Bellows Papers

[d.elliott]

I don't know how the other repairer's go on, but I find the limited range of good quality replacement bellows papers quite frustrating, I hate having to fit a different designs to that which were originally fitted.

 

Over the last year or so, I have been experimenting with different paper specifications and have now got a printing company who can reproduce the colours I want, and print in proper gold, not a pantone.

 

The designs I have reworked are the inevitable dot and cross, but as a full sheet so that any size an be cut out, baritone, base, picolo or treble, and the Wheatstone 'daisy' which will be gold on black as well as gold on white. I have also finished the green and gold aspidistra design, but based upon a Victorian original.

 

However I am not sure which others to do, I work closely with David Leese and he has plenty of Jeffries.

 

What does the team think? the Childley floral? The Wheatstone stars? The Lachenal Gold 'L' on black? any others? Eventually I want to have a top quality range of all the common papers, so that repairer's restorers, and owners need not be forced to compromise.

 

Does anyone know of anyone else who has done this?

 

Dave E

[Pete Dunk]

The Wheatstone I've just acquired has the dot and cross design but smaller than Lachenal's and gold on black with a gold line around the trapezoid. All the papers seem to be the same size too, rather than the sightly deeper papers on the bellows ends. Concertina Connection has a few design choices but I don't think any are different to the ones you mention.

 

If you click on the Wheatstone pic below it will take you to a small gallery of pictures of the concertina which will be my next refurb project.

 

[ben]

My personal preference includes the Wheatstone stars as well as the green and gold Lachenal designs offered by David Leese.

 

Bob Tedrow is currently helping me redesign bellows papers because the traditional bellows papers (offered by David Leese and Wim Wakker) are too large for my Anglo Aeola (octogonal) bellows. I need smaller bellows papers that will accentuate my Willie van Wyk "Wifra" concertina.

[Chris Ghent]

Dave,

 

something I have never seen available is a black pressed paper to mimic moroccan leather. This is handy for people who want an all leather look but bellows paper style construction. I appreciate it does not need printing but a supply is difficult to find in my small pond so possibly others would have the same problem. Those materials I have found through the book binding industry here were plastic based and slightly too thick...

 

Chris

 

PS. Ben Otto, any chance of pictures of your 'Wifra'...?

Edited July 16, 2007 by Chris Ghent

[Pete Dunk]

Dave,

 

something I have never seen available is a black pressed paper to mimic moroccan leather. This is handy for people who want an all leather look but bellows paper style construction. I appreciate it does not need printing but a supply is difficult to find in my small pond so possibly others would have the same problem. Those materials I have found through the book binding industry here were plastic based and slightly too thick...

 

Chris

 

Concertina Connection sell black pressed papers here

[ben]

Hello Chris,

 

I have two Wifra 40 button Anglos - the golden Bird's Eye Maple concertina is in Bob Tedrow's shop waiting for gold tooling and bellow papers. The Wifra (Willie and Francine for short) concertina is 5 mm smaller than Weatstone Anglo Aeolas. He uses perspex reedpans to prevent warping of the reedpans in the Canadian cold winter/humid summer weather.

 

Bob Tedrow is making new bellow papers that will fit the eight sided bellows concertinas

 

Ben

[ben]

 

 

Wheatstone Anglo and Wifra.

 

Pardon me for being off topic.

Edited July 20, 2007 by Ben Otto

[d.elliott]

 

Wheatstone Anglo and Wifra.

 

Pardon me for being off topic.

 

 

You are forgiven, particularly as the original topic seems to have attracted a thunderous disinterest!

 

Dave

Edited July 20, 2007 by d.elliott

[Theo]

You are forgiven, particularly as the original topic seems to have attracted a thunderous disinterest!

 

Dave

 

Dave

 

I think the silence from myself (and others?) is because the available papers cover a high percentage of the instruments needing overhaul. I'd agree that a plain black "paper" would be the next most useful. I'd also be interested in papers that were available die-cut rather than on sheets that have to be cut out by hand.

[d.elliott]

You are forgiven, particularly as the original topic seems to have attracted a thunderous disinterest!

 

Dave

 

Dave

 

I think the silence from myself (and others?) is because the available papers cover a high percentage of the instruments needing overhaul. I'd agree that a plain black "paper" would be the next most useful. I'd also be interested in papers that were available die-cut rather than on sheets that have to be cut out by hand.

 

Theo,

 

I agree that there is a range of papers, but I am far from happy with the quality and extent of he range:

 

The dot & cross are only good for basic treble sized instruments, and the printing is often blocky, and some are pantone not true metallic. I now have full sheets printed in true gold that can also be sized to suit baritone and bass instruments.

 

The green & gold 'fancy' is adequate, but to my mind crude compared with the victorian art work. The Daisy pattern, the Lachenal 'L', the Chidley floral. the Case, and the gold on black lozenge, the trellis, have all disappeared. There are good supplies of the Jeffries varients.

 

My ambition is to try to revive the designs of the more useful ones like: the Case. the Wheatstone daisy, and one or two of the others. Its interesting and skilful work that I enjoy, but I hope that others can benefit from the exercise as well. Hence my query, what are people looking for?

 

I am planning (gold on Black):

 

the lachenal L' The Daisy, the dot & cross, maybe the Star

 

plus (Gold on White):

 

the daisy; The star, maybe the floral Chidley

I already have a very good A4 versatile sheet of dot & cross.

 

I have nearly completed the artwork for the victorian green, gold & black 'fancy'

 

I am also looking for research material, particularly origina examples, or photographs of any interesting papers. I am particularly looking for a photo or example of the Lachenal 'L' paper (gold on black)

 

regards

 

Dave

[yankeeclipper]

Umm - is there any purpose to bellows papers, other than decoration?

[Theo]

Clearly the patterns are decorative, but the papers do have a useful function in covering the edges of all the little bits of leather that hold the bellows together. Without some sort of top layer the edges of these leather pieces would be more vulnerable to getting lifted and thereby compromising the airtightness and structure of the bellows.

 

I suspect that the very early bellows papers were bookbinding papers that were pressed into service. Bellows making shares much of the technology of bookbinding and must have been done by the same craftsmen in the early days.