Melodeon.net Forums
Discussions => Recordings and Videos => Topic started by: Lester on March 06, 2019, 10:05:39 PM
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I am putting together a bunch of videos over the next few weeks whilst doing up a second hand Pokerwork. The videos will cover the following:
- Refacing treble pallets
- Refacing bass pallets
- Restricting treble action
- Removing the thumb strap
- Bushing the bass buttons
- Retaping the bellows
- Converting to 4th button start
- Rewaxing
- Anything else I have to do to the box
Hope people find the videos informative, useful, etc
Introduction Video (https://youtu.be/wMMSY_xtQ0g)
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Thanks Lester, that should be very interesting!
I like your grimace at 1'46" in the Introduction Video, it really sums up your assesment of the normal-for-Hohner tuning... ;)
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Ooooh I'm very much looking forward to seeing this! :)
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This should be good. You've taken pity on me after my description of my pokerwork!
You'll be doing a little tuning too?
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Excellent. Looking forward to hearing the difference as well as seeing the jobs done.
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Episode 2 - Refacing the treble pallets.
In which I speak and prove that I have difficulty converting a cogent sequence of thought into a sentence, you'll get the drift :)
https://youtu.be/g7nVDIXF3qc (https://youtu.be/g7nVDIXF3qc)
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Great stuff, and the long nosed angled pliers trick is very useful, I used to keep taking the keyboard on and of, till they were right.
SJ
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This is going to be a very good, and very informative series of videos. While I imagine it will somewhat be filled with things people (including yourself) have been saying on mel net for some years, being able to see it all from start to end and the little woes that befall you on the journey will, I think, help a lot of people. I'm glad that you are talking through the process, as you go, too. Good stuff!
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Required viewing, I would say! Thank you, Lester. Consummately well done.
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Thanks Lester. How long does it take you to complete the entire job demonstrated (at your present level of experience and proficiency, of course)?
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Thanks for this Lester!
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I see that I have been far too dainty and reverential in my treatment of the innards of the Erica D/G.
Perhaps I should try a practice run on the little one row 'Diana' to see what refacing the pallets will do for that, to get my hand in.
Great viewing, and it might even start a 'fettle alonga Lester' movement.
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Be very careful with the end cutters though.
If the pins show any resisistence at all use heat and heavy electricians pliers.
(sez he who sheared the head off a bellows pin last week)
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Excellent - Thank you
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Thanks Lester. How long does it take you to complete the entire job demonstrated (at your present level of experience and proficiency, of course)?
The total time seems to be ~50 minutes excluding the 15 minute glue setting time. This is calculated from the original video duration
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Episode 2 - Refacing the treble pallets.
In which I speak and prove that I have difficulty converting a cogent sequence of thought into a sentence, you'll get the drift :)
https://youtu.be/g7nVDIXF3qc (https://youtu.be/g7nVDIXF3qc)
Excellent stuff, Lester. Well done for taking the time and effort to produce this. (:) :|glug
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Thank you, Lester.
This is both educational and inspirational!
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have only just seen this thread . great stuff Lester I and many others look forward to the rest of your series and appreciate the time and effort you will be putting in. Thanks!
george
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It looks great on the big telly.
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And today children, in Episode 3, we shall be Restricting the Treble Action
Thanks to Theo for the original idea.
https://youtu.be/AVtbYmi1oxE (https://youtu.be/AVtbYmi1oxE)
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Magic Lester, only thing I do differently, is I glue a strip of scrap leather across the wooden strip. before screwing it into position. It just adds to the dampening effect.
SJ
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Does this add anything to the noise made by the action?
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And today children, in Episode 3, we shall be Restricting the Treble Action
Thanks to Theo for the original idea.
https://youtu.be/AVtbYmi1oxE (https://youtu.be/AVtbYmi1oxE)
And I got the original idea from the late Richard Morse, founder of the Button Box.
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Does this add anything to the noise made by the action?
I did it on my 1040 with a soft pine strip it worked good and I didn’t notice a noise, but will say that it felt abrupt at the stop point (to me). I have an access panel so I took the pine strip out and went the felt under the lever inside the finger board.
Thanks for sharing Lester / Teacher!!!
Edit to fix grammar
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"Normal for Hohner"... ;D But in seriousness, is this "from the factory" tuning, or does the tuning just naturally drift with age and less than ideal storage conditions (attic, basement, shed, etc.)?
I'm really looking forward to this whole series. It always gives me great appreciation for these Hohner boxes, which were obviously designed to be inexpensively mass produced and yet are so wonderfully open to repair and to replacement of individual parts. Artifacts of an older ethos that expected complex objects to be maintained incrementally over time rather than simply replaced wholesale when something goes wrong.
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Does this add anything to the noise made by the action?
Yes - I find that this method does result in a distinct 'clunk' as the levers contact the wood strip, even with soft pine.
I get round this by filing shallow grooves where the levers contact the wood strip and then gluing a strip of chamois leather on top of the wood strip, pressing the leather down into the grooves. This forms a nice buffer and considerably reduces the sound and the abruptness of the stop. I guess the leather would wear out eventually, although it can easily be replaced.
The wood strip (with leather buffer) method is a good one if you are planning on keeping the plastic keyboard. But a much better method of reducing the button travel is to replace the keyboard with a new wooden one, with a removeable back plate which allows you to install felt buffers under the button end of the levers. Replacement keyboards like this for Pokerworks and Ericas are available frm Acorn Instruments (Pete Ward makes the keyboards) and I believe Charlie Marshall sells them too.
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Does this add anything to the noise made by the action?
Yes - I find that this method does result in a distinct 'clunk' as the levers contact the wood strip, even with soft pine.
I get round this by filing shallow grooves where the levers contact the wood strip and then gluing a strip of chamois leather on top of the wood strip, pressing the leather down into the grooves. This forms a nice buffer and considerably reduces the sound and the abruptness of the stop. I guess the leather would wear out eventually, although it can easily be replaced.
The wood strip (with leather buffer) method is a good one if you are planning on keeping the plastic keyboard. But a much better method of reducing the button travel is to replace the keyboard with a new wooden one, with a removeable back plate which allows you to install felt buffers under the button end of the levers. Replacement keyboards like this for Pokerworks and Ericas are available frm Acorn Instruments (Pete Ward makes the keyboards) and I believe Charlie Marshall sells them too.
I find the action to be more or less silent, at least not detectable when playing. But YMMV
As too Pete's replacement fingerboard that video will arriving not long after the keyboard pops through my letterbox. I agree it is a better solution but it is not as easy and more costly.
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Not the most exciting video but Removing the Thumbstrap (https://youtu.be/2XSTbr9PzGE)
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It says, "Unavailable" Lester
SJ
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It says, "Unavailable" Lester
SJ
Fixed :-[
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Lester, from Charlies site, which exactly is the material used to reface the treble pallets? He has a leather/felt that looks right but not quite the same size as in the video... (or when I order, what should I ask for? usually he send me the right thing even if I ask for the wrong one...)
Also, is the type of hot glue particular? Do you use it at high or low melt?
THANKS.
Steve C.
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Lester, from Charlies site, which exactly is the material used to reface the treble pallets? He has a leather/felt that looks right but not quite the same size as in the video... (or when I order, what should I ask for? usually he send me the right thing even if I ask for the wrong one...)
Also, is the type of hot glue particular? Do you use it at high or low melt?
THANKS.
Steve C.
It's this one (http://www.cgmmusical.co.uk/CGM_Musical_Services/Felt_Leather_Pallets.html#4) but I buy big bits so he cuts it larger
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I don't know what you think re felt thickness Lester. I use 2 mm on the inner/shorter travel pallets, and 2.5 on the outer, or longer travel pallets. Theory of this is the higher the lift, the bigger the bang when it hits the fondo. So it dampens the longer ones that bit more. 1.5 on Liliputs etc.
Sir John
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I don't know what you think re felt thickness Lester. I use 2 mm on the inner/shorter travel pallets, and 2.5 on the outer, or longer travel pallets. Theory of this is the higher the lift, the bigger the bang when it hits the fondo. So it dampens the longer ones that bit more. 1.5 on Liliputs etc.
Sir John
I use the Charlies felt/leather (http://www.cgmmusical.co.uk/CGM_Musical_Services/Felt_Leather_Pallets.html#4) same thickness for all pallets
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Excellent, thank you.
(for use on older Hohners << missed this definite CLUE)
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Episode 5 - Refacing the Bass End Pallets (https://youtu.be/YSlSOple8-M)
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Another excellent video, Lester. Great stuff! (:)
I reface the air button pallet though.
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Good stuff Lester.
Just one small refinement. When applying glue to the pallets I always use a plastic spatula to spread the glue. Two advantages - avoiding glue on the fingers, and I like to use the bare minimum so the glue can’t soak into the felt any further than necessary.
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I'm enjoying this series immensely Lester, thanks for spending so much time on making it so detailed. I hope you don't mind me making a suggestion that may make your life a little easier. When refitting the arms to set the button height, if you fit them in reverse order - 8, 7, 6, 5 etc you will be working back towards yourself without the arm you've just fitted getting in your way and being such a nuisance. Easy to see in hindsight I know!
I'm very much looking forward to the rest of the series, particularly the button bushing and seeing how you ream the holes out. (:)
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Thanks for this video, Lester! When you do the "judicious bending", is that to account for the increased thickness of the pallet facing? If so, where exactly are you bending? With the treble buttons, it was clear that you're just holding the pallets closed while pressing the buttons, but I wasn't sure what the equivalent action is on the bass side.
Or were you just bending the rods to make sure the buttons move in their holes without rubbing or sticking? Maybe the adjustment for button height can't happen until after the button bushings are done?
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Thanks for this video, Lester! When you do the "judicious bending", is that to account for the increased thickness of the pallet facing? If so, where exactly are you bending? With the treble buttons, it was clear that you're just holding the pallets closed while pressing the buttons, but I wasn't sure what the equivalent action is on the bass side.
I bend the the part of the leg of the bass mechanism where the button rod meets the mechanism. It only requires a small amount of adjustment.
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Today's video is Bushing the Bass Buttons (https://youtu.be/SPz8RksZZlY)
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Another brilliant one!
The series might also be named "Dr. Lester or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Fettle the Box".
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May I ask, what happens if you don't use the proper felt?
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May I ask, what happens if you don't use the proper felt?
It wears, frays and falls apart and it's hard to cut without it shredding (or so a friend told me 8) )
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Do you know, I happen to have exactly the same reamer in my tool-box. Bit of luck that :|glug
SJ
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Very useful. I've only done this twice, but made the mistake the first time of not gluing the raised bar in place, and it splintered horribly.
By the way, the second time it did it, I used some bellows corner leather instead of the right felt - I had it lying around and it has worked really well (I hadn't reamed enough out to use the right felt, and wanted to be a bit conservative about taking more wood out, as I wasn't sure if the taper to the hole would be too strange.
The other thing I did (in my half-baked method) was to use the writing end of a pencil to push the felt and leather in. This actually worked really nicely as the pencil I had was a really good match for the taper and felt / leather, very fortunately making that job very simple. I left pencils (smaller ones) in the holes as the glue dried to stop the felt lifting.
Note, please that I am not suggesting these as in any way improvements to the method shown, just joining in the discussion. Thanks, Lester for sharing these.
There may well be people shouting that bellows corners aren't at all suitable.
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Does it get any more exciting - Retaping the Bellows (https://youtu.be/UhdyuQ9AMsg)
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I dunno, of all the jobs that one seems the most daunting to me.
Are you going to talk about patching holes in the gussets? That's the main problem on my "project box".
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I dunno, of all the jobs that one seems the most daunting to me.
Are you going to talk about patching holes in the gussets? That's the main problem on my "project box".
Had not though about it but can add it to the list
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Great stuff again Lester. I am reminded again why I have a set of spare bellows, missing a fold at each end, still not finished being retaped. I just hate what this job does to my cuticles, when I'm sliding my fingers up and down the folds, to make sure the glue is evenly spread.
SJ
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Today's video is Bushing the Bass Buttons (https://youtu.be/SPz8RksZZlY)
erm, your holes are 10mm not 100mm - just saying.
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Does it get any more exciting - Retaping the Bellows (https://youtu.be/UhdyuQ9AMsg)
Another great video, Lester, thank you.
One question though. Using PVA glue for attaching the bellows tape works well, but what about in the future if/when the bellows tape needs replacing yet again? I would expect the bellows tape will be far harder, if not impossible, to remove, as a result of using PVA.
Would you advocate using the 'proper' bellows tape glue which the Italian makers use? I think the glue doesn't set rock-hard, remaining partly flexible and therefore easier to remove if need be. I've only ever had to remove small lengths of tape from italian-made bellows in order to repair worn sections, but the tape was reasonably easy to remove and came away cleanly. Charlie Marshall sells it (http://www.cgmmusical.co.uk/CGM_Musical_Services/Bellows_Tape.html#11).
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If the YouTube video didn't fast forward through the respective bits, this could be a cracking contender for slow television.
But seriously, this series contains wonderfully clear instructions and answers so many little details.
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I love the Speeded up bits !! although I kept expecting the "Benny Hill" music !! ;D ;D ;D
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Lester: a "family" question
If wanting to bush the bass buttons on an Erica, any reason why the same process would not work? Or better to drill the celluloid with a 10 mm bit? I fear either could be ugly...
Thanks!
--Steve C
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Also, doesn't anyone put "new rubber" on a hot rod?
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Lester: a "family" question
If wanting to bush the bass buttons on an Erica, any reason why the same process would not work? Or better to drill the celluloid with a 10 mm bit? I fear either could be ugly...
Thanks!
--Steve C
I do exactly* the same job with the same tools on Ericas. Just go gently to prevent any chipping of the celluloid
* have to redo the sums, ie measure the button and the felt to allow the reamer to be marked for the correct size hole
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Replacing the Grille Cloth (https://youtu.be/-1tsJ2heRY0)
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and you end up with the grille of your dreams. Nicely done Lester.
SJ
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Lester's wife's embroidery material as a grille cloth works well becuse it is quite stiff and holds its shape nicely while you are fixing it.
If you are thinking of using the stuff from Charlie Marshall (http://www.cgmmusical.co.uk/CGM_Musical_Services/Grille_Bass_Linings.html) (which is good and available in different colours, weaves and textures), it tends to be more floppy and slightly more fiddly to deal with. A good tip I had from Martyn White is to brush the grille lining with a 50/50 solution of white PVA glue and water and then hang it up to dry. This renders it stiffer and easier to cut to size and to handle. Once it is dry and cut to shape, use the same dilution of PVA/water to fix it to the inside of the grille. The wet cloth expands a bit and looks all wrinkly at first (a bit like me) but shrinks back again on drying so you get a nice taut finish. With the floppy stuff, it's best to brush the dilute glue all over the inside of the grille, not just the edge, otherwise the grille cloth may sag in the middle and possibly foul the pallets. It's essential to do this anyway on curved grilles (e.g. Ericas).
One more thing to be aware of is the porosity of your chosen cloth. Again, Lester's cloth is good because it has a very open weave, but other types of lining may not be sufficiently porous to allow proper air flow through to the pallets (and hence the reeds). Commerical grille cloth will be OK, but think carefully before using that odd remnant of pretty floral curtain material which you just happened to have going spare. It may mute the sound or restrict the air flow. :o
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I use starched mull from here https://vintagepaper.co/collections. They also do some lovely papers, that I'd like to see on bellows.
SJ
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I use starched mull from here https://vintagepaper.co/collections. They also do some lovely papers, that I'd like to see on bellows.
That's a great site! Thanks for posting. Agree about the papers - they are lovely.
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Lester: a "family" question
If wanting to bush the bass buttons on an Erica, any reason why the same process would not work? Or better to drill the celluloid with a 10 mm bit? I fear either could be ugly...
Thanks!
--Steve C
I do exactly* the same job with the same tools on Ericas. Just go gently to prevent any chipping of the celluloid.
I tried drilling out the holes. Unless you fancy a job of rebuilding the button step out of matchwood I suggest you learn from my mistake.
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Does it get any more exciting - Retaping the Bellows (https://youtu.be/UhdyuQ9AMsg)
That's the one I've been waiting 30+ years for...Thank you...I think... :|glug :|glug
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Thanks, P&T, noted. No reason not to use the reamer.
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Fitting an Acorn Instruments Replacement Keyboard (https://youtu.be/0owj-KE7jy4)
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Thanks Lester, well done. Handy that you had a couple of glitches, so that you could show how to get round the problems,
SJ
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Thanks Lester, well done. Handy that you had a couple of glitches, so that you could show how to get round the problems,
SJ
Absolutely. Good to see the potential issues resolved. Thanks for doing these.
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- Anything else I have to do to the box
I have used a 'electronic drug dealer scale (https://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Weigh-Scales-Signature-AWS-1KG-BLK/dp/B002SC3LLS/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_lp_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M11EWMGHN97007SV8CER)' to measure/set up button pressure, quite a faff.
I don't suppose that you intend doing any adjustments to the springs on the box you are currently
working on, but if you had time at some stage, an explanation or demonstration of how this process
works would be appreciated.
Thanks for this series of videos. Very informative.
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Very helpful and a good tip about the leather washers.
One thing I'd not be happy about is the cup washers. I've used these many times, but in any kind of stress or movement, I have found these to distort. I'd replace them with some M5 or M6 standard steel washers.
However, the stresses on a keyboard might be minimal and my caveat might be totally unnecessary.
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Yes the leather washers is something I do too. Another method is to seal them off with a capping of hot wax.
SJ
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Episode 2 - Refacing the treble pallets.
In which I speak and prove that I have difficulty converting a cogent sequence of thought into a sentence, you'll get the drift :)
https://youtu.be/g7nVDIXF3qc (https://youtu.be/g7nVDIXF3qc)
Lester, first of all, thank you for these videos, it's great content!
Something is not clear for me in this, it's the question of the angle created by the addition of thickness of the pallets, that needs a bending of levers to compensate (see attached picture). Is that what you do when pressing the button hard and blocking the pallet with the other hand? Or is that for another reason? In which case the "sponginess" of the felt "absorbs" the angle (meaning you have more compressed felt near the interior)?
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I wish I could do drawings like yours to illustrate my point, but I can't. Just visualise, that when you place the refaced pallet in position over the relevant hole, and rest the lever in the slot, that because the pallet is thicker, it pushes the lever a bit higher off the fondo. As you haven't done anything to the lever, this will mean that the point of contact between the lever and the pallet will be a slightly different angle. However the spring pressure remains the same, so it is holding the pallet flat against the fondo. So if you follow the situation over 90 degrees, then the button will be sitting lower, and needs raised to suit. Once this is done, you glue the lever to the pallet. Remember that the pallet is still being held flat, at the same pressure, and by fixing it while in that position, you maintain that angle. So there should be no question of the pallet sitting on the fondo, at an angle.
Hope you can follow that.
Sir John
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Do you have anything on replacing broken springs, Lester?
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Thank you Sir John for the clear explanation saved me having to think it through.
Once I've finished the current set of videos, with the tuning video I intend to do some simple fix videos such as broken springs
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Encouraged by this series (and by the fact that I've finally got pallet facing material) I've started working on refacing the pallets on my Hohner Club IIB Victoria box and I thought I'd share the issues I've encountered (if I have more stuff I'll probably make a new thread).
Getting the keyboard off was a bit tricky, I've opened some screws I didn't have to (no idea what they were holding in place, but they're back holding it now) but all in all applying gradual force and some careful wiggling of levers is enough to get it out.
The more serious problem was the fact that the pallets just wouldn't come off. Fortunately the search function of the forums rescued me by recommending using a soldering iron to weaken the glue. For most pallets a slow swipe of the iron on both sides of the lever were enough to tear this white circle and melt the glue so a determined thumb could dislodge the pallet.
If you do this, remember that soldering iron and wood do not mix well as can be seen by the attached picture. The pallet wood is quite fragile and the soldering iron will happily eat through it.
I don't think this will affect playing in any way, but it's not going to be the prettiest box under the grille.
The bottom row of pallets is a bugger to remove, but pressing buttons to move the adjacent levers makes it slightly easier.
The stronger glue also has the disadvantage that cleaning it off of the pallets and the levers is more time consuming. I suspect I'm going to compromise there a tiny bit as long as the levers fit nicely into the pallets.
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Well the method I use when the glue is hard to shift, is to run a scalpel down either side of the lever. on the back of the pallet,, which is usually enough to encourage the disc of material to split down both sides of the lever, leaving you a wee bit to scrape off, later.
Sir John
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Well the method I use when the glue is hard to shift, is to run a scalpel down either side of the lever. on the back of the pallet,, which is usually enough to encourage the disc of material to split down both sides of the lever, leaving you a wee bit to scrape off, later.
Sir John
Unfortunately the glue was laughing at my scalpel. I'm not 100% sure if it's the glue's fault or the scalpel's :)
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Funnily enough, I'm busy doing the same to one of mine. I found that placing the soldering iron on the actual lever was the job. The metal lever heats up and the pallet pulls off easily, complete with the fabric dot. The b****r is getting the glue off the pallet!
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My pallets were super ugly but a touch of sandpaper on each face made them look practically new (for 90 years old, anyway).
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Can't you just file the glue off?
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Sandpaper works best in my experience. A sheet of medium grit glued onto a piece if 12mm or thicker plywood makes it easy.
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Lester, do you also restrict keyboard travel the "other way" with two strips of felt under the buttons?
If yes, how do you get it in there so it stays put? Also, when I try it, felt thick enough to work makes it impossible hard to get the keyboard back on right.
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Lester, do you also restrict keyboard travel the "other way" with two strips of felt under the buttons?
If yes, how do you get it in there so it stays put? Also, when I try it, felt thick enough to work makes it impossible hard to get the keyboard back on right.
I find it difficult/impossible to get the right amount of padding under the two rows with this method so I never use it. It is also a genuine pain to remove.
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Episode 5 - Refacing the Bass End Pallets (https://youtu.be/YSlSOple8-M)
Despite being mostly employed as a woodworker since the age of 15, and searching on the internet for clarification, I am unable to answer the following question: What, if any, is the difference between a veneer pin and a headed brad? Is veneer pin perhaps a British term for wire gauge headed brads?
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Episode 5 - Refacing the Bass End Pallets (https://youtu.be/YSlSOple8-M)
Despite being mostly employed as a woodworker since the age of 15, and searching on the internet for clarification, I am unable to answer the following question: What, if any, is the difference between a veneer pin and a headed brad? Is veneer pin perhaps a British term for wire gauge headed brads?
I only called them veneer pins as that is what it said on the packet
https://www.screwfix.eu/veneer-pins-1-x-15mm-0-25kg-pack.html (https://www.screwfix.eu/veneer-pins-1-x-15mm-0-25kg-pack.html)
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I know, you've been thinking where is the next gripping episode 8)
Conversion to 4th Button Start (G Scale) (https://youtu.be/frzbE8P0t_o)
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I know, you've been thinking where is the next gripping episode 8)
...and still wondering where it's at .....unavailable :(
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I know, you've been thinking where is the next gripping episode 8)
...and still wondering where it's at .....unavailable :(
Ooops! fixed ;)
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Ta!
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I have a box of the pins that I took out of reed blocks, and I have used them, trimmed to suit, to attach bass levers. Seem to be working OK so far ;)
SJ
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Great video, thanks Lester. Why were the accidentals reed plates so much shorter, if that's the spot where the accidentals normally go? Is it because you scavenged them out of some other location?
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Great video, thanks Lester. Why were the accidentals reed plates so much shorter, if that's the spot where the accidentals normally go? Is it because you scavenged them out of some other location?
Hohner did produce accidental reed plates that were extended to fill the position on the reed block but they also inserted wooden blocks to shorten the slot in the reed block. I used reed plates from other melodeons where the reed was fitted further down the block so I had to insert the blocks.
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I know, you've been thinking where is the next gripping episode 8)
Conversion to 4th Button Start (G Scale) (https://youtu.be/frzbE8P0t_o)
I'm finding this endlessly fascinating, not least because we do so many things in a reasonably similar manner for exactly the same reasons. There are however the occasional radical differences, but these usually balance out because both methods work well and get the job done. Great stuff and an amazing resource.
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Episode 5 - Refacing the Bass End Pallets (https://youtu.be/YSlSOple8-M)
Despite being mostly employed as a woodworker since the age of 15, and searching on the internet for clarification, I am unable to answer the following question: What, if any, is the difference between a veneer pin and a headed brad? Is veneer pin perhaps a British term for wire gauge headed brads?
I think there's a bit of transatlantic terminology confusion going on here that's muddying the waters a bit. I will attempt to explain the British English definition of 'pin' and 'brad' and hope I get it right, compare that to your understanding and we'll have a conversion table going on.
'Nail', round wire thing with a flat head that you fix fence pailings with. 2"-3" are common, up to 6" for carpenters.
'Pin' small round wire thing with a vee shaped small head that sits flush with a panel when you tap it home. 3/32" dia x 1 1/2" down to 3/4" inch long.
'Panel pin' as above but 1/8" to 5/32" dia and 1 1/4" down to 1/2" long, for fixing thin panels to light frames.
'Veneer pin' is a tiny version of the pins above, 1/32" - 3/64" dia and 1/2 - 5/8" long, for very fine work.
'Brad' a crude, flat, elongated, triangular piece of metal stamped out of a flat sheet. In larger sizes, commonly 3" long and 1/8" thick, used to nail down floorboards. Tiny sizes, 1/2" long x 1/32" are called 'sprigs' and are used to hold glass in place in a frame until the putty is applied.
Here endeth the lesson on the British terminology regarding things you hit with a hammer, to the best of my ability.
Further information on the use, and shortcomings, of 'oval nails' are available upon request, although not recommended for those currently considered to be sane.
Pete. ;D
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Here endeth the lesson on the British terminology regarding things you hit with a hammer, to the best of my ability.
Pete. ;D
Thank you Pete. An excellent glossary, but you left one thing out: Thumb!
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Here endeth the lesson on the British terminology regarding things you hit with a hammer, to the best of my ability.
Pete. ;D
Thank you Pete. An excellent glossary, but you left one thing out: Thumb!
'Tack' Nasty, evil, pointy thing used to fasten things together in a cude and inelligant manner, like carpet edges to floors.
'Thumb tack' - Drawing pin in Brit Eng. As above, but a method used by low-life types like teachers to attach things to walls and doors inflicting as much damage as possible to the fabric of the building at the same time.
I think I may have said enough on this subject. ::)
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Pete what you describe as a "brad" is to me a "Cut nail". Brads to me have a shoulder at the top of the stem, and can be made either in round or oval stem form. 18 gauge is a common size for round brads.
SJ
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Thank you Pete. An excellent glossary, but you left one thing out: Thumb!
'Thumb tack' - Drawing pin in Brit Eng.
Erm, I just meant thumb. The red throbbing thing attached to the side of your hand, that tends to drip blood.
I'll shut up now.
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Episode 5 - Refacing the Bass End Pallets (https://youtu.be/YSlSOple8-M)
Despite being mostly employed as a woodworker since the age of 15, and searching on the internet for clarification, I am unable to answer the following question: What, if any, is the difference between a veneer pin and a headed brad? Is veneer pin perhaps a British term for wire gauge headed brads?
Once again, two peoples separated by a common language. :-)
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Although my D/G Erica is still an ongoing project I took it to a session last night and was told that my playing was coming on well - I suspect that my ability to keep up with the pace set is entirely down to the fettling videos. It is so much more airtight and I've got the keyboard almost perfect.
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Almost everything and a bit more will be needed for my next project. Refacing the pallets is the most urgent as there is a residue of moulting felt surrounding the pallet mechanisms.
And regasketing the bellows will improve its box asthma.
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Almost everything and a bit more will be needed for my next project. Refacing the pallets is the most urgent as there is a residue of moulting felt surrounding the pallet mechanisms.
And regasketing the bellows will improve its box asthma.
That there is a big box. Three voice MMM most likely although LMM is possible. Refacing pallets on the bass end may take a while or be too daunting to attempt as the complex mechanism that allows reed sharing for the chords make it impossible (in my estimation) to access the pallets without removing the mechanism en masse. I seem to remember looking at it once and wondering if I might remove the stradella type links one by one into a holding rack in the right order. If you do have a go please take pictures and document your methodology, that would be very useful. Good luck.
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It's LMM Pete. The tremolo and low reeds can be switched out. H reeds apart from T reeds on the bass notes only.
The treble pallets fall apart as I play it, but it sounds fantastic. And LOUD. The bass seems not too bad so that might not be urgent.
I have a club IIB too. A grey Darth but in worse condition. That might be for the chop though I'm quite fond of the Darth look.
I can't do a series like Lester, but I'll do photos and try and do it in sensible stages.
Bass will stay club, but I can't cope with the gleichton. Not at this stage.
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That there is a big box. Three voice MMM most likely although LMM is possible. Refacing pallets on the bass end may take a while or be too daunting to attempt as the complex mechanism that allows reed sharing for the chords make it impossible (in my estimation) to access the pallets without removing the mechanism en masse. I seem to remember looking at it once and wondering if I might remove the stradella type links one by one into a holding rack in the right order. If you do have a go please take pictures and document your methodology, that would be very useful. Good luck.
My Club IIB Victoria has a sharing mechanism and it was quite easy to reach the pallets, the big issue was gluing the half-row pallets on the treble side.
If the club IIIB is similar, then it shouldn't be a problem.
(https://i.imgur.com/o958APT.jpg)
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The Club IIIB is nothing like the Victoria Eshed, I'll take a pic when I get a chance.
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Here you go.
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Thanks! You learn new things every day :)
How many reeds per chord/bass does it have that such a contraption is necessary?
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I'll take the bass end off and take a pic of the reed blocks later this evening or tomorrow. (:)
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Just in case anybody knows, what size gasket do I need for the bellows on this club IIIBS and is it the same for a club IIB (Darth Vader type)?
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After a short hiatus due to health problems we are back
Hot Rod a Hohner Episode 11 - G Scale Reeds (https://youtu.be/Zm8L5zrNCBs)
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Still to come
Episode 12 - Tuning the Treble
Episode 13 - Tuning the Bass
Episode 14 - Taping off Thirds
Episode 15 - Fitting Strap Brackets
Open to any other suggestions
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Still to come
Episode 12 - Tuning the Treble
Episode 13 - Tuning the Bass
Episode 14 - Taping off Thirds
Episode 15 - Fitting Strap Brackets
Open to any other suggestions
Cleaning, rejuvenating or replacing casein buttons?
Not exactly a repair, but removing smells e.g. tobacco smoke?
Glad to see that normal service is resumed.
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After a short hiatus due to health problems we are back
Hot Rod a Hohner Episode 11 - G Scale Reeds (https://youtu.be/Zm8L5zrNCBs)
Lester, small error in the script at 0.48 you have "on the G row B on pull and D on push". push and pull reversed?
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After a short hiatus due to health problems we are back
Hot Rod a Hohner Episode 11 - G Scale Reeds (https://youtu.be/Zm8L5zrNCBs)
Lester, small error in the script at 0.48 you have "on the G row B on pull and D on push". push and pull reversed?
Bugger, but love the concept of me having a script rather than just winging it (:)
Will add a note to the youtube Ta
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Still to come
Episode 12 - Tuning the Treble
Episode 13 - Tuning the Bass
Episode 14 - Taping off Thirds
Episode 15 - Fitting Strap Brackets
Open to any other suggestions
I think I mentioned it before, but I would like to re-suggest "patching holes in the bellows gussets". Because that's the most urgent problem with my "project box".
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Still to come
Episode 12 - Tuning the Treble
Episode 13 - Tuning the Bass
Episode 14 - Taping off Thirds
Episode 15 - Fitting Strap Brackets
Episode 16 - Patching Holes in Bellows Gussets
Open to any other suggestions
I think I mentioned it before, but I would like to re-suggest "patching holes in the bellows gussets". Because that's the most urgent problem with my "project box".
Thought I'd already mentioned it ::)
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Open to any other suggestions
Not exactly a repair, but removing smells e.g. tobacco smoke?
That nice Mr Wesson of this parish recommends Febreeze….
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Open to any other suggestions
Not exactly a repair, but removing smells e.g. tobacco smoke?
That nice Mr Wesson of this parish recommends Febreeze….
As do I
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The bass mech. of the club 3bs comes out in one lump pretty easily. It has two dowels on the bottom to locate it back into the exact same place for refitting. I dismantled mine to fit another horizontal rod in a spare position at the top + an extra bass button.
This required extending the bass reedblock for the extra reeds, anyway it worked. :Ph
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Wow! I have now restricted the treble key movement on my “NOS” 60’s Pokerwork (the one I swap from A/D to C#/D) and can’t believe how much more elegant the playing experience has become! It simultaneously cured most of the pallet clatter, too! I used a strip of balsa wood, with a bit of leather when it seemed a bit loose. All of a sudden, it is faster and easier for repeats, etc. Now, I just gotta dry her out a bit, and she’s a keeper. I am still trying to figure out whether to use her mostly in semitone mode, but now she’s A/D and the G scale is coming along.
Regards,
David
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And, sooner late than never, Tuning
https://youtu.be/xy8dizq8Tks (https://youtu.be/xy8dizq8Tks)
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Excellent as always Lester and I agree that the Italian method of reed lifting (with a hook) isn't a good as the German method (with a thin pointy thing to 'flip' the reed) but going up through the bass of the reed block to lift the inner reed is the most effective and safest method with the blocks out of the box.
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Whether you use the German style or Italian style reed lifter is a personal thing and some people prefer one and some prefer the other.
Personally, I prefer the Italian hook reed lifter method. It is very useful when you are doing the final fine tuning inside the box, especially when there are multiple reed blocks close together with restricted room. The secret of using the hook method is (i) to ensure the reed blocks and instrument are steady and don't wobble around and (ii) to have the correct size of reed lifter hook.
The lifters sold by Charlie Marshall are OK for the larger reeds but too coarse for the intermediate and smaller reeds. So I make my own hooks from saxophone blue steel needle springs - available from woodwind repair suppliers (e.g. here (https://windplus.net/supplies/needle_springs.html)). The longer ones about 6 cm long are ideal. These come with a sharp point at one end and blunt on the other. The pointy end is pushed into a wood dowel handle and the other end formed into a 'J' hook using round-nosed pliers. The distance between the tip of the 'J' and the shank (i.e. the diameter of the semicircular end) should be the same as the distance between centres of the slots in the reed plates, otherwise you will have trouble lining up the hook in the right position to lift the reed tongue.
The saxophone spring steel is a fine narrow gauge but also strong and resilient; in use it doesn't distort out of shape easily. Just as with the German-style reed lifter, it takes a bit of practice to learn how to use the hook lifter properly and efficiently, but once you've got the knack it is very quick indeed.
Diatonix has a video showing how the Italian hook is used here (https://youtu.be/rdap-lYsKbw?t=239), starting at 4:00 minutes in.
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For ease of reference I have made a web page with all the videos and up and coming ones here
https://sites.google.com/view/hohnerhotrod (https://sites.google.com/view/hohnerhotrod)
Also in my signature block below.
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Looks like there are some interesting things coming up Lester! :D
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For ease of reference I have made a web page with all the videos and up and coming ones here
https://sites.google.com/view/hohnerhotrod (https://sites.google.com/view/hohnerhotrod)
Also in my signature block below.
Any chance of a link on the home page, chaps?
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Hear! Hear!
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Any chance of a link on the home page, chaps?
Now available as pinned post here
http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,24371.0.html (http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,24371.0.html)
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Two new videos added
Bass and Chord Tuning
Taping off Thirds
Available HERE (https://sites.google.com/view/hohnerhotrod)
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Thanks