LeadFingersErnie Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 (edited) I have been asked to restore a Rock Chidley English Concertina that is in very poor condition. Nothing unusual there, but when I undid the screws on one end the action did not lift off as you would expect it to. So I started gently leavering, and found that the reed pan was coming out with it. On finally extracting the whole I saw the arrangement shown in the attached photo. Somebody had screwed the reed pan to the bottom of the action board. Has anybody ever seen such a thing? Why would anybody do this? Amazing what people do. Perhaps we should start the NSPCC, i.e. the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Concertinas! By the way, no serial number was visible anywhere on the instrument, only the "Rock Chidley" stamp on the action boards. Did he often make them with no serial number? Edited March 26, 2014 by LeadFingersErnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 I remember seeing an absolutely gorgeous amboyna-wood Aeola baritone-treble (I think it was) for sale years ago that, on opening it up, proved to have been made with the reedpans screwed to the end-boxes and (very high quality) brass reeds! Presumably this had been done to "tropicalise" it for taking to some far-flung outpost of the British Empire? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry McGee Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 On finally extracting the whole I saw the arrangement shown in the attached photo. Somebody had screwed the reed pan to the bottom of the action board. Has anybody ever seen such a thing? Why would anybody do this? I imagine that leakage between the reed chambers was taking place, possibly due to the reed pan warping away from the action board, and Mr. Fixit dealt with that by screwing them together. I'd be interested in hearing from the serious restorers what the preferred approach to that problem would be. Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveS Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 It never ceases to amaze me just what people do - I experienced the following on various instruments I've restored: - amboyna ended Aeola, with multiple holes drilled through the ends - tough one that to match the amboyna for an invisible repair - glued in reedpans - glued in reeds - end bolts tightened up so much that they drill down into the wooden action box hoops - i've repaired several 'tinas with this damage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill N Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 My Kensington has a similar arrangement as part of the original (very elegant) design and construction. The reedpan/action board sandwich is held together around the edges and in the middle to make the whole assembly more stable in our widely fluctuating North American climate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Edgley Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Could it be that the concertina was made that way? I notice the piece of wood screwed down has a embossed "L" on it as a concertina maker would use marked on the inside of each bellows frame......similar in font as was used by makers, also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLDNICKILBY Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I was once offered a lovely 63 key duet. When I tried to take the ends off it was as un-moveable as Maggie Thatchers grip on her Handbag. "Oh " said its owner "I used Araldite to put it back together " What a pillock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Franch Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 (edited) Browsing on the Concertina Museum Collection website, I see an 1845 Wheatstone with a similar screwed wooden cross piece on the center hole of the reed pan. It's Ref. C-012, found at http://www.concertinamuseum.com./Images/Concertinas_T-Series/C012g5.jpg. I didn't find anything similar on other nearby instruments. Maybe it's another example of someone mucking about, or maybe something transitional. Some earlier instruments didn't even seem to have a finger hole. Edited March 28, 2014 by Mike Franch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apprenticeOF Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Never know when you open up a concertina what you will find. I recently picked up a nice 30K metal ended Lachenal anglo from a small antique shop/junk shop/tattoo parlour (I know, strange place to find it). I figured it would make a good winter project, but when I opened it up, I found that somebody had tried to "fix" it. The reed pans are glued in, and sloppily, and some of the chamois has been replaced with automotive gasket material. The actual problems appear to be the rotted out pads and valves that have gone hard and twisted. The good thing is that the reeds have been left alone and are completely rust free, so it will be worth the effort, but a real challenge. Good thing I didn't pay much for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.