Silent reeds and fitting bellows

[Betty]

Hi,

 

I've just started work on my Wheatstone English and have replaced the valves and springs. I've now got two notes that are not sounding in one direction. I don't think it is anything I have done... does anyone have any troubleshooting tips for trying to sort these out?

 

The next major step is to replace the bellows, which are currently held together with insulation tape mainly. I'm toying with the idea of buying a set and fitting them myself, but I'm a little bit nervous as I don't quite know what it entails. Could anyone give me an idea, so I can see if it is within the skill set of me and my boyfriend?

 

Thanks!

[Johanna]

Notes not sounding are probably due to bits of dust stuck in the reeds. Often solved by playing the note with extra force, although that might not work if your bellows are falling apart. Try cleaning (gently) around the edge of the reeds and see if that helps.

[Geoff Wooff]

As Johanna has suggested, perhaps some debris left behind when you scraped off the old glue that was holding the original valves. It quite often happens that when you take the reedpans out for some maintainence that you get a "deaf note" afterwards due to disturbing something.

Simply slide out the ofending reeds and have a look.. if there is muck jambing a reed then you will see it by looking through the reed slot, hold the reed up to a light source. It could be that you have glued the new valves too much or the leather is touching the reed or the side wall of the chamber... or If you have taken the reeds out to fit the new valves you might either have pushed a reed back too tightly in its slot (suggestion of slight wood shrincage) which could cause the tongue of the reed to jamb or you have put the suck reed in the blow side of the Pan, and vice versa...(the slots in the reedpan are not exactly the same) and this again could suggest a tight reed slot.

Good luck,

Geoff.

Edited March 23, 2012 by Geoff Wooff

[apprenticeOF]

concertina-spares.com offers a cd that details how to fit a bellows amongst other things. Worthwhile investment at 1.50 if you're not confident. If you've successfully replaced the valves and springs, I think you'll find that, especially with the CD, you will be able to fit a new bellows.

 

If you decide that you do want to tackle fitting a new bellows, I would suggest that you cast a critical eye on the chamois gaskets. Much easier to replace when you have the bellows frames stripped down prior to fitting a new bellows.

 

Doug

[d.elliott]

concertina-spares.com offers a cd that details how to fit a bellows amongst other things. Worthwhile investment at 1.50 if you're not confident. If you've successfully replaced the valves and springs, I think you'll find that, especially with the CD, you will be able to fit a new bellows.

 

If you decide that you do want to tackle fitting a new bellows, I would suggest that you cast a critical eye on the chamois gaskets. Much easier to replace when you have the bellows frames stripped down prior to fitting a new bellows.

 

Doug

 

I did the CD for David Leese, I think it is easy to follow, but then I would.

 

If Betty gets 'stuck' and not with glue, then she can always give me a phone call, or Mark at c-spares. Yes, Doug is right, do please check the bellows frame gaskets and deal with them at the same time as a bellows change.

 

Dave

[Anglo-Irishman]

The next major step is to replace the bellows, which are currently held together with insulation tape mainly. I'm toying with the idea of buying a set and fitting them myself, but I'm a little bit nervous as I don't quite know what it entails. Could anyone give me an idea, so I can see if it is within the skill set of me and my boyfriend?

 

Betty,

I ordered a new set of bellows from Concertina Connection some years ago. I simply unscrewd both ends and sent the old bellows to them. They built the new bellows on the frames of the old one, and sent it back to me. I then screwed the ends on again, and that was it!

 

Cheers,

John

[Betty]

Thanks everyone, a bit of saving to be done before I do them sadly!

 

What should I be looking at on the gaskets - in fact which bit are they??

 

The only chamois bits I know of are just behind the ends, showing through the fretwork, and the lining of the reed pans. The lining is a little dodgy in some places - I've done a bit of gluing as a fix for now where bits were sort of collapsing and sliding down the side towards a reed.

[apprenticeOF]

The chamois bellows frame gaskets form the seal between the bellows frame and the action board, and between the bellows frame and the reed pan (at the edges). The end bolts pass through the bellows frame chamois gasket and thread into inserts in the bellows frame. When you are taking the 'tina apart, the split where you transition from wood to leather. Chamois also appears as strips/sections on top of the reed chambers to complete the seal to the action board at this same juncture. Not visible through the fretwork.

 

If you don't have Dave's repair book, highly recommend.

 

Doug

[d.elliott]

The chamois bellows frame gaskets form the seal between the bellows frame and the action board, and between the bellows frame and the reed pan (at the edges). The end bolts pass through the bellows frame chamois gasket and thread into inserts in the bellows frame. When you are taking the 'tina apart, the split where you transition from wood to leather. Chamois also appears as strips/sections on top of the reed chambers to complete the seal to the action board at this same juncture. Not visible through the fretwork.

 

If you don't have Dave's repair book, highly recommend.

 

Doug

 

I agree, but then I would.

 

Dave