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Discussions => Instrument Design, Construction and Repair => Topic started by: The Idle Rich on January 05, 2018, 04:12:37 PM

Title: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: The Idle Rich on January 05, 2018, 04:12:37 PM
I have an old possibly 30's era Baldoni Bartoli melodeon that the ivory colored celluloid keyboard top has shrunk and warped. The right front pointy tip is cracked around the screw and barely attached. I need advice on what glue I should use to close up the crack? Any help appreciated. I found the instrument a few months ago on US Craigslist.  I wish Photobucket was still free or I would post a photo.   Thanks!  The Idle Rich
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: Gromit on January 05, 2018, 11:07:42 PM
You could try a search if no one comes up with an answer - a quick "glue celluloid to wood" google came up with info like this -

http://www.americanartplastics.com/celluloid_tooling.shtml
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: Theo on January 05, 2018, 11:24:15 PM
The traditional adhesive for celluloid is scraps of celluloid dissolved in acetone.  Nail varnish is very similar and will work too.  Superglue is effective too, and has the advantage that it capillaries into the full depth of a crack. With any adhesive you need good clamping with the joint sets, and be very careful that squeezed out adhesive is removed immediately.
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: The Idle Rich on January 06, 2018, 01:14:41 PM
Thanks for the help Theo and Gromit! I'll try and figure out how to reduce photo file size and post some pictures of it soon. It's an 8 voice LLMMMMMM  with a melodeon style bass end. The Idle Rich
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: tirpous on January 06, 2018, 04:57:05 PM
Hello Mr Rich, this sounds like a most interesting box.  Hopefully you can post pictures of it soon (no pressure).  Is it somewhat similar to the one Anders Trabjerg plays in this video ??   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KELhz077OOs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KELhz077OOs)
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: The Idle Rich on January 06, 2018, 05:42:02 PM
Hi Tirpous,  The Baldoni Bartoli has a German style or "growl box" type of bass end. I've never seen one before on a Baldoni Bartoli in online photo searches. The only other bass end that closely resembles it is on the 3 voice  Ed Fitzgerald Walters.  Photos hopefully coming soon.  The Idle Rich
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: The Idle Rich on January 07, 2018, 02:25:45 PM
Here is a link to some photos I posted on a climbing site I belong to. Click to enlarge.

Green and Gold sparkle Baldoni Bartoli in D.

The Idle Rich

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2049409&msg=3048358#msg3048358
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: boxcall on January 07, 2018, 04:09:04 PM
Nice find! Congratulations
Should sound great when you get it fix up, I like it's simplicity.
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: tirpous on January 07, 2018, 04:16:57 PM
Nice !  I guess the broken area is around the screw closest to the camera in this picture?  Judging by discoloration on treble front (in another picture), is it possible a name in bold letters used to be there?     
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: The Idle Rich on January 07, 2018, 04:58:46 PM
Hi tirpous, I added two more photos to link to show the damaged keyboard tip and the writing which is still in perfect shape. Glad people are enjoying the photos. The Idle Rich
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: tirpous on January 07, 2018, 05:31:18 PM
For the writing, I meant the keyboard side of the front, where some areas are of a bluer shade than the rest.  Obvious is the bit that was shielded by the red stripe, but there is a larger area down the middle where I think I see the shadow of (now gone) bold lettering.  Maybe a 'C' and a 'A', not sure about the rest...
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: The Idle Rich on January 07, 2018, 05:51:57 PM
Hi tirpous, Other than the Baldoni Bartoli NY logo there are no other signs or writing past or present anywhere that I can see? The Idle Rich
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: playandteach on January 07, 2018, 07:26:00 PM
Looks to me from a quick search that this area is used for the owner's name.
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: The Idle Rich on January 08, 2018, 12:49:48 AM
There is about an inch and a half of missing red trim where a section was  just broken off. Might explain why it appeared there was a bold letter  there?
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: tirpous on January 08, 2018, 01:12:04 AM
Trying to illustrate my point here.  The 'N' is just a guess.
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: The Idle Rich on January 08, 2018, 01:49:52 AM
It's just weird shaded celluloid and nothing more.
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: The Idle Rich on January 08, 2018, 06:41:13 PM
Thanks again Theo for the super glue advice! I glued it back together and it looks good. I added another photo of my repair job and a view behind the grille and keyboard if anyone is interested. The Idle Rich
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: Steve_freereeder on January 08, 2018, 09:45:04 PM
It's just weird shaded celluloid and nothing more.

When I first saw the photos in this post...
http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,21630.msg260552.html#msg260552
... my immediate thoughts took me to the English Lake District and the Langdale Pikes in particular. There are rocks which look exactly like this: ignimbrites, or welded tuffs which are the product of violent volcanic eruptions with deadly pyroclastic flows. The dark streaks in the celluloid look just like the fragments of streaked and sheared out pumice and other ash fragments - known by the Italian term fiamme (= 'flame'). The similarity between this celluloid and ignimbrites containing fiamme is truly remarkable, and it makes me wonder whether the celluloid designer was familiar with these highly distinctive volcanic rocks.

Here are some photos of ignimbrites with fiamme:
https://vitaminccs.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/dsc00206.jpg
http://earth.waikato.ac.nz/volcanology/imgs_volc/research_students/fiamme.jpg
http://eos.higp.hawaii.edu/education/oldslide_set4/slide25.gif

The things which crop up (or out!) on melnet...  ;)

OK - I'll fetch my anorak now...
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: boxcall on January 08, 2018, 10:43:49 PM
It's just weird shaded celluloid and nothing more.
Looks like it was more of the green color originally. If you look at the trim area where the piece broke off and maybe the other areas just faded and now appear more gold in color.


I added another photo of my repair job and a view behind the grille and keyboard if anyone is interested. The Idle Rich
The repair looks good, do you have the buttons that are missing?

I'm really interested in where you got it and how much you paid  ;)
Also are there any more!!

I'd like to hear it when you get it fixed up, if possible.

It's just weird shaded celluloid and nothing more.

When I first saw the photos in this post...
http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,21630.msg260552.html#msg260552
... my immediate thoughts took me to the English Lake District and the Langdale Pikes in particular. There are rocks which look exactly like this: ignimbrites, or welded tuffs which are the product of violent volcanic eruptions with deadly pyroclastic flows. The dark streaks in the celluloid look just like the fragments of streaked and sheared out pumice and other ash fragments - known by the Italian term fiamme (= 'flame'). The similarity between this celluloid and ignimbrites containing fiamme is truly remarkable, and it makes me wonder whether the celluloid designer was familiar with these highly distinctive volcanic rocks.

Here are some photos of ignimbrites with fiamme:
https://vitaminccs.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/dsc00206.jpg
http://earth.waikato.ac.nz/volcanology/imgs_volc/research_students/fiamme.jpg
http://eos.higp.hawaii.edu/education/oldslide_set4/slide25.gif

The things which crop up (or out!) on melnet...  ;)

OK - I'll fetch my anorak now...
Careful--- this could become a subduction zone.
Title: Re: What glue to use to save cracked celluloid keyboard tip on old Baldoni Bartoli
Post by: triskel on May 22, 2018, 06:18:47 AM
Somehow I previously missed this thread about an intriguing Irish-American box, and I don't know if Paul Groff saw it either, but the shape of the keyboard ends appears to be more like that of a Walters, rather than a Baldoni, Bartoli - whilst the "maker's" name looks quite amateurish, it was usually much more neatly, and delicately, engraved onto them by Augusto in New York... ???

So I've started a new thread about the instrument (rather than its repair) here: Baldoni, Bartoli or Walters? And it looks like a Ficosecco... (http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,22363.0.html)
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