Theo

Having re-read your original post I’m not sure spray mount would be the best. If you want the paper and card to be fixed permanently then you may want something longer lasting. If a lack of staining is important that will depend very much on the quality of paper and the way the image is printed. A bookbinder friend recently suggested I use a 50/50 mix of bookbinders pva and starch paste as a general purpose adhesive fir card felt and leather. This will give a very secure tight bond between the paper and card. It wouldn’t stain, but the water in it might make your ink smudge. Test it first.

You need "spray mount" adhesive. Also know as template adhesive. It's designed to be temporary.

If the blackness is just a heavy tarnish, is smooth and not flaking then I would leave it. Almost any abrasive that will remove the tarnish will also alter the tuning. Of course if the reeds need tuning anyway then go ahead. The fibreglass pen that Alex suggests is my preferred tool for tuning brass reeds. It’s gentler and more controllable than a file, and leaves a nice smooth surface.

That's a big step up Mike. Should do wonders for the upper body strength too!

Melnet uses SMF, but the big hurdle for c.net would be migrating the existing forum across from Invision. It might be easy, but it might not! The functionality of SMF is different from Invision in some ways, but it does have add-ons available which add other features, but are of variable quality. Such is the nature of open source software. We pay for our own hosting and have now found a host who gives us a very high standard of support. My co-admin is an IT professional which is also a big help. Donations from members who use our Buy and Sell forum comfortably covers hosting costs, but there is a much larger market for buying and selling melodeons than for concertinas, so this would not necessarily work for c.net.

I sincerely hope you can make the adverts less intrusive. I’ve just been offered free browsing of pictures of an adult dating site. I would be very sorry if this became a regular feature of concertina.net. I’m an admin on melodeon.net and we’ve never needed to consider advertising. Members donations amply cover hosting costs, and we use a public domain forum script.

Bone, identified by the longitudinal pores that are visible as tiny dark dots on the ends of the buttons.

Try a scratch and sniff test. Rosewood gets its name from the rose-like smell from a fresh surface.

I don’t know if you are in the business of selling instruments Ceemonster, but I am and I don’t recognise the picture you paint. Top quality instruments still sell well.

Be patient. Your price is very good for a buyer, but that doesn't mean it will sell quickly. The number of possible customers who have the funds available is quite small. It's not like selling baked beans. With a top quality instrument like this you have to be in for the long game.

Thanks Chris. I think the concertina in question was a family heirloom, so she may not be known as a player. Worth asking though.

That’s why I use low viscosity superglue. Just apply a couple of drops to the crack and it immediately travels the full length and width of the crack by capillarity. Quick and effective and little or no excess to clean up.

Thanks Andrew, that’s very helpful.

Thanks Jake, I've already tried all the obvious places like Facebook. No replay to any messages.

I've managed to loose touch with a customer! I've done some work on a concertina belonging to Trish Luckhurst from Wiltshire, possibly Swindon, or possibly Trowbridge. Does anyone know of this person. I'm not getting any response by email. Please contact me off-line if you have any clues.