jggunn Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Somehow I lost the metal cap on a button of my Lachenal English concertina. Is it possible to replace it without replacing the whole button -- and where can I find one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Try contacting Wim Wakker from the Concertina Connection: www.concertinaconnection.com (Washington State) or John Adey at www.concertina-spares.com (Wales) There are other people who may offer to help you on this forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Wooff Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Those button caps on a Lachenal are (usually) Real Silver. I think they are a "light press fit" into the hollow Nickel silver shaft of the button. Though it is probably easier (and cheaper) to buy a button from " Concertina Spares" it is also possible to make a replacement cap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jggunn Posted September 25, 2015 Author Share Posted September 25, 2015 Thanks, but what was under the cap is what appears to be a hard rubber tube on which the cap fitted. Actually it plays OK and I did not notice the absence of the cap for at least a couple of days. I will try Wim. The Button Box also thought the cap fitted on a piece of metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jggunn Posted September 26, 2015 Author Share Posted September 26, 2015 Sorry folks, I am dumb as an ox. The shaft of the button, as Geoff says, is metal and hollow and all that is missing is the cap. I mistook the tarnished shaft for rubber. So all I need is something to fit on the shaft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_holden Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 I've repaired them in a couple of different ways: the first ones I turned a stainless steel plug and glued it into the hole with cyanoacrylate. Later when some more fell off, I roughly cut out oversized disks of nickel-silver with a jeweller's saw, soft soldered them on, cleaned up the rough edges with a file, then spun them up in the lathe and finished them off with fine sandpaper and metal polish. A drill press would work if you don't have a lathe. The replacement nickel-silver caps blend in perfectly with the originals while the stainless ones look slightly too bright, but you would only notice if you were looking very closely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jggunn Posted September 26, 2015 Author Share Posted September 26, 2015 Thanks everyone. I now fully understand the situation. I wish I lived close to Alex but maybe I can find a jeweler in the area to solder on a cap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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