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[mselic]

I have a leak around the growl box on my Hohner HA114, as it appears the gasket has worn out.  The growl box appears to be attached from the inside withe four screws, but the final screw is concealed by the bass reed block, which is glued down.  I don't wish to try and remove the glued-down block if possible.  Is there any other fix for sealing the air leaks from the outside?  All suggestions and advice welcome.

[Theo]

You have to remove the reed, and wax it back in afterwards.

[Winston Smith]

How about just waxing around the growl box attachment joint?

[Lester]

How about just waxing around the growl box attachment joint?

Nooooooooooo!

[Winston Smith]

Well, that's me put well and truly in my place! Although I (obviously) bow to the voice of experience, why would this be considered such a mortal sin?

[Lester]

One of the screws is just under the reed chamber side, I usually just carefully remove wood from the wall until the head of the screw is accessible. Probably best to remove the other screws first which allows the growl box to tip once the last screw is slackened and thus allowing the screw to come out at an angle.

[Lester]

Well, that's me put well and truly in my place! Although I (obviously) bow to the voice of experience, why would this be considered such a mortal sin?

Because it's a bodge, possibly better than running silicone around it but only just. The growl box is removable by undoing the screws, albeit a bit tricky, and this is the way to do it.

[Winston Smith]

The devil's advocate in me just has to question further, sorry.
If that really is regarded as "a bodge" (and I readily admit that, as my first thought as a quick-fix, it surely is!) is it any more of a bodge than using wax to secure and seal reed-plates when they, too, could be properly screwed down onto gaskets?

[malcolmbebb]

The use of wax to fix reed plates that had originally been screwed down (as many are) would indeed be a bodge. The use of wax to secure plates that were originally waxed follows the chosen design fixing, therefore not. 

[Lester]

The devil's advocate in me just has to question further, sorry.
If that really is regarded as "a bodge" (and I readily admit that, as my first thought as a quick-fix, it surely is!) is it any more of a bodge than using wax to secure and seal reed-plates when they, too, could be properly screwed down onto gaskets?

Your statement assumes that reed 'screwed down onto gaskets' is 'proper' but wax is an accepted way of fitting reeds. Whereas removable parts of casework on boxes always use gaskets of some sort, cork, leather, string, neoprene, etc and 'bodging' it with wax etc is bodging

[invadm]

I have a leak around the growl box on my Hohner HA114, as it appears the gasket has worn out.

are you sure there ever was a gasket under growl box? I have managed to wreck a few 114/112 in the past but newer seen a gasket under growl box,they were all glued around & fixed with a few screws..you might want to check the spoons and little screws around before   

[Lester]

I have a leak around the growl box on my Hohner HA114, as it appears the gasket has worn out.

are you sure there ever was a gasket under growl box? I have managed to wreck a few 114/112 in the past but newer seen a gasket under growl box,they were all glued around & fixed with a few screws..you might want to check the spoons and little screws around before

The ones I have fettled have all had string gasket

[mselic]

The leak is most definitely coming from where the growl box attaches to the bass-end frame, and I can see signs of the remnants of a gasket. I can also see signs that someone had indeed used wax to try and seal up the gaps...

[Theo]

How about just waxing around the growl box attachment joint?

Well if you are able to do that then you can do the job right and re-wax a reed!

The trouble with all bodged repairs is that they make it harder for someone later on to do the job properly.  Wax instead of gasket – new gasket will be harder to apply because adhesives won't stick to a waxed wood surface.   Bent bellows pins – discussed in another current topic – actually make the problem worse by further enlarging the holes.  And so on ...
Talk to any repairer and the jobs we dislike the most are where some work has been badly done and has to be undone before the repair can begin.

The leak is most definitely coming from where the growl box attaches to the bass-end frame, and I can see signs of the remnants of a gasket. I can also see signs that someone had indeed used wax to try and seal up the gaps...

... and the other reason for doing a good repair is that bodges often don't last as in this example.

[Winston Smith]

"Talk to any repairer and the jobs we dislike the most are where some work has been badly done and has to be undone before the repair can begin."

Yes, I remember those days well. In my former life as a motor mechanic!