Noisy air button

[adrian brown]

I have a very noisy air button, since the hole in the fretwork is very worn (button diameter 4.8mm hole diameter 5.8mm) I was thinking about a reversible method of soldering a nickel silver washer to the underside of the end, to increase the thickness and reduce the hole size, but I wondered if there was any approved method of repairing this?

 

Adrian

[chris]

would sticking a piece of wood underneath and then drilling and bushing the button work?? I'm not a repairer so it's only a guess

chris

[Ann-p]

Why don't you try rebushing it with a new, slightly deeper piece of bushing felt that goes proud of the metal hole a little. It wouldn't be unsightly and is reversible if it doesn't work very well.

 

Further to this post: I have just been looking at the Steve Dickinson Anglo on "buy and sell" here. It clearly has a couple of screws either side of the air button which presumably have a wooden piece underneath for the bushing.

Edited November 26, 2012 by Ann-p

[Geoff Wooff]

As it looks as if there is no 'bushing' as such for this wind key and not a lot of space to fit one with out it showing below the fretwork... I would be inclined to fit something very simple... a piece of cork with a 'key sized' hole in it could be glued under the end plate. This would quieten the action with out any great expense. It is the key touching the metal end that causes a distinct click and your idea of making the hole back to original size but leaving a metal to metal 'fit' will cut the noise down but could cause other problems; such as, here I assume this is one of your Jeffries concertinas, there is often a filling of soft solder under each of the end bolt holes of this type of instrument. Soldering of a N/Silver washer could compromise these solder 'bolt pillows'.

 

Heating the end would necessitate re-polishing too.

 

[d.elliott]

I have a very noisy air button, since the hole in the fretwork is very worn (button diameter 4.8mm hole diameter 5.8mm) I was thinking about a reversible method of soldering a nickel silver washer to the underside of the end, to increase the thickness and reduce the hole size, but I wondered if there was any approved method of repairing this?

 

Adrian

 

Two solutions: each perfectly valid, one easy and will last several years, but is not ultimately the best, and the best but more difficult to effect.

 

The air button key hole on this concertina model is usually not bushed, and thus has no bushing board behind it,. As a result the key/ fretting both wear over the years and you end up with the problem as described.You need to support the key as it passes through the fretting but without creating excessive resistance for the action spring to overcome

 

1. The easy way:

 

+ take a bit of leather about 3mm thick, and drill hold which is just a clearance on the key,

+ cut a doughnut disc round the hole to make a washer which does not show behind the flower shaped air key hole surround.

+ fluff up the drilled hole a little with a round file if the inside surface is two hard.

+ test on the button for a nice snug sliding fit, too much resistance will slow the air pad closing off in play.

+ glue the washer behind the fretting around the air button using the key as an alignment aid.

+ Play on

 

2. The best way, but the most skilled

 

+ get hold of a bot of 4mm mahogany, or birch ply

+ drill and replicate the hole configuration used on the pad board ( a hole large enough to take felt bushing , counter sunk at around 11 to 15 degrees to leave a 1mm deep at the fretting face).

+ bush the hole using woven bushing felt

+ cut around the bushed hole to form a doughnut wooden washer

+ either screw to the inside of the fretting, or glue in place using the key as an alignment aid.

+ ensure a good sliding fit with the key

+ play on

 

The leather works very well and has a reasonable life, it is also easy to replace when needed

 

 

Dave

[adrian brown]

Thanks for your help and ideas. I first thought of adding a wooden guide behind the button, but I don't want to drill extra holes in the end itself, and I'm not sure glueing metal to wood is a good option. (In my experience the natural expansion/ contraction of wood will usually break an epoxy joint) But I'll try a thick leather or cork reinforcement - any ideas which glue would work best? I almost feel a simple contact adhesive might be the way to go?

In the end, it's not so much the noise, but the looseness of it that worries me. It also feels like I'm daily making the hole larger, and as you pointed out Geoff, it's getting very close to the edge of the fretwork

 

Adrian

[d.elliott]

I have seen worse. As to glue, I would use a contact adhesive, but clean the under face of the fretting to remove grease, old polish, dirt, and give a good key onto the substrate.

 

Dave

[Geoffrey Crabb]

See attached suggestion.

 

 

Geoffrey

[Greg Jowaisas]

See attached suggestion.

 

 

Geoffrey

 

Dear Geoff,(rey)

Always enjoy your explanations and love your graphics. Brilliant!! When is the "Concertina Bible" according to (Saint) Geoffrey due for publication? (I think there needs to be one in every motel room along with the conventional Gideon kind!

 

Greg

[adrian brown]

Yes, thanks Geoffrey, for taking the trouble of explaining this in such a clear way. I was just musing over our obsession with extraneous noises from pads, buttons and the like, and wondering if it's a result of the recording age. Obviously, occasional air button noise was not though objectionable when this instrument was made, since they didn't bother to bush the button. I doubt whether people can hear (or take notice of) my rattling button, when I play for an audience - it's just my head it gets inside :-)

 

Adrian