Getting Buttons To Line Up On Anglo For Reassembly?

[Michael Eskin]

Its always a challenge for me getting all the buttons to fall in line when reassembling my anglos after making adjustments (specifically to my MIDI instrument). Has anyone come up with any tricks to get the buttons to behave themselves?

 

 

Cheers,

 

Michael

[Boney]

Its always a challenge for me getting all the buttons to fall in line when reassembling my anglos after making adjustments (specifically to my MIDI instrument). Has anyone come up with any tricks to get the buttons to behave themselves?

I'd like an answer to this too. I just try to get them mostly in place, rest the end lightly on top, and use a slender chopstick to gently guide the misaligned buttons into their holes.

[ragtimer]

Its always a challenge for me getting all the buttons to fall in line when reassembling my anglos after making adjustments (specifically to my MIDI instrument). Has anyone come up with any tricks to get the buttons to behave themselves?

Cheers,

Michael

I have two tricks I use on my Hayden Duets, which have a lot more buttons per side than most Anglos -- the 67-key Bastari can be a real problem!

 

First, hold the action pan upside-down, so the buttons all hang downwards into the holes of the end cover, as you bring the two pieces together. That will get some of the buttons into their holes.

 

Now, carefully turn ithe two sections right-side up, holding them together in their semi-engaged relationship. Have a nut pick or very tiny precision screwdriver ready -- something that, when pressed into the center of a button, will grip it enough to let you shift it sideways. (Metal buttons may be harder to get a grip on than bone or plastic).

 

While applying light but steady pressure to the cover plate with your fingers, find the button not yet in its hole that's hardest to shift with the pick tool. That's the one currently holding up the works. Shift it into place, let it pop into it hole, then repeat the process, finding the next smart-ass button.

 

As you work, the cover plate will slowly drop closer to proper position as more buttons are teased into their holes.

 

It can take some time, but the steady progress, one button at a time, will keep you engaged.

 

Hope this helps --Mike K.

Edited August 8, 2008 by ragtimer

[Theo]

It also helps a great deal, in a traditionally built concertina, that the lever/button bushings are a snug fit so the buttons will sit upright.

Edited August 8, 2008 by Theo

[meltzer]

I find that swearing helps. Especially as there's no bushing on my Lachenal.

[Stephen Chambers]

I find that swearing helps. Especially as there's no bushing on my Lachenal.

 

Then you might spend less time in Purgatory if you installed some...

 

But even the professionals don't always get it right first time (or second, or third) - you should take a look at the out takes from the (1961 Wheatstone) Concertina Factory film clip, to see what I mean...

[Greg Jowaisas]

Sometimes I think I am too busy to do this but taking the endbolts out of the end, and in the case of an english, the fingerplate and thumbstrap screws,

makes it much easier to fit the ends and the buttons together. Without the constriction of the bolts or screws you can jiggle the end until most of the buttons pop into place.

 

Greg

[ragtimer]

I find that swearing helps. Especially as there's no bushing on my Lachenal.

No pivot bushings on my Stagi or Bastari either (the Bastari has felt bushings around the end cover holes, but nothing in the action).

 

So holding the rig upside down at the start is absolutely essential. At this point, I swear only if I drop the whole thing , but I have some choice words when poking each button into place. And some real blue lingo in case I have to start over

 

Remember when you got a new concertina and took it apart just to see how it was built? I hope you took some close-up photos, cuz you don't want to do that again!

--Mike K.

[d.elliott]

Its always a challenge for me getting all the buttons to fall in line when reassembling my anglos after making adjustments (specifically to my MIDI instrument). Has anyone come up with any tricks to get the buttons to behave themselves?

I'd like an answer to this too. I just try to get them mostly in place, rest the end lightly on top, and use a slender chopstick to gently guide the misaligned buttons into their holes.

 

 

I place the action on a flat surface, line up the keys in their rows, I use a piece of dowel on english etc (straight rows) to push the rows into a straight line. I then tilt the cover so that I can engage the keys progressively from on end, and the nasty little escapees are eased into position using a cocktail stick tipped with a bit of blue tack.

 

Dave

[Jim Bayliss]

The instrument that has given me the most trouble in this regard is my Holmwood English, which has heavy brass buttons and two end plates on each side. I do the process lying on the floor, looking up at the action, first to get the buttons visually in place and then to put the inner end plate on, jiggling it toward any uncaptured buttons. This can be quite a puzzle and frequently entails a few tries for me, since the heavy buttons tend to hang precariously on the lever arms and fall off. I've thought of devising a rig (in lieu of my arms and hands) to hold the action above me, but, so far, haven't been that frustrated to do so. Once the inner end plate is on, the outside end plate is easy. Fortunately, I don't have to do this very often.

[john T]

Making new instruments made lining buttons up a doddle. Well, easier.

There will always be a rogue, but the method I used was to use a spare bush plate with smaller size holes in it.

I would fit this over the buttons and this allowed me to jiggle them into position from side on.

Delicately lift off the spare plate.

Any that fell sideways - push around a bit till the felt in the button hole made them sit upright.

Slip on the spare plate again.

 

When they all stand still when you life it off - bingo.

 

Also, my bush plates could be seperated & were ABS nylon, which meant they could be screwed over and over. Sometimes you can fit the bush plate seperately, put the facia back on & rescrew the plate to it. Only if they were built like that of course.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Kind regards, John Timpany.