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Straps and shapes


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Hello, I have just joined the group, having acquired a 20 button Stagi (c2 I think). I'm new to concertinas, so apologies if this has been covered before. The Stagi is hexagonal, with the flat part at the top, whereas, many, or most, others have the point at the top. Does this have any significance to the style of construction of the instrument.? One thing it does mean is that the sides of the instrument are angled, rather than parallel, so the straps can't easily be attached to the frame. So the straps are attached to the hand rest with a buckle adjustment, which is uncomfortable. Any suggestions?

 

 

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Welcome!

 

I just recalled seeing a thread two weeks ago about a strap adjustment used by Herold Herrington, and also used by Dana Johnson on his Kensington concertinas. 

 It would require making new hand rests, or modification to the ones you have, but doesn't require attachment to the edge of the instrument, or a buckle against your hand.  New straps needed without the buckle too, of course.

 

 

A much cruder but easier to build option would be to add a screw on one end of the hand rests to go through adjustment holes on the (new) straps, but that would mean removing the screw for each adjustment.  (which is really what most of us do anyway, just the position of the screw is different.)

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Hi, I like the idea of the torsion spring. It's something I've seen before in marine shackles, so would be a great example of adapting design to a different use. Love it, but but need a bit of think of how to make it. Thanks, if I can make it work I will post the story! 

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Thanks Frank, but too late, I already have the Stagi. I didn't set out to buy a Stagi, but it was available locally at a good price. There were a couple of sticking buttons, but those were easy to correct after following advice on this forum. To my inexperienced ears and fingers it seems fine to get me going, and I won't have lost much cash if I trade up later.

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These photos show the way I do it on my instruments (I wasn't the first to use this method). The thumb screw goes into a captive nut glued into the end of the handrail. The bent metal plate prevents the strap rotating, which will cause the screw to loosen over time. I think most people rarely adjust the length of their straps after some initial experimentation to find their preferred length.

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1 hour ago, alex_holden said:

I think most people rarely adjust the length of their straps after some initial experimentation to find their preferred length.

 

I suspect this is often because it is just too much of a fiddle to do so. However I do often adjust the straps on my Kensington concertina.

 

Playing while standing, for morris and sometimes in crowded festival sessions, I ideally like the straps slightly tighter than when I am sitting. Before getting the Kensington I rarely bothered, it was just too much hassle ( and too easy to drop the screws). With the Kensington it is so quick and easy that I always do. 

 

As as with so many things, I didn’t miss what I hadn’t had, but having got used to having it I would miss it a lot if I no longer had it.

 

Martin

 

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  • 1 month later...

The torsion spring is very simple, but these are the things you need in your design:  there are two grooves in the bottom of the hand rest.  The separation between controls the torsion created.  The separation I use is about 1/4 inch which for the 302 stainless spring wire I use is quite good.  The arc on the butt end of the hand rest needs to be at least from the radius of the short leg, or even slightly more curved so the crossing part of the spring gets farther from the hand rest as it swings up.  I just used a compass to draw it on my templates from the rear most groove.  The spring is bent all in one plane, and when installed already has the needed downward tension.  My springs are about 1 inch - 1-1/4 inch OAL, which also works with the separation distance to control torsion.  I chose it because it had a good spring tension over the working distance and looked good in proportion to the hand rest. I instal them so that the long leg is on the side of my hand rest facing the wrist just because it looks cleaner to me. You also need to remember to make the legs long enough to allow for the strap thickness. ( a bit obvious, but you never know )

Dana

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On 9/4/2019 at 4:37 PM, Richard Shaul said:

Hi, I like the idea of the torsion spring. It's something I've seen before in marine shackles, so would be a great example of adapting design to a different use. Love it, but but need a bit of think of how to make it. Thanks, if I can make it work I will post the story! 

 

7E23DF4F-156D-464F-AF71-A976BAD99E98.jpeg

Edited by Dana Johnson
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