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Author Topic: Bellows Tape Question (updated)  (Read 6659 times)

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Lester

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Re: Bellows Tape Question
« Reply #20 on: January 20, 2015, 05:18:17 PM »

You can buy new bellows for what it should realistically cost!

Rob.

Nah! New bellows in 100's of £s, re-taping in the 10's of £'s.

Kimric Smythe

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Re: Bellows Tape Question
« Reply #21 on: January 20, 2015, 05:28:46 PM »

 It is one of the jobs in the shop that the staff agree that it is a "pain in the ass" though I will trade it any day for a tone chamber repad and rebuild job.
 We charge $50 a side to retape bellows on smaller instruments. This includes removing the old tape.

 I just did a old Hohner Vienna one row in "G" and I had to do two sides. (paper tape)

I started by using a small screw driver to get under the ends of the tape and peeling back what would come off easily, if you are careful you can get about a 3rd of it off this way. You may be able to find some other loose area and get under those and get them too. (I have used really sticky tape in the past to some effect to rip the old paper tape off by sticking it ONLY to the offending bellows tape, and pulling it off. This will use a lot of tape.
 Your bellows will now look like hell, at this point I use coarse sand paper in small pieces to sand at the tape, the tape will come off in bits and if you are careful you will not sand the bellows themselves. After about 20 min of this per a side you will have got it pretty clean. I have not found that areas that have small patches of old tape are not a problem if they have been sanded smooth.
You can now apply the new bellows tape.
 Rotate and repeat as needed.
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Kimric Smythe

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Re: Bellows Tape Question
« Reply #22 on: January 20, 2015, 05:37:51 PM »

Also I noted that it looks like one side of your instrument has paper tape and one is fabric (old retape job).
 On the fabric tape I use a small paint brush and some alcohol and water mix (that coffee cup full of Gin will do fine) and lightly wet the tape itself with the brush, wait a few min and do it again wait a few again (you can have a few sips of Gin while you wait) and then try peeling the tape, it should come off pretty easy if not wet it again. The alcohol is to help get the water to penetrate the tape and dissolve the glue from behind while not really wetting the bellows themselves.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2015, 05:39:24 PM by Kimric Smythe »
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Nick Collis Bird

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Re: Bellows Tape Question
« Reply #23 on: January 20, 2015, 07:14:01 PM »

Yes it is simple, but it's repeat, repeat, repeat and it becomes very boring very quickly.I should know I tried making bellows some time ago. :'(
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Theo

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Re: Bellows Tape Question
« Reply #24 on: January 20, 2015, 07:58:54 PM »

it becomes very boring very quickly.

And if it is an old bellows with hide glue it can become very sticky too, but it does wash off with warm water.
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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911377brian

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Re: Bellows Tape Question
« Reply #25 on: January 20, 2015, 07:59:37 PM »

Lester has a bellows taping tutorial on YouTube. It is brilliant and after watching it several times tackled my old 1040 C box. It came out ok so I took on the G box.... which came out better.... :Ph I'm about to tackle the middle frames of my newly acquired bandonika and after tackling the 1040's feel pretty confident
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Kimric Smythe

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Re: Bellows Tape Question
« Reply #26 on: January 21, 2015, 08:09:10 AM »

"Slooowly I tape...side by side..fold by fold!"
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invadm

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Re: Bellows Tape Question
« Reply #27 on: January 21, 2015, 02:28:54 PM »

I use’’ wall paper removing ‘’liquid. Mixed with warm water  and apply with a  artist brush only on the tape them self, go away & have a coffee, try one to see if all soften if so start working, if not apply little bit more..I am working on a Hohner Erica at the moment and it is time for a coffee  (:)
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Graham Spencer

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Re: Bellows Tape Question
« Reply #28 on: January 21, 2015, 04:48:07 PM »

I find I prefer to work "dry" as far as possible; introducing moisture seems to me only to make the job longer and more complex than it need be. The great majority of tape that I've removed has come off easily with care, a sharp blade and a firm pull in the right direction.  To be honest, if the tape has reached the point where it needs replacing, then the glue's hold is probably a good deal less secure than it was when it was new!
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Nick Collis Bird

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Re: Bellows Tape Question
« Reply #29 on: January 21, 2015, 05:02:40 PM »

That's true also Graham, working "dry" IS much better......but there comes a time when it's just not possible.
Another thought that has struck me. If you do retape using PVA make sure you buy the "reversible" stuff. Eg water solvable
 Think of the poor restorer in the future.  :-X :-X :-X
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Baron Collins-Hill

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Re: Bellows Tape Question
« Reply #30 on: February 04, 2015, 04:12:18 PM »

Ok, post update.

The shop wants $150 to retape the 17 affected strips. Because I play with two straps and the instrument doesn't touch my legs at all, I am not adding any more wear to the spots. I don't really mind the look of the worn tape, but wonder if there is some way to deal with the very few (4 or 5) small places (seen in the pictures) that the white is showing through the tape. Those are the only points that are making me nervous (even though I am not going to wear them further).

Thanks,
Baron
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Kimric Smythe

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Re: Bellows Tape Question (updated)
« Reply #31 on: February 04, 2015, 05:40:49 PM »

If it is only a few spots, then it is common to lay a short piece of the tape over that area. If it is bad on the affected folds (scraped by a strap buckle over a large area, I will just replace the affected fold(s) and leave the others alone.
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baz parkes

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Re: Bellows Tape Question (updated)
« Reply #32 on: February 04, 2015, 10:02:54 PM »

all of the above is why I've just disposed of my bellows tape... :|glug
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Julian S

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Re: Bellows Tape Question (updated)
« Reply #33 on: September 14, 2018, 09:11:05 AM »

I'm having great fun covering my table with glue and sticking tape to an old pokerwork bellows as practise for more critical repairs. Just wondered whether there is any benefit in putting an extra layer of tape on the bellows edges that get the most wear - in my case inner side, just where the tape covers the metal corners , and for the first few folds on treble end...? Or whether it's just a case of repairing those bits more frequently ?

J
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Lester

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Re: Bellows Tape Question (updated)
« Reply #34 on: September 14, 2018, 10:44:44 AM »

I'm having great fun covering my table with glue and sticking tape to an old pokerwork bellows as practise for more critical repairs. Just wondered whether there is any benefit in putting an extra layer of tape on the bellows edges that get the most wear - in my case inner side, just where the tape covers the metal corners , and for the first few folds on treble end...? Or whether it's just a case of repairing those bits more frequently ?

J

If you are using good quality Italian fabric tape you will take many years to wear through it. Hohner used paper on the Pokerwork/Erica etc which wear quickly, and when they moved to China they started to use gold toilet paper (:):

Julian S

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Re: Bellows Tape Question (updated)
« Reply #35 on: September 14, 2018, 11:15:14 AM »

Thanks Lester. Being short of gold toilet paper I am using the proper stuff...😸
Some misguided young idiot (me !) used plenty of carpet tape for emergency repairs...still ....it lasted a good few years before falling apart...
Now I know better.

J
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