How Do You Install Inserts In An Ec For Wrist Straps?

[RWL]

This is a topic I didn't spot in either David Elliot's book (2nd edn.) or using the search function for the forums. I have a plan on how I think I'll do it, but before I butcher the wood, I wondered how others have installed brass inserts for English concertina wrist straps.

 

My plan is to drill a hole in a thin piece of wood to act as a guide. I'll be using a 5/16" end mill since that produces a flat bottomed hole. I'll locate where on the concertina I want the insert, clamp the guide over the site to keep the wood from splintering, and using a drill press, drill the hole with the end mill to a depth of 1/8", the thickness of my inserts. Are there other or better ways of doing this?

 

Do you glue the insert in the hole in addition to screwing it down with the #1 wood screw (1/4" length - because that's the thickness of the wood at this point.

 

I'll need to drill a small hole into the wood beneath the thumb screw hole so that the thumb screws can screw in completely. Is it OK to go through the wood into the air chamber, or should this be avoided? (I see small through holes for the thumb strap inserts in my Wheatstone Model 21)

 

Anything else I need to know?

[Mike Pierceall]

This is a topic I didn't spot in either David Elliot's book (2nd edn.) or using the search function for the forums. I have a plan on how I think I'll do it, but before I butcher the wood, I wondered how others have installed brass inserts for English concertina wrist straps.

 

My plan is to drill a hole in a thin piece of wood to act as a guide. I'll be using a 5/16" end mill since that produces a flat bottomed hole. I'll locate where on the concertina I want the insert, clamp the guide over the site to keep the wood from splintering, and using a drill press, drill the hole with the end mill to a depth of 1/8", the thickness of my inserts. Are there other or better ways of doing this?

 

Do you glue the insert in the hole in addition to screwing it down with the #1 wood screw (1/4" length - because that's the thickness of the wood at this point.

 

I'll need to drill a small hole into the wood beneath the thumb screw hole so that the thumb screws can screw in completely. Is it OK to go through the wood into the air chamber, or should this be avoided? (I see small through holes for the thumb strap inserts in my Wheatstone Model 21)

 

Anything else I need to know?

I've used both these methods in the past, admittedly for larger inserts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIhEqoKE8Dc

[david robertson]

Sounds like a pretty sound plan, but I would use a Forstner bit, which cuts a nice sharp edge to the hole as well as leaving a flat bottom, with no need for a guide.

[Geoff Wooff]

Sounds like a pretty sound plan, but I would use a Forstner bit, which cuts a nice sharp edge to the hole as well as leaving a flat bottom, with no need for a guide.

But surely the Forstner bit has a centering 'pyramid' which would pierce into the flat bottom of the hole ?

 

If you use a ' slot drill' (two winged end mill) that has not been used to cut into metal, or has been recently sharpened, it should produce a clean edged hole even without a guide... if one's drill press is in good condition.

 

I did this job a year or two back on my 'band' Treble and yes it will be necessary to drill right through the edge frame of the Pallet board a pilot hole for the anchor screw, Just be carefull not to drill into a Pad or an air hole.

[RWL]

After I went to bed last night it occurred to me that I should have mentioned that two flute end mills are known as slot drills in the UK, but Geoff understood.

 

I had planned to use a "guide" to hold down the wood at the edge of the hole so that no "burr" was raised by the end mill on the surrounding surface of the wood. An alternative I've seen work when you saw (by hand, not power) and don't want to splinter the surface of the wood adjacent to the cut is to put a piece of masking tape over the wood and cut through the tape. I'm not sure how well the tape method would work with an end mill, plus there's always the possibility that the tape would lift the finish when it was peeled off.

Edited August 20, 2015 by RWL

[RWL]

PS to David Robertson. I hadn't thought about a Forstner bit since I don't own any. I'm more of a home shop machinist than a wood worker. Now that I potentially could have used a Forstner bit, I'll have to keep my eyes open for those at yard sales and flea markets.

[RWL]

Out of curiosity, for those of you who have installed inserts before or removed them, how thick are they? I made mine 1/8" thick.

[Chris Ghent]

Around 2mm...

[RWL]

Thanks Chris. I had the time today to grind them to 0.080" (2 mm). That thickness made more sense than 1/8" (3 mm) I had made them initially. At 2 mm the wood screw has more threads in the wood than at 3 mm, and there are still plenty of threads in the metal for the thumb screws. I installed the inserts and wrist straps on my Edeophone this afternoon. I'll post photos later.

[Dana Johnson]

I find that bullet nosed drills work pretty well ( no burr )if you enter the wood very slowly for the first few thousandths. I use a 1/4" one all the time to cut a pocket for my button guide pin bushing. You could cut the beginning with one of those ( hardware store item ) and finish with the CCEM if you didn't want the extra penetration of the pilot. Also square bottom hole. Pilot will center on your pre drilled marking holes.

Edited August 22, 2015 by Dana Johnson

[RWL]

As promised, here are the photos from the installation on my TT Edeophone. It previously had had wrist straps, but the inserts in that installation were such that the straps rode too high onto the back of my hands and limited my movement. I installed a new set of inserts so that the straps would be over my wrist, and not my hand. My biggest problem was in clamping the instrument securely to the table for the drilling. The sides are not exactly flat, leading to some instability. I can see the advantage of the point from a Forstner bit. I was able to upload two of the three photos I wanted to show. I've tried five times to upload the third photo, but it failed every time. I don't know what it doesn't like about that photo.

 

[OLDNICKILBY]

Would it not have been better to get your inserts the correct size for the slot drill?. A slot head screw would look better

"You can tell a craftsman by his skill in fitting the brassware " is an old adage

[RWL]

The inserts were the same size as the slot drill / end mill. The space around the insert is the result of vibration when it was drilled, and I am indeed disappointed about that. I had anticipated having to lightly press them in since wood typically shrinks back around a drilled hole. That's why I commented about the Forstner bit with its pilot point probably being a better way, although the downside is that the extra hole for the center pilot has potentially weakened the wood in the area where you want a screw to hold. Perhaps the ideal would be to find a better way to clamp a concertina to the mill table so that vibration is eliminated. I agree that a slotted screw would have matched the other screws, but the Phillips head screws were what was on offer. Those at least are easily rectified if I run across slotted screws.

[RWL]

Funny how sleeping on things often helps to offer solutions. If I were to do this again, even if using a Forstner bit, I'd remove the ends and clamp them to an angle plate (right angle plate) to hold them for drilling. The back of an end is flat so there would be less opportunity to wobble, and angle plates are rigid. Even a home built wooden angle plate would be an improvement over the way I drilled the holes.

[SteveS]

Looking at the picture I'm intrigued by where you drilled a hole (assuming of course that the orientation of the concertina wasn't just for the sake of the photo).

How do you hold your concertina?

Looks to me like the anchoring screw is located right behind where the wrist goes.

Edited August 28, 2015 by SteveS

[RWL]

The wrist strap on mine was too high and covered the back of my hand. I added a set of inserts on another flat so that the strap does cover the back of my wrist and doesn't limit my motion as much as it did when on the back of my hand. I hold the left side of my instrument on my left knee and my hands keep the instrument pretty straight vertically. I do not play with my hands rotated down or up as far as I know.

[d.elliott]

This is a topic I didn't spot in either David Elliot's book (2nd edn.) or using the search function for the forums. I have a plan on how I think I'll do it, but before I butcher the wood, I wondered how others have installed brass inserts for English concertina wrist straps.

 

My plan is to drill a hole in a thin piece of wood to act as a guide. I'll be using a 5/16" end mill since that produces a flat bottomed hole. I'll locate where on the concertina I want the insert, clamp the guide over the site to keep the wood from splintering, and using a drill press, drill the hole with the end mill to a depth of 1/8", the thickness of my inserts. Are there other or better ways of doing this?

 

Do you glue the insert in the hole in addition to screwing it down with the #1 wood screw (1/4" length - because that's the thickness of the wood at this point.

 

I'll need to drill a small hole into the wood beneath the thumb screw hole so that the thumb screws can screw in completely. Is it OK to go through the wood into the air chamber, or should this be avoided? (I see small through holes for the thumb strap inserts in my Wheatstone Model 21)

 

Anything else I need to know?

 

 

The Maintenance manual is about maintenance (repair servicing and up-keep), and not modifications. Sorry if were disappointed

 

Dave

[RWL]

Not disappointed at all Dave. If you write a 3rd edition, that could potentially be a new topic, although I don't know how often people want to have straps installed on ECs.