Sticky Keys

[JustDJ]

Hi everyone.

 

I'm new here I've just started out with a 20 key Anglo from Stagi (B-1 model)... It is a new / hardly ever used concertina (only cost me £50 so what the heck) but I guess it may have been lying around for a wee while because all seems well with it apart from the keys on the right hand side get a little stuck in at an angle at times. I've just found this thread about them so I take it there is no other option but to get these sleeves put onto it? http://www.concertina.net/gs_stagirepair.html

 

 

 

Thanks in advance.

[Ken_Coles]

Bob Tedrow had a more involved retrofit he did by glueing brass tubes from a hobby shop into the wood board just inside the end plate; the photo essay on it is not posted currently on his website (as I recall) but we've got the pieces and I should put it back up here...someone may have a photo of the concept. He is some engineer.

 

Wrestling with a Stagi is a stage many of us went through!

 

Ken

[JustDJ]

Well the brass tubes would be nice but may be harder for me to get hold of. I'll give the silicon tube a go for now.. let's hope I don't knacker the thing in the process!

 

Cheers.

[Ken_Coles]

I don't know where you are located ("nowhere you know" sounds like where I live), but in the US some larger hobby shops have brass tubes and rods in 12 and 36 inch (30 and 90 cm) lengths. Here is one of Bob's photos from his essay. It shows in the inside of the Stagi end. He glues in short brass tubes and riding in each one (as the one shown) is snug but easily sliding brass rod flared on the inside end so that it can go into the instrument but can't fall out. The rods just rest on the wire action levers (which he carefully leveled, easier to make all the rods the same length).

 

Len Rheaume of Arizona had a 20-button he did up like this, he said with just a cordless power drill in his hotel room while traveling. It was an immense improvement in playability (though, as Bob T. said, still a Stagi).

 

Ken

[JustDJ]

Well i've had limited success so far, think i'm gonna have to post up some pics and show you my progress, so far i've replaced all the rubber spacers with the new harder silicone hose and got them cut to about the correct length (half way up the notch so that they are tight fitting. The problem I still have is getting them aligned, took me several attempts and now i've still one key that sticks, but it's pretty good now.. a lot better than before..

 

Once I get to grips with this maybe in a few months I will look into a concertina connection 30 key one, they look like a good step up... I also need to get hold of a good book, so far just using online tutorials etc.