Jump to content

Which glue to attach bellows


Recommended Posts

I have a new set of bellows to attach to my Wheatstone. I have heard that some people use PVA, and I think I have heard of flour glue being used. I quite like the flour paste idea, but I need reassurance that it would hold the materials securely.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have read on these forums that hide glue is what was used historically and works best in that it allows future bellows replacement to be possible using the original frames. I just attached a pair of bellows to my Tidder concertina 2 days ago, believe it or not. It worked great. Clean-up was quite easy with a cotton rag dampened in hot water. I was originally going to use a PVA, Titebond 2 as it is the type that I am most familiar with. I decided to go with the hide glue in the end after reading some posts on this forum that said it is easier to reverse with heat.  Good luck with your Wheatstone!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cow hide glue is fine but I prefer rabbit skin glue for bellows work; it's a bit more refined and more flexible when dry. I have used paste for gluing linen onto card in the past; it is the most flexible option, but in testing hinges to destruction I found that paste fails first whereas rabbit glue is stronger than the materials it's glued onto. I wouldn't recommend gluing bellows onto frames with PVA, because when the bellows need replacing again in a few decades, it will be more difficult to remove the old leather and cloth and clean the residue off the wood.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Talas makes a water reversible Pva/Eva bookbinding adhesive that works very well for bellows making.  It is acid free and suitable for archival work.  It works well with all the materials involved.  As far as hide glues,   I think Alex’s suggestion of rabbit skin glue is a good bet.  It doesn’t have a really fast grab which is helpful for positioning.

here’s the Talas link.  https://www.talasonline.com/Jade-R

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My thoughts come from an amateur concertina player, whereas Alex, Theo and Dana are true craftsmen, whose knowledge and skills reach back one hundred years to the master craftsmen who came before them. I would place a greater value on their advice and knowledge than my anecdotal experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...