Melodeon.net Forums
Discussions => Instrument Design, Construction and Repair => Topic started by: 911377brian on March 18, 2016, 08:35:55 PM
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Despite good advice from folk who know a lot more than I do I've decided to tart up a little one row three stopper in G, one of the despised Saxony boxes freely available on EBay. ;) It seemed sensible to start on re papering and taping the bellows having done a bit of that in the past, but removing the decorative metal corners, which I thought would be a doddle is proving to be very frustrating. They are made of very thin metal and the nails holding them are slightly countersunk within the decoration, and any timid attempt at prising the corners up to ease the nail heads up enough to get hold of them looks likely to distort the corners, probably to the point of wrecking them. Any advice gratefully received....
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(http://www.pental.com.au/images/site/brand/Products/LittleLucifer/Little_Lucifer_Firelighters_24_cubes.jpg)
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You can be awfully cruel at times Lester.. :'(
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There is a distinct possibility that the length of the "nails" has resulted in the pointy ends protruding through to the inside of the bellows frames. If that is the case, they should be able to be pushed out with a pair of pliers. (I have just had to do this on I melodeon I own and faced with the same problem.)
Good luck; you may yet save the cost of a packet of firelighters....
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I'm just making a start on my 1 row 3 stopper in G as well! My bellows seem to be OK, but they had insulation tape as gaskets, and one of the slide blocks has had the screw-in knob overtightened into it and then stripped.
I took about a dozen hair clip "helpers" out from among the return springs, and now the action is quite rough and slow to return. Mine's a National Band, with long plate steel reeds.
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Assuming the nails don't stick out Inside: as I remember, the trick is to insert a thin blade tool under the corner and push toward the nail, keeping the blade flat on the surface to avoid bending the corner. When the blade gets to the nail head, the wedging action will raise the nail a fraction. You may have to come in from many angles. After that you can repeat with a thicker blade or use shims to move the nail further out. If all the pressure is applied under (or very close to) the nail head, the corners won't be damaged. I hope this makes sense.
Good luck!
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As with old embedded woodscrews Brian, a bit of a cook with a reasonably high wattage soldering iron applied to the head might help. Also a little sideways percussion to loosen rust etc after cooking.
As for Lester's advice, I can't fault it except for one caveat, only follow it if selling the box to Edward first, fails. ;)
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if you're going to buy a 'saxony' melodeon, buy one that comes in it's original cardboard box. these boxes can make very nice hats. >:E
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And cheaper than a box of firelighters >:E
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Managed to wrestle my 100w soldering iron back from my neighbours sticky little fingers and found that a combination of gentle prising and 30 seconds of heat did the job, so thanks for the suggestions. I started off applying heat for 90 seconds and cut down the time to 30 seconds, any less than that didn't work. I found that screwing two 1/2"x 2" batten to the sturdy bellows frames inside the bellows after extending them fully keeps the job nice and rigid. I find that I'm not the first one to show kindness to this little box, someone in the past has re taped and papered the bellows (sort of) and the reeds have plastic valves. Sadly the reeds are bronze...but who knows, they might sound OK....One of the candle wick bellows gaskets has been replaced by neoprene...
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Nothing wrong with the reeds - you won't be hammering them for Morris - and they are often reckoned to have a warmer, mellower sound than steel reeds.
Are the reeds on individual plates? Just curious.
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Good to hear it's not all bad, Malcolm! No, not separate, just three long plates...
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I find that I'm not the first one to show kindness to this little box ... the reeds have plastic valves. Sadly the reeds are bronze...
The valves could even be original Brian - I bought a Saxony 3-stopper brand new in 1972 (I was a student and it was half the price of a Hohner!) that I'm sure had plastic valves along with bronze reeds.
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I haven't a clue as to age,Stephen, would the fact that it was made for Campbell's help?I have a feeling that the closed down in the 1940's? It has "Campbell's Melodeon" printed on the china and metal stop buttons....
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I haven't a clue as to age,Stephen, would the fact that it was made for Campbell's help?I have a feeling that the closed down in the 1940's? It has "Campbell's Melodeon" printed on the china and metal stop buttons....
'Twould Brian, must be pre-war then - and I'm not that old! ;)
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. (:) (:)
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Toddling quietly along with the bellows refurb, got them stripped down to the cardboard and after trying to repaper them with present wrapping paper ( not good, too thin and prone to wrinkle) went with GPS's suggestion and am using orange copier paper. That's not really why I'm posting, there are already two informative posts on refurbs at present; fact is that there is a box on EBay exactly the same as my 'unwise purchase', right down to the tapestry bass strap and thumb strap and art deco decoration. In this case it's described as a"Parsifal". I would think they come from the same factory. Would that be Kalbe?
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... there is a box on EBay exactly the same as my 'unwise purchase', right down to the tapestry bass strap and thumb strap and art deco decoration. In this case it's described as a"Parsifal". I would think they come from the same factory. Would that be Kalbe?
Gebrüder Ludwig at Zwota, beside Klingenthal, probably 1930's then.
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Is that the one with a £16.50 starting price, Brian? If so it looks like a corker!
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That's the one Edward, it looks good but I think maybe a well meaning nutter not unlike you and me has been at it.... ;)
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Well meaning?
Sir John
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Confucius he say:
Carrying out unwise projects increases one's wisdom
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What gives you that impression, Brian?
Someone else said; "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions!"
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Confucius also says"Unwise projects keep old men in their workshop out of wife's way"
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Thanks for the info,Stephen " The Brothers Ludwig" has a wonderful Brothers Grimm ring to it.....
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Confucius also says"Unwise projects keep old men in their workshop out of wife's way"
(:)
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Dodgy philosophy Brian, Confucius also says "If chain still swinging, seat will be warm", not in an Easterly hereabouts it ain't :o
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(:).