Squeaky Pete

I'll use some box then. I have plenty I'll have to drill out the remains of the core (thanks for the right term). I warmed it with a hot air gun to melt the glue and the remains would swivel in the button but wouldn't pull out, so I assume it is both crimped as the crimp line is clear, and glued as it is solid when cold.

Thanks for the offer. I need to fit it or get a replacement. There was a second broken button and the the clean fractures either side of the hole meant an easy and secure repair. However this one had been broken before and glue was already acting on the glue of a previous repair meaning there is no obvious way to join it. I guess I could scrape back to solid timber, mix some araldite with fine dust from the sander and build up the shape. Then at least I don't disturb the timber inside the metal.

I have a button to fix for a friend on a rather lovely Wheatstone English. The wooden spigot is broken and I'm not quite sure what to do. My plan was to remove the metal cap, carefully measure the wooden bit, turn and drill a new one and a spare or two and refit. A couple of questions though. I thought it would have been held in place with hot glue, but it looks like it was crimped and the only way is to drill it out. Which means destroying the pattern. It must be a very close grained timber, do I replace it with beech, boxwood, apple or what. Or is it easier to buy a replacement? I'm happy to plough on, but don't want to waste the time I should be spending on repairing my latest Hohner Club box.

Hi Alan Long time no see! I've got a 34 button Jones that I'm slowly rebuilding and there are some reeds missing. I gather there should be at least one button dedicated to comedy squeaks or whistles and I'd hope to restore it as such. If there are no manufacturers that currently make these effects, I presume there'd be dozens of people with a discarded whistle in the spares bin.

It arrived this morning. I've fretted out both ends now and I'll put them to one side till I get bushes organised and a few more metal buttons. The paper did distort a tiny bit so I will drill the button holes using the original ends as templates. It doesn't matter if the fretwork is the odd mm out, but I can get the drilling done spot on. Meanwhile I have 2 Liliputs more than halfway to completion and I have finally rebuild my bassoon.

That's the one! Thanks.

I don't have those icons.

There is a little green circle with a 1 in it at the top right of my screen. I presume it's to let me know there is a message, but I can find nothing in any section to access this. I'm sure I'm missing something.

I've invested in a 165mm saw. It should be winging its way to me shortly. I knew I'd seen recommendations for the best glue for the templates but could not find the relevant bit after 20 minutes searching. Annoying, as I've got some spray mount adhesive somewhere.

As it's my first try, I'm making the ends from a laminate of cheap stuff. After a bit of practice I'll probably do it again out of decent stuff. This is only thick oak with mahogany faces. I photocopied the ends and added the missing bits and glued on the paper templates with very thin PVA. The other end was a bit wet and the ink ran so I'll either do it again or use a lot of tip-ex. It's clear my piercing saw is nowhere deep enough so I'll invest in a bigger one.

I could just use 7 leaves of walnut veneer? I've got piles of the stuff.

Laminate it is then. Constructional veneer of 1.5mm oak then walnut at 90° followed by walnut same orientation as the core. I don't have lots of glues around now I don't run a joinery workshop any more, but I always have good quality PVA (and weaker stuff for Hohner bellows tape). There are plenty of bits of birch ply and loads of extra deep cramps so I'll just glue and clamp it. I'm missing a couple of buttons too. I presume if I turn them up from brass rod they will not look out of place in a month or two.

I have a 34 key Jones Anglo for restoration (Thanks Theo). The ends are beyond repair so I'll make new, but what do I make them from? I have solid walnut and some antique mahogany, walnut and mahogany veneers, also some constructional oak veneer. I was planning on making some laminated blanks, but I'm now wondering if I should use solid. Thickness is 3.2mm, though I'd imagine anything up to 4mm would be fine (though more effort to fret). I'll fret them by hand whatever I use.