Skran

It's an English concertina. Yes, I thought about buying a "pad sandwich". But I would also love to do all the steps myself... I guess if I can't come up with a better idea this would be a good solution.

I got a fairly cheap, very broken, concertina a while ago. My plan is to restore it. I want to get to know the processes of repairing and building and mainly do it for the sake of doing it. But I'm unsure what material to get. I searched the forum but couldn't find information that suit my situation ( If there are other post/-s about this on here, please point them out to me). At the moment I need leather for new pads. The leather that has been recommended in posts about pads was always either only available in big quantities (l don't think I need a whole skin at the moment), very expensive, and/or from businesses in the USA or UK (I'm based in Germany and don't want to spend 30-50€ for shipping only). Can anyone recommend any shops OR does anyone has ideas about cheap DIY alternatives to new leather. Some people might disagree, but this will be my first all on my own concertina repair and I'm totally fine with not top quality options and DIY stuff. I don't have a huge budged and at the same time am aware, that I will have to spend some to get the right material. I came across car towels out of leather and was wondering if that might work. But I don't know if those are air tight. Maybe getting a leather jacked from a charity shop and skimming/shaving it down to the desired thickness? Any ideas are appreciated.

Sadly I can't open the link you posted Maybe this video can help with some misconceptions here. The inner reeds are very much tuned from the outside as well.

It is always difficult to make a remote diagnosis. Did you have a look inside? The first thing that comes to my mind is to check the valve. But it could be a million other things as well.

I would jump in (I hope that's ok) and ask if anyone knows where you can get good leather in the EU. I have some experience with exchanging pads, but have always been lucky enough not to have to get the materials myself.After searching the internet, I'm not much smarter. I found this company https://www.herzogleather.com/en/organ-building-leather/ and was thinking about the pneumatic leather they offer. But a whole skin would be too much for my needs (~50 to 100 pads max). I would prefer to be able to use the same leather for other things like valves as well (would that be possible?) to keep the hassle of ordering as small as possible.

Just a few words about (re-)waxing reeds. I agree with Theo. Wax shouldn't be melted over fire. It can be melted in wax melting pots. You can find them in art supply stores (for batik work). Traditionally the wax is applied with a wax-knife or wax-spoon. Be prepared for some dripping in just the wrong moments the first time (and then a few more times). It's a bit tricky to find out how to get a nice steady flow of just the right amount of wax. But at the same time its not rocket science to get a result that might not look pretty but will do the job. And one more thing. If you end up with wax drips in places you don't want to(you most likely will), wait till it cooled down and solidified again. Then scrape it off. When you drip on any valves or reeds. Wait as well, then clean it with some White spirit. That way you don't destroy the valves or reeds.

Many Thanks Stephen Chambers! That is already way more than I was expecting to find out.

don't know if you still need anything. I have the same model. Unfortunately, it was not stored properly (not by me, the previous owner) and is moldy. Therefore, it is now lying around in pieces at my place. I do not know if I can help you further, because parts of mine are broken too, but let me know if any measurements, info, photos... could help.

I recently got my hands on an old broken English concertina. While working on it I got curious if anyone knows more about it. like what kind of concertina it is or when it was made approximately. I found a stamp on the inside (picture) and was able to decipher R. or K. Flintan, Weybridge Surrey, .....? Can't read the bottom part. It is also marked with the number 268. I don't really know much about identifying/dating concertinas, so I appreciate any information. Cheers