lildogturpy Posted November 27, 2004 Posted November 27, 2004 I have a wheatstone english system treble concertina I bought from Barleycorn Concertinas four months ago. I have noticed over the last few weeks that the bellows now make a creaking sound - like new shoes. Should the bellows leather be conditioned to keep it supple. If so, what with and how often. Do you apply the conditioner from the outside or inside?
Frank Edgley Posted November 28, 2004 Posted November 28, 2004 Are they new bellows? If so, try spraying a light mist of silicone on them and wiping off any excess.
Ken_Coles Posted November 29, 2004 Posted November 29, 2004 Someone once had this problem at Noel Hill school with a new bellows, and the suggestion was shoe polish (we found some neutral color polish) lightly applied to the gussets, with the excess wiped off. Overnight it cured the noise.
Robin Harrison Posted November 29, 2004 Posted November 29, 2004 Hi Ken...inside or outside or both. ? Robin
Ken_Coles Posted November 29, 2004 Posted November 29, 2004 Oh, just on the outside. We certainly didn't go to the effort of opening it up! I should add that in the U.S. shoe polish is usually a dense paste. I have no idea what passes for shoe polish elsewhere (though I know it has come up in past threads).
spindizzy Posted November 29, 2004 Posted November 29, 2004 On the same subject - what treatment (if any) should I give to leather bellows? I've heard everything from nothing at all, to shoe polish, to whatever you do don't use shoe polish becuase the modern stuff contains silcones (gasp!) (I currently do use a bit of shoe polish on the gussets - maybe as an annual spring clean) Chris
JimLucas Posted November 29, 2004 Posted November 29, 2004 (edited) ...what treatment (if any) should I give to leather bellows? I've heard everything from nothing at all, to shoe polish, to whatever you do don't use shoe polish becuase the modern stuff contains silcones (gasp!) I have never applied anything to any of my bellows, and they have not suffered. Then again, they have never squeaked. As for the silicones, I think that's the "liquid" shoe polishes, something I would avoid using because they don't dry to the same consistency as wax polishes. But the surface of good bellows leather already has a protective finish, and I would think using oil on a bellows would be like using oil on a painted table... not at all like an oil finish on raw wood or leather. Wax polish might be helpful if there are cracks in the leather finish, but otherwise I wouldn't expect it to improve anything. (Edited for minor change in phrasing.) Edited November 29, 2004 by JimLucas
Paul Read Posted November 29, 2004 Posted November 29, 2004 Shoe cream is what I have found to work well. Don't overdo it.
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