Should the 20 button Lachenal Anglos have leather on the bottoms of their pads?

[TimPiazza]

I acquired a Lachenal concertina that needs a touch of work. It appears that the bellows have no identifiable leaks, but the bellows fully expand in a few seconds with no buttons pushed. Along with that, some of the reeds play weak, particularly on the right side. My assumption is that the concertina needs new pads and valves as I see that when antique concertinas are offered, it is often noted that they have been given new pads and valves, tuned to concert pitch, and sometimes new straps.. But as this is the only concertina that I have opened up and looked at, I don’t know if the felt pads were expected to seal off all of the holes in the action board. 
 

I would appreciate any enlightenment that can be offered. I don’t have much invested in this box, and I think it could be fun to play if it wasn’t so leaky. For the time, I am using it to learn on while waiting for a much better 30 button to become available. I have some luthiery skills and tools, so this is something I might attempt myself if having the instrument properly serviced costs more than the instrument is worth.

 

[alex_holden]

To answer the question in the title, yes: pads should have a leather face on the bottom. I doubt they would all have fallen off though. Sometimes the flesh (fluffy) side of the leather is on the outside and that might look a little like felt.

 

There are quite a lot of possible leak sources in a concertina. Sometimes you fix the biggest one only for another slightly smaller leak to become apparent (repeat process until you can't detect any more leaks).

[RogerT]

You may find that fixing leaks is an iterative process. As you fix one leak another becomes evident.

[TimPiazza]

I did find 4 pinhole leaks in he bellows, and it does appear that I do have something tougher than felt on the pad surface as I brushed them with the flat of an eyeglass screwdriver in an attempt to help the seal agains the holes. This may have helped a small bit, but I still lose a lot of air. Some of the valves are somewhat curled, not laying flat. But it seems to me the pads would be an obvious place if not through the bellows or the frames. 
 

I suppose I could try taping everything off with painter's tape to isolate the most serious leaks. Are weak action springs a frequent issue with these old Lachenals? Do I make my own replacement pads or source them from a supplier? 

[Tiposx]

My diagnosis is that your Lachenal is in need of a full fettling to perform at its best.

 

[TimPiazza]

8 hours ago, Tiposx said:

My diagnosis is that your Lachenal is in need of a full fettling to perform at its best.

I have no doubt that you are correct. But as I am waiting for a better instrument to come into my possession, I am exploring what I can do with this one on my own. Good concertinas are hard to come by around here.

[RAc]

Hi Tim, do you already have your copy of Dave Elliotts Concertina Maintenance Manual?

[TimPiazza]

10 minutes ago, RAc said:

Hi Tim, do you already have your copy of Dave Elliotts Concertina Maintenance Manual?

As of yesterday I do not. It is $80 USD in the USA, so I am still waiting for a copy to make the long journey abroad.

[David Lay]

https://www.mallyproductions.com

$47 if you buy from the publisher rsther than Amazon.  Get together with friends to buy several and split the shipping cost.

Also, read up about glue choices here rather than using PVA as often as the book suggests.  Dave E. has also switched to other glues for some repairs.

Edited January 3 by David Lay

[TimPiazza]

7 hours ago, David Lay said:

https://www.mallyproductions.com

$47 if you buy from the publisher rsther than Amazon.  Get together with friends to buy several and split the shipping cost.

Also, read up about glue choices here rather than using PVA as often as the book suggests.  Dave E. has also switched to other glues for some repairs.

I have already ordered the book from Hobgoblin, as shipping was only £9 compared to £18-£20 from other sources. I just don't know when it will arrive.

 

for glue, I never use PVA on musical instruments. I have hide glue crystals and a glue pot but I prefer fish glue these days as it can be stored at room temperature and lasts for years in a liquid state. It's great stuff! I purchased it at StewMac.com several years ago.

Edited January 3 by TimPiazza

[TimPiazza]

A quick correction--The Fish Glue was purchased at InternationalViolin.com not Stewart Macdonald as previously stated.

Edited January 4 by TimPiazza
Typos

[Bob Tedrow]

A total bellows replacement might include replacement of all the leathers.  

 

The old bellows removed completely and the bellows frames cleaned down to the bare wood. All traces of old glue removed. Old concertinas are affixed with hide glue. It’s a messy job. 

 

I remove the old chamois as well. 

 

I remove the old corner blocks. 

 

I remove the chamois from the reed pan ribs and dress the ribs flat with the bellows frames. 

 

Then I reinstall corner blocks to ensure the reed pan/bellows frame are flat and square as when new. 

 

I measure the reed pan external dimensions compared to the bellows frame internal dimensions to get a fair idea of the thickness of the chamois that must be cut and installed 

 

After all that, I measure cut cards to fit the bellows frame you can choose  how many folds, six is common I’ve done as many as ten!

 

Bellows are of  veg tanned goat and neutral Ph cotton rag board. 

[TimPiazza]

Bob, this sounds I me like a time-consuming, and therefore expensive endeavor. I have to wonder, what would make a 20 button Lachenal worth this amount of work, other than perhaps sentimental value? Are there certain Lachenals that are more desirable due to some feature?

[Tiposx]

Hi TimPiazza

I have bought, refurbished and sold or donated a few the 20 button Lachenals. I lost money on most of them! But I still have two more to start work on and another one incoming.

They are really nice to work on. They can be improved quite easily, up to a point.

Some of them sound pretty good, depending largely on the quality of the reeds, and play well when refurbished, especially with new bellows. There are several very good players on this forum who like them, and have recorded with them.

It is a labour of love, there is no money to be made. Everyone wants a 30 button it seems.

So I sort of agree with you!

 

[JimR]

7 hours ago, TimPiazza said:

Bob, this sounds I me like a time-consuming, and therefore expensive endeavor. I have to wonder, what would make a 20 button Lachenal worth this amount of work, other than perhaps sentimental value? Are there certain Lachenals that are more desirable due to some feature?

Tim, search for Kathryn Wheeler in the Concertina Videos and Music section to discover what a 20button concertina is capable of.

[TimPiazza]

14 hours ago, JimR said:

Tim, search for Kathryn Wheeler in the Concertina Videos and Music section to discover what a 20button concertina is capable of.

Thanks Jim, I did come across her playing the other day when looking for an explanation of harmonic style on the concertina.

 

The question isn't a matter of 20 button concertina or no concertina. I have a Morse Ceili on its way to me. I plan to have Bob Snope look over the Lachenal  when I have my new box. I think it needs pads, and maybe new chamois on the reed pan. A bellows replacement would be, I think, optional on this box, thus my question, would it be worth the effort and expense?

[TimPiazza]

On 1/11/2026 at 12:46 PM, Tiposx said:

Hi TimPiazza

I have bought, refurbished and sold or donated a few the 20 button Lachenals. …

 

…It is a labour of love, there is no money to be made. Everyone wants a 30 button it seems.

So I sort of agree with you!

 

I do like the Lachenal, and I’m surprised by how many trad Irish tunes I can find without needing that C#. If I can get it playable for a reasonable price, that is, without a new custom set of bellows, I would be very happy to keep it around as it is very compact (92mm/3.625”) across the flats. Doing it myself isn’t out of the question, but I have no shortage of projects and I think my time is better spent learning to play. 🙂

[JimR]

20 hours ago, TimPiazza said:

I do like the Lachenal, and I’m surprised by how many trad Irish tunes I can find without needing that C#. If I can get it playable for a reasonable price, that is, without a new custom set of bellows, I would be very happy to keep it around as it is very compact (92mm/3.625”) across the flats. Doing it myself isn’t out of the question, but I have no shortage of projects and I think my time is better spent learning to play. 🙂

Pictures of your concertina would be nice.