rusted reeds?

[richard]

Hello

 

I know people remove rust from steel reeds in the process of restoration but is there a level of rusting and a length of time after which the rust will ruin or compromise the quality of the reed?

 

Thanks,

 

Richard

[Geoff Wooff]

A light coating of Rust on the reeds of a concertina might not do any long term harm save for putting those notes out of tune but if the instrument has been residing in a damp environment for long enough this oxidation process will eventually cause the steel reeds to disintegrate.

 

A Concertina that has lived on a Sea coast with prevailing winds bringing damp salty air to the reeds might not fair well. A friend once brought her Jeffries to me because it was getting progressively out of tune... the reeds were in a terrible state.. but I had seen and worked on that concertina only a year or two previously and all was quite well with it then. She then told me that recently she had been Busking at The Cliffs of Moher every day for most of the tourist season! This is not a good place to play, outdoors, with 700 feet of sea cliffs and an onshore breeze... large rolling waves hit the base of the cliffs and send a very salty spray into the air. Result; a virtually ruined set of Charlie Jeffries reeds.

 

I am currently looking at a Wheatstone Aeola that has been left in such a damp place that many of the reeds are rusted through and all the glue joints have come appart.. It would need so much work that its value is little more than that of firewood, but probably too damp still to burn.

 

So, if you have steel reeds that show 'pitting' on the surface caused by rust then perhaps some weakening of the reed tongues might have occured.

Edited December 14, 2012 by Geoff Wooff

[d.elliott]

Hello

 

I know people remove rust from steel reeds in the process of restoration but is there a level of rusting and a length of time after which the rust will ruin or compromise the quality of the reed?

 

Thanks,

 

Richard

 

There is an article in the ICA Magazine about to be published on this topic,

 

However if you leave rust in place it will attract more damp, and because of the differences in electrical potential between the steel and the oxide, and the oxide covered steel, the damp will form a very good electrolyte and you have a very nice galvanic cell reaction and can get ever more deep corrosion & pitting. Not a good idea to leave rust in place. Rust staining is different and in it's self is no big issue.

 

As to the length of time, it depends on the dampness of the playing environment and the propensity for condensation resulting from temperature swings.

 

Dave