tartan

Hi Guys. When joining this forum I did not introduce myself. I got involved with concertinas some 6 years ago through a challenge. My friend Mr. R. who is a maestro at playing concertina and a perfectionist told me all about concertinas. Before that, never seen one, never held one, only had contempt for something I knew nothing about. He told me the price and delivery times of a Wheatstone/ Suttner etc. which is one of his 7 concertinas. The reason given for the slow delivery was the reed pans “soundboards." I’m Irish: Joiner / Cabinet maker by trade. Specialist in high speeds auto machines. Entrepreneur Institute of Inventors. Quantity Surveyor by profession. Sorry never captured a reed in my life. Always in need of a challenge. Brings to mind an Irish song. At McCarthy’s party Everyone was harty. Someone hit Maloney on the nose. The Blarney Brothers. The game was on for me to prove how simple it was to produce in my home workshop making negative/positive patterns positive/negative patterns of soundboards and bingo!!! I needed at 60, something to do in these years I was hooked!!! Now the QS skills started kicking in costings to produce a traditional concertina at the right price. There is no doubt about the demand for a quality instrument even in South Africa. I’ll leave costing alone. Studying the concertinas from the 50’s and earlier to see what Sir Charles had left us. Bellows, frames made from spruce or Oregon musical grade timber reed pans of beech and maple frames of mahogany ply etc. Ho do they effect tone? (Don’t expect an answer). Having solved the assembly and sequential assembly problems for a one or two man hobby!!! Now came the real problems where to source traditional concertina reeds. QS. 1. To order 8000 the cost prohibitive and where from. 2. Don’t want to use accordion reeds. 3. The answer is make them yourself. Having stripped several concertinas from the 50’s. Surprise after 55 years the reeds are in a remarkable condition including latent defects and all in tune except 5 which were removed before I received them. Studying the method of manufacture i.e. slotting I see they were made on a machine with slight bearing movement. Whether by accident or design, the slots were milled with a xxx cutter. Found it!!! Sir Charles’s Eureka moment which became my Eureka moment. Gold award for Wheatstone That is my story, you may play a tartan concertina in a few years time. At this time still learning. Any info from the heavyweights and learning from all the new guys. By the way the only LUTHER I know was the Reverend Martin Luther. He nailed his thesis to the doors at Wittinburg, and caused a mighty protest, stirred up a bees nest. Protestants all over Europe. Turned the whole place upside down. Don’t confuse this Irishman by putting down two shovels and telling him to take his pick. L. DRIVER Thanks. Playing Andante c/g c/g c/g c/g.

WHEATSTONE 30 KEY HEXAGONAL 6 1/4. I RECEIVED PARTS FOR AN OLD WHEATSONE WHICH I WANT TO RESTORE TO A PLAYABLE CONDITION. HOWEVER THE SERIAL NUMBER WAS REMOVED WHEN MANY REPAIRS OR SPARES WERE NEEDED FOR OTHER JOBS. THE PRODUCTION NUMBER IS 892 STAMPED ON THE INSIDE OF THE KEYBOARD AND PENCILED ELSEWHERE. 1. BUTTONS ORIGINAL 4.5 MM DIAMETER IVORY SILVER CAPPED 50%. FELT WASHER AND FELT LININGS. 2. ACTION LEVERS WHEATSTONE BRASS. 3. ACTION PILLARS WHEATSTONE. 4. SPRINGS WHEATSTONE. 5. KEY BOARD BEACH LAM OR PLY. THERE ARE SOME 650 SERIAL NUMBERS OF KNOWN CONCERTINAS IN SOUTH AFRICA, BUT SADLY NO PRODUCTION NUMBERS. CAN ANY ONE HELP WITH A SERIAL NUMBER, ONE MORE GAP CAN BE FILLED. TARTAN

REPLY TO KAAPENAAR IF YOU WANT TO MANUFACTURE YOU WILL NEED TO EVALUATE YOUR SKILLS. 1. BE GOOD AT GEOMETRY, DRAWING AND MEASUREMENTS. 2. YOU NEED EXCELLENT WOODWORKING SKILLS AND INVENTIVENESS TO MAKE MASTER COPIES AND JIGS AND ASSEMBLY BOARDS. (a)CUTTING AND MAKING BELLOWS CARDS, BUTTERFLIES AND DIAMONDS IN LEATHER. WOODWORKING SKILLS FOR MAKING BELLOWS FRAMES AND ACTION BOARDS, THE REED PAN i.e. THE SIGNBOARD AND KEYBOARD. THERE ARE MORE THAN 1500 PARTS IN A 40 KEY OCTAGONAL CONCERTINA. IF YOU ARE SERIOUS START BY STUDYING AND MAKING REEDS, GET YOUSELF A GOOD KORG TUNER AND BUILD A TUNING BELLOWS. I MAKE YOU THIS FREE OFFER IF YOU WANT TO TEXT ME. I AM IN KWAZULU NATAL, BORDER OF CAPE. I WILL POST TO YOU THE CARDS FOR BELLOWS, FRAMES ETC. ALL YOU NEED TO BUILD 2 CONCERTINA'S. 1 30 KEY HEXAGONAL AND ONE 40 KEY OCTAGONAL INCLUDING MAPLE REED PANS. YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE YOUR OWN REEDS, BUTTONS, LEVERS, SPRINGS AND PADS, ETC. NOW YOU WILL ALSO SEE WHAT IS INVOLVED IN MAKING CONCERTINAS. THE RADIAL SIGNBOARD REED PAN JIGS TOOK 4 AND HALF MONTHS TO MAKE AND CORRECT, NOW IT TAKES 30 MINUTES TO MAKE AND SLOT A REED PAN. FINALLY EVERYTHING MUST BE MADE WITH PRECISION. EXAMPLE BELLOWS FRAME 8 PIECES OF WOOD THE ENDS CUT TO 22.5 DEGREES. 16 CUTS IF YOU ARE OUT BY .01 OF A MM THIS TRANSLATES INTO A 1.6 MM ERROR AND YOUR FRAME WILL BE TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL. MY MOBILE NUMBER IS 079 853 4533. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW VENTURE. TARTAN

THIS QUESTION IS FOR THE REED FUNDIES. HAS ANYONE MEASURED THE REEDS OF AN ANGLO-CHROMATIC NO A6 IN THE WHEATSTONE CATALOGUE 40 KEY? CAN ANYONE CONFIRM THE SLOT LENGTHS AND WIDTH OF BLADES? I MEASURED 16 SLOT LENGTHS USED OVER 80 NOTES AND THREE SLOT WIDTHS 2 MM 2.5 & 3 MM. I AM ONLY INTERESTED IN MEASUREMENTS FROM CONCERTINAS FROM THE 1950'S. NO A4 30 KEY MODEL A3 WILL ALSO WORK FOR ME. THE AMOUNT OF GRINDING OF THE BLADES HAS ALSO GOT ME SCRATCHING MY HEAD. IF THERE'S COMMENTS ON THE THICKNESS OF THE SPRING STEEL USED FOR THE BLADES I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THEM. THROW IN YOUR TWO CENTS WORTH!!!!! TARTAN