen Thank you for your responses. I gather from what you say that although I should expect differences, what I am hearing from the 30-key is weaker than it should be. As all the new components are from the same source, I will continue down the path of trying to improve fit of the reed pans and gaskets to see if it will retain more air. I am also a little suspicious of some of the reeds, given the state the woodwork was in when I started. Perhaps I am expecting too much from what was effectively a wreck, and should be happy that it plays again. I will continue doing small changes over time to see what improvement can be achieved. Thanks again.

I have both a 20 key anglo (Campbells of Glasgow) and 30 key anglo (late Lachenal), both of which I have restored to a playable standard in the last 12 months, i that order. I am noticing that the 30 key is appreciably quieter than the 20 key. Is this to be expected, or should I continue to work on the 30 key to increase its volume? Both have new pads and valves, but the 30 key needed new springs and lever arms and bellows due to damp and rust. I have also noticed that the 20 key is also much 'tighter', but I cannot locate any air loss in the 30 key. Perhaps it is the spring tension, or the newer pads? Any thoughts? Best regards Rod

Gary Thanks for your suggestion. Unfortunately I don';t have the text to hand as it was ruined prior to renovation. I am going from memory and what I can see from pictures on the internet, If I can find one with enough numbers and definition I will try your suggestion. Regards Rod

Thanks Mike. I can't find Lisong Pro either but....................... How about this one? Clarendon Light BT. Wikipedia says it was created in 1845, so would have been around when the instruments were being made. I prefer it to my previous choice 1234567890 Clarendon Light BT

Don Thanks for your reply..I have looked at the Caslon typeface, and I don't think it is that as the numbers don't look rounded enough. I have tried some examples using MS Word and have come up with a few that seem to fit pretty well. My favourite is Sans Serif, so I think I will go with that. 196655 Times New Roman 196655 MS Sans Serif 196655 Franklin Gothic medium 196655 Century

Does anyone know the typeface /' size used by Lachenal for their later instruments, specifically the instrument number label? IT looks a bit like Times New Roman, but the tails on the round numbers aren't rounded enough I need to recreate the label which in not salvageable. The instrument serial number is 199655. Thanks in anticipation Rod

It has been a few months since I last posted progress on this renovation. The concertina is now back together as a working instrument. I have had to reglue all the frames and action / pad boxes which had all fallen apart due to damp. I have also made a new bellows as the old one was also ruined. OK, it isn't perfect as some of the sides don't quite line up but it all seems to work well enough. The pads, springs, lever arms and valves are all new. I have re-polished in blonde French polish to bring out the grain I still need to do a fine tune. I am quite pleased with how it has turned out given the wreck I started with. I won't be selling it as it is the first 30 key instrument I have had, and I intend to learn on it. Thanks to all contributions to this and other related threads, there were several points on the journey where I felt it was a hopeless cause but you helped through them. I will leave you with a picture of how it looks now. Best regards Rod ☺️