Don Taylor Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 (edited) I would like to get some advice on how to 'lighten' an action.. I have made a little device for measuring the weight/force needed to depress a button[*] and the buttons currently need about 100 grams to depress them. They do vary a bit, some of them more than 100 gms. How do you actually adjust the spring? Do you have to remove the spring from the action board? Do you have to make a little jig like Andrew Norman uses to make springs in this movie? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kLo6koHbqM Thx. Don. [*] The device consists of a short length of threaded rod, some nuts, a pile of large washers (fender washers) and a piece of a plastic drinking straw that loosely fits around both the rod and a button. I have cut sections away from the bottom of the drinking straw so that I can fit it around the button and rest the bottom of the straw on the action board. I then load up the threaded rod with enough washers to depress the button. The weight of the rod, nuts and washers is the force needed to depress the button. I got the idea for this from Geoff Crabb. Edited April 9, 2016 by Don Taylor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Ghent Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 100 gms is a lot. I backed an instrument off from 90 to 60, which I like as a pressure, a few weeks ago. Sometimes the pressures were increased because someone was having trouble sealing the pads and thought they had found an easier solution than fixing the pads. This by way of a warning. If the springs are loose then it is easier to remove them to bend the top run down a little. In technical terms this is known as adjusting the preload. I try to make the bend close to the coils, only because I think it looks better. If they are firmly embedded then I will tweak them where they are though this is often not possible due to the surroundings, other levers etc. Needle nose pliers with a bend help. It is definitely easier to make a nice job with the spring in your hand. Most springs need a few attempts to get the pressure right, it is particularly hard to make very small corrections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hornett Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Hi, I have found the quickest way to measure spring pressure is to place the action board, or the entire concertina, on a set of kitchen scales (preferably electronic), zero the scales, press a button and that is the button's pressure. I try to adjust mine to 70 grams, but i am not too pernickety as i cannot tell the difference of 20 grams when playing. Below 70 grams and mine start to leak on compression. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Taylor Posted April 9, 2016 Author Share Posted April 9, 2016 Hi, I have found the quickest way to measure spring pressure is to place the action board, or the entire concertina, on a set of kitchen scales (preferably electronic), zero the scales, press a button and that is the button's pressure. I try to adjust mine to 70 grams, but i am not too pernickety as i cannot tell the difference of 20 grams when playing. Below 70 grams and mine start to leak on compression. David Brilliant! And thank you Chris as well. Is the pressure measured at full deflection or just as the pad starts to lift? Don. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hornett Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 I adjust as they start to lift. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Ghent Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Hi, I have found the quickest way to measure spring pressure is to place the action board, or the entire concertina, on a set of kitchen scales (preferably electronic), zero the scales, press a button and that is the button's pressure. I try to adjust mine to 70 grams, but i am not too pernickety as i cannot tell the difference of 20 grams when playing. Below 70 grams and mine start to leak on compression. David Brilliant..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Ghent Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 I adjust as they start to lift. David On top of it again David..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hornett Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Careful, it will go to my head, david Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddy Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 Thanks! With your method now my action boards have homogeneus action (with a tollerance of +_ 7gr.) The idea of kitchen scale is simple but very efficient... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Levine Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 I adjust by touch and have done so for a long time. I have not used my fancy gauge in years. I like the button resistance to be minimal so that I have the feeling of playing faster, with less effort. It is easy enough to correct a leak because of pre-load that is too light. It is harder to correct my own mechanical deficiencies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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