Phantom Button Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 My bellows are in desperate shape. I've fixed many of the leaks with great success, but the bellows seem to be as old as the concertina and simply wearing out. (The concertina is a Wheatstone Linota circa 1925.) The problem is that I'm playing it all the time and can't afford to be without it for any length of time. I was wondering if they make bellows that you can apply yourself, and if that's either not possible or not a good idea, is there anyone in the states that does a good job and I might make an appointment with them to have the job done and turned around immediately, through express mail, so I would only be without it for a day or two? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Read Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 My bellows are in desperate shape. I've fixed many of the leaks with great success, but the bellows seem to be as old as the concertina and simply wearing out. (The concertina is a Wheatstone Linota circa 1925.) The problem is that I'm playing it all the time and can't afford to be without it for any length of time. I was wondering if they make bellows that you can apply yourself, and if that's either not possible or not a good idea, is there anyone in the states that does a good job and I might make an appointment with them to have the job done and turned around immediately, through express mail, so I would only be without it for a day or two? Go to concertina spares web site. They will send you a kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Dunk Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Unless I'm very much mistaken this new listing on ebay has one of David Leese's bellows kits fitted (there are obvious signs). Whether it's the continuous or separate card type is anyone's guess though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 It is possible to buy bellows and fit them yourself if you are reasonably handy. If not, then book your concertina in with a repairer and agree with them when to send it so that it is away for the least amount of time. I contacted a repairer in November of last year, sent my concertina to him in February as arranged, and he returned it two weeks later. If that's too long, can you rent/borrow an instrument for that length of time? Samantha (in the UK). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McIsog Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Build your own!!! Bob Tedrow posted a method on his web page - Here dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marien Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Whether it's the continuous or separate card type is anyone's guess though. Someone called Chris will know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marien Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 If you do, they have two versions. I would prefer to take the separate cards kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Dunk Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Someone called Chris will know. I'll bear that in mind next time I'm singing John Barleycorn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david fabre Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 I'm in the same situation and have also considered to get a new bellows from David Leese. The price is particularly attractive : 105 pounds for a kit (160 if fitted), while all other solutions I have came across are significantly more expensive. I'm wondering if there is an explanation for this. Is it due to different construction methods ? Is there a difference in quality ? More generally, is there a valuable reason one should pay twice that price for a bellows ? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Dunk Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 I'm in the same situation and have also considered to get a new bellows from David Leese.The price is particularly attractive : 105 pounds for a kit (160 if fitted), while all other solutions I have came across are significantly more expensive. I'm wondering if there is an explanation for this. Is it due to different construction methods ? Is there a difference in quality ? More generally, is there a valuable reason one should pay twice that price for a bellows ? David David, you might like to consider David Leese's other option and pay £130 pounds for the kit with separate cards, these are far more like the traditional construction. I'm sure that these bellows offer really good value for money but perhaps they won't last as long as other bellows - maybe only 60 years instead of 80! The card used in the set I bought wasn't the acid free museum or mat board used in Tedrow bellows and is possibly a little thinner, for that reason I suspect they may have a somewhat shorter life. I would match the quality of the bellows to that of the concertina and what you expect from it, also of course the amount of money you are prepared to pay right now. If you're an advanced player with a really nice high end concertina with worn out bellows then I'd probably go for a traditional set of bellows fitted by a respected maker. If you have an average but playable instrument I think David's bellows kit would serve you very well but I'd still spend the other £25 on the better set. If you don't fancy doing the job yourself the fitted price is still not out of the way. Hope this helps ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stella24 Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 from my way of it.. the continuous card is cheaper to construct. (less time) a bit stiffer in the beginning and maybe better for anglo as stated by w. wakkers info. the seperate card, which is shaved to the edge, is more time consuming to make and lay up. maybe more flexable in playing, but in my experience is more sensitive to pressure changes. some makers will contest this possibly. a thought is that many years from now, the continuous card will break resulting in the leather tearing through, but the single card with the linen plus leather hinge will go on strong till the player with bad habits over the knee will prevail! w. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stella24 Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Build your own!!! Bob Tedrow posted a method on his web page - Here dan don't mistake tho difficulty involved. you must make a good jig, requiring more advanced wood working skills. then work with high quality leather=expensive. ability to sharpen a straight razor to cut hair, or do you feel you can purchase the skivver for over 300 usd? measure and remeasure, only to find out finally that it is wrong and you have to make it all over again... the good makers have all been through this. bet on it. have some one do it or if you feel up to the lesser challenge, buy the kit.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McIsog Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Build your own!!! Bob Tedrow posted a method on his web page - Here dan don't mistake tho difficulty involved. you must make a good jig, requiring more advanced wood working skills. then work with high quality leather=expensive. ability to sharpen a straight razor to cut hair, or do you feel you can purchase the skivver for over 300 usd? measure and remeasure, only to find out finally that it is wrong and you have to make it all over again... the good makers have all been through this. bet on it. have some one do it or if you feel up to the lesser challenge, buy the kit.. If you look at Tedrow's method you could probably improvise on the skiver and the Jig. The hardest tool to have at your disposal I think would be the band saw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.elliott Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I have fitted well over a dozen Leese bellows, some continuous card, some separate card. Stella has it about right in her comparisons. The reason Leese bellows are so much cheaper is that David Leese dosn't have the overheads, and he makes kits which avoid him having to charge the time consuming work of fitting to the frames and also the labour rich activity of hand cutting the best part of 100 bellows papers and carefully glueing them into place. Whilst I have no doubt that it will happen one day, so far I have never had a complaint about any David Leese bellows that I have fitted, cosmetically or functionally. I admit that I have developed my fitting technique away from the more simple and chunkier method on the instructional CD, but that's what I do. For a first time assembler, allow: an hour or so to study the CD and get together tools etc 1 hr to remove the old bellows & prepare the bellows frames 1 hr to measure, trim the end cards and align/ locate the 1st end 30 mins to glue the corners for the first end, 30 mins to fit the cloth tape wrap on the 1st end and coat with glue. leave overnight get the second end done to the same stage, same times as above, again leave overnight allow: 1 hr to trim the cloth wraps & sand. 15 mins each end to fit the leather end wraps, with 2 hrs for glue drying after fitting each one. say 2- 3hrs to cut out all the papers. finaly 2 hrs to glue the papers into place. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike averill Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 (edited) ... I'm sure that these bellows offer really good value for money but perhaps they won't last as long as other bellows - maybe only 60 years instead of 80! The card used in the set I bought wasn't the acid free museum or mat board used in Tedrow bellows and is possibly a little thinner, for that reason I suspect they may have a somewhat shorter life. Does any one know if Jeffries, Crabb, or Wheatstone had acid free museum board????? Has acid card ever been a cause of failure? I think the leather is normally the weak link, generally due to external wear, although some cracking does occur. Suspect we'd be better of concerntrating on the tanning processes, which invariably involve compounds far from neutral. I still play what I beleive to be Mr Jeffries original bellows, 100 years plus old, with some light TLC from AC Norman on a couple of cracked corners, but no sign of damage to the card. The metal ends are worn aware to be razor sharp and the wood is rounded, at the back edge, so well played, but the card of the bellows is solid as new. Edited October 12, 2007 by mike averill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.elliott Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 ... I'm sure that these bellows offer really good value for money but perhaps they won't last as long as other bellows - maybe only 60 years instead of 80! The card used in the set I bought wasn't the acid free museum or mat board used in Tedrow bellows and is possibly a little thinner, for that reason I suspect they may have a somewhat shorter life. Does any one know if Jeffries, Crabb, or Wheatstone had acid free museum board????? Has acid card ever been a cause of failure? I think the leather is normally the weak link, generally due to external wear, although some cracking does occur. Suspect we'd be better of concerntrating on the tanning processes, which invariably involve compounds far from neutral. Actually the weakest link is often the leather used in the internal hinges, this embrittles, and splits. The bellows then start to pull themselves apart from inside. Often splitting the card and de-laminating it. Linen inner hinges do not tend to exhibit this failure mode. If you are assessing another instrument then always look inside the bellows see if the inner hinges are intact or heavily repaired. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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