Adjusting Spring Pressure On Lachenal

[richard]

Hello

 

I am trying to stiffen up the button pressure on my 20 button Lachenal. I have been successful to a degree. I put new holes in the board and have put the spring hook that pushes up against the arm right next to the button for the most pressure I can get out of these springs. Was it necessary to put the spring so far up to the button, or is there another smarter way to do this and keep the spring contact point more near the midway point of the button and the pad. Stiffer springs,...??

 

It did work but I am afraid this is the hillbilly method(no offense to any hill residents).

 

Thanks,

 

Richard

[Paul Read]

Hi Richard, nobody seems to be rising to this one. One option is to replace the springs with a stronger ones (steel?). You could also try opening the spring a little more in its rest position (i.e. not installed). Moving the spring as you have done is usually sufficient although in the past I have successfully doubled up springs although this isn't the ideal approach, it does work.

[Frank Edgley]

Lachenal anglos usually had stiffer than normal springs. I believe this is because of their type of mechanism. If the spring is put near the button there is a risk of even more noise than usual as the lever would move down and away from the fulcrum when the button is struck hard. Moving the spring close to the fulcrum would tend to reduce this noise, but then there was greater difficulty having the pad seal satisfactorily. Lachenal seems to have attempted to solve this problem by using a much stiffer spring than most other concertinas and keeping the spring closer to the fulcrum. This situation could be improved by locating a tensioner spring right at the point of the fulcrum (as well as a second spring closer to the button), but the hook shape of the lever prevents a spring right at the fulcrum point from being done easily.