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[Rog]

Here’s a vid of covering an accordion with celluloid. Can someone explain how a great big sheet like that is softened up? Obviously they use acetone, but how...?
https://youtu.be/9FAl9DZKgCQ

[Winston Smith]

Is it not just warmed?

[Theo]

No not warmed,  it’s a very thin sheet and would cool too soon to complete the fitting. 
One method is to soak the sheet in a 50/50 mix of acetone and water.  I have used that method to soften celluloid for repairs and I can confirm that it works.

[richard.fleming]

At the end of the video the celluloid still seems to have the odd bump or wrinkle. Does it stretch as it dries out and become smooth, like wallpaper?

[Tone Dumb Greg]

The whole process seemed to give a slightly rough and ready finish. I suspect that there was still tidying up to be done flattening out wrinkles and trimming roughly cut edges.

[John MacKenzie (Cugiok)]

Judging by the urgency with which she is doing it, I suspect that the softening effect of the chemicals wears off fairly soon, and the celluloid returns to a solid state. After this is can be trimmed filed and then polished. I expect that during the "drying" process, some shrinkage occurs too, which would pull out any wee wrinkles.

Sir John

[Rog]

Hi Theo, thanks. I ought to try that. Pure acetone just dissolves it..

[Theo]

I saw another video recently, I think it was at Dallape after the factory closed, there the celluloid was dipped very quickly into a liquid that might have been pure acetone, then left on a bench for a few minutes while the liquid was absorbed.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=dallape+factory&t=ffab&iax=videos&ia=videos&iai=Xna2j0jsO1k celluloid covering starts at 26:00

[Tone Dumb Greg]

There can't be much acetone sitting on the celluloid. She's not wearing gloves.

[John MacKenzie (Cugiok)]

Love the tune that comes in at about 14 minutes.

SJ

[Stockaryd]

1   Which is the easiest way to remove cellouid?

2   I tested using old X-ray film as valves. It did not work. The tones were choked.   

[rees]

Love the tune that comes in at about 14 minutes.

SJ

erm ... the video is only 2 minutes long

[Tone Dumb Greg]

Love the tune that comes in at about 14 minutes.

erm ... the video is only 2 minutes long

SJ

erm, nearly 41 minutes. A very nice tune comes in almost 14 minutes in

[The video Theo posted]

[rees]

Ah sorry, I was looking at the video in the original post not Theo's later one.

[Kimric Smythe]

The acetone/water method is what is used I believe, but I will be working at the Weltmeister factory later this month so I can ask.
 I took a video many years ago at the factory where they showed several of the processes . The instrument is scraped and smoothed with large blades , then given a chemical polish with a solvent mix , then later is polished on a buffing wheel.
 Here is a video I took but it is missing the chemical polish part https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYsSifiDapo.

[invadm]

The acetone/water method is what is used I believe, but I will be working at the Weltmeister factory later this month so I can ask.
/quote]
wouldn't it be fantastic if they offered re-facing old boxes to the public ? 
I know they offered custom made bellows with photos/paintings...imagine how many tired old boxes around that could do with a face lifting and new life with fresh celluloid finish  pass on the massage if you would please       

[george garside]

do any of the fettlers on this forum offer a re celluloiding service.  ?

[Steve_freereeder]

The acetone/water method is what is used I believe, but I will be working at the Weltmeister factory later this month so I can ask.
 I took a video many years ago at the factory where they showed several of the processes . The instrument is scraped and smoothed with large blades , then given a chemical polish with a solvent mix , then later is polished on a buffing wheel.
 Here is a video I took but it is missing the chemical polish part https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYsSifiDapo.

Great video, Kimric! Thanks for posting!
Incidentally, in in the last half-minute minute or of the video is a very brief illustration of the tuning process using a hand-powered tuning bellows allowing the reeds in an accordion to be tuned in situ in the instrument, which (as has been discussed on this forum many times) is the only real way of getting an accurate result. See here. This is exactly the sort of set-up which I use. I can adapt it to take different sized instruments simply by clamping thin plywood strips covered in chamois leather along the sides of the main aperture. Works brilliantly!

[Kimric Smythe]

The part of the video you are talking about is for the final tuning, where table tuning harmonics are dialed out.
I spent a lot of time working the harmonics out of my table so I seldom have more than 1 or 2 reeds per a instrument.

[invadm]

do any of the fettlers on this forum offer a re celluloiding service.  ?

I wish some one did  I keep asking every opportunity I get but no one 'said yes I'll do it'  I see many short videos from Colombia on Instagram regular bases; they do re face the coronas in many different colours...I was sort of hoping  Kimric Smythe would ask Weltmeister if they could offer re-finishing to public as an extra services.