Stagi W-15-LN keyhole

[PaulDa321]

Hi guys, 

 

I just started concertina very recently and borrowed a Stagi W-15-LN. The key got stuck down and I opened it up and found that the block with the keyholes (I don’t know the official names) split. I’m assuming the friction of the button wore through the wood. Does anybody have any experience making a channel for this kind of situation?  I’m assuming you could make it from rubber tubing but I don’t know if it would grab the key or if I could manage to make the tubing channel stay inside the wooden hole.
 

I also noted that there is an indentation where the key bottoms out at the wood. It’s pretty soft wood and it’s hammered a dent in the bottom. I think that because the key can sink so low, it now gets stuck in the dent. Perhaps fill that with a little glue?  
 

Any feedback is appreciated. 
 

Thanks!

 

Paul

Edited February 4, 2020 by PaulDa321

[Tiposx]

Rubber tubing won't work, plastic might for a while.

I would find a piece of brass tube that was a good sliding fit over the pin, cut it to length then locate it so that normal action was achieved. The closed end could be capped with a piece of dowel or brass, or even taped over then epoxied (see later) depending on what machining was available. K&S Tubing is available in many different sizes from aircraft model suppliers. Personally I would soft solder on a piece of brass, or turn a piece to fit.Then attach the tube lightly in place with a couple of dabs of thick ca/ superglue. Just strong enough to work but easy to break and re-set if necessary.Then double check the action with the ends attached. When everthing works as good as new I would back fill the gaps with a 10-minute epoxy mixed with microballoons or wood flour. When hard this can easily be sanded back to shape.

From the photos there might not be enough space available for a repair based on replacing the missing piece of wood.

It's a pity that Stagi got the design wrong (again) as the metal mechanism looks quite well engineered.

[PaulDa321]

Wow, Tiposx, thank you for such a thoughtful response. I’m going to have to go scouting for supplies—especially that brass tubing, but I just might be able to make that work. 
 

I agree the spring and lever system is nice and tidy and works well—why they thought all that rubbing of metal buttons against soft wood wouldn’t be a problem, I don’t understand. 

[Tiposx]

You got it - the action looks like soft wood, only 3 ply  where 7  or 8 birch ply would have been better. Then they sanded away the corner to fit the end cap - there was nothing left to hold the rod in. Best check the other corners before you give it back ...

[PaulDa321]

I wanted to follow up with this, in case it helps anybody else.  I ended up buying a couple sizes of brass tubing at ACE Hardware (US).  The button looked like it would fit well--we drilled in from the underneath the flat board (reed pan?) to insert the brass tube, but then the part of the button that fanned outward would catch in the brass tube, wedging itself.  We pulled out the tube and patched the hole we made with aluminum duct tape (the metallic stuff, not the stretchy gray stuff).  Don't make that mistake and you won't have to tape anything.  

 

Anyways, the solution was to cut out the broken, thin, wood using a utility knife and then use a chisel on a thin piece of wood to make a patch, which we glued into the gap.  I don't use that button too much, but it's been working well since.