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Author Topic: Bellows fold sizes  (Read 5914 times)

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malcolmbebb

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #20 on: June 08, 2017, 11:42:58 AM »

I would be tempted to use something like Bostik, a contact adhesive, but use it wet to allow positioning. I used pearl glue, but I think that would be difficult doing it from the inside.
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Dino BPII.
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Nick Collis Bird

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #21 on: June 08, 2017, 12:41:16 PM »

Hmmm, pearl glue! Put some gelatine in it, keeps it flexible.
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911377brian

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #22 on: June 08, 2017, 02:38:57 PM »

Did Theo once say that chamois leather was not suitable for gussets because it wasn't airtight or wasn't thin enough?
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Theo

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #23 on: June 08, 2017, 02:53:29 PM »

I did, and its probably too thick as well. 

Pneumatic lamb is the leather you want, soft flexible and airtight. Available from organ builders suppliers like  Russells.  You will have to buy a whole skin, so you will have enough to offer a service to other toy melodeon owners. Charlie sells leather gusset diamonds which would also be ok.
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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911377brian

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #24 on: June 08, 2017, 03:06:19 PM »

Thanks Theo.
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Theo

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #25 on: June 08, 2017, 05:05:35 PM »

Something like this from Pittards would also be suitable https://www.pittards.com/shop/leather-skin-ivory-economy?___SID=U
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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911377brian

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #26 on: June 08, 2017, 05:43:20 PM »

Gets better all the time! Thanks Theo
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911377brian

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #27 on: June 08, 2017, 06:16:20 PM »

£6 a skin! Bargain!
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911377brian

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #28 on: July 02, 2017, 05:55:34 PM »

Quick update...replacing the gussets from the inside has proved impossible so I've stripped the tape and bellows paper off and am in the process of fitting gussets of pneumatic lamb skin over the existing Jaconite. Having fitted half a dozen I've started to worry as to whether I should have covered the edge of the bellows (that will eventually be covered by the metal corners) with the lamb skin.. The glue used in these bellows is totally unmovable by the way, an attempt to remove one of the original gussets for a pattern looked like destroying the bellows entirely so I gave up....
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malcolmbebb

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #29 on: July 02, 2017, 07:54:28 PM »

Either corners or leather. If you use leather, the corners will bulk up and metal corners won't fit.
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911377brian

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #30 on: July 02, 2017, 08:02:46 PM »

Thanks Malcolm
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Nick Collis Bird

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #31 on: July 03, 2017, 07:28:53 AM »

Agree with Malcolm here Brian .
You've set yourself a really tedious task, like working in a car factory. Same thing..repeat.. same thing .. repeat and you're not even getting paid for it!
NOW PEDANT ALERT. It's Jaconette, not to be confused with Jacobite or gelignite.. that could get you into a lot of trouble. 🙉
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Rog

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #32 on: July 03, 2017, 09:05:08 AM »

£6 a skin! Bargain!
If you want longer strips etc it might have a few blemishes. Here is a bigger one....
https://www.pittards.com/shop/black-leather-skin-55mm

If you are day trippable to Yeovil Pittards is worth a visit, though it has to be said they don't seem as knowledgeable about the skins as I had hoped. You have to go and rummage...

911377brian

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #33 on: July 03, 2017, 10:55:20 AM »

Morning Nick, I can cope with boring, endless gussets (56) , stripping tape and bellows paper etc, what I wasn't up for was trying to make the actual bellow. Thing with the endless gussets was that I got better all the time. Sadly only the last few looked pretty good. Roger, I got all 56 gussets out of a £6 skin with enough over for another 20 or so. Now I'm looking for an alternative to metal corners to replace the tape originals, but I think that's a wish too far..... ::)
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Rog

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #34 on: July 03, 2017, 11:10:55 AM »

Morning Nick, I can cope with boring, endless gussets (56) , stripping tape and bellows paper etc, what I wasn't up for was trying to make the actual bellow. Thing with the endless gussets was that I got better all the time. Sadly only the last few looked pretty good. Roger, I got all 56 gussets out of a £6 skin with enough over for another 20 or so. Now I'm looking for an alternative to metal corners to replace the tape originals, but I think that's a wish too far..... ::)
Excellent!  Did you need to skive the edge of the gussets or was the leather thin enough as it was?

911377brian

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #35 on: July 03, 2017, 11:34:19 AM »

No skiving required Roger, it's very thin indeed...
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Gena Crisman

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #36 on: July 18, 2017, 12:27:27 AM »

I've also been putzing around inside these toy melodeons; I bought an old beater 3v1r melodeon off of ebay and discovered it was in the key of G and decided to take its reeds and put them into the toy one, for a lark. They're not actually better reeds really, but they are more evenly responsive, so, not nearly as nice as a hohnerised one I'm sure but still an upgrade. I took the 'worse' set of 3 from my beater, and have converted one toy box to, for the time being anyway, a one voice with flat mounted reeds (and 3rd button start with a low E).

Obviously, the bellows are still leaky and awful though, and I remembered reading this thread. Considering how straight forward it seemed to do as a layperson, I'd offer an idea to consider: perhaps it would make more sense to simply design a replacement reed block that wouldn't foul against the edges of some nicer bellows with 25mm folds?
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911377brian

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #37 on: July 18, 2017, 07:31:09 AM »

Good morning Gena, around a couple of years ago we had a thread running on Melnet headed ' Chanson' after the name of one of the kiddies toy melodeons. The thread ran for ages and wise old greybeards were driven to do ridiculous mods to these toys. Nick Collis Bird made replacement bellows and had to be locked in very quiet room for ages, Malcolm Bebb invented an alternative air button and I stripped the plastic and polished the carcass. All in all it left a few of us a little unwell. I've suffered a nasty relapse on the bellows front as you can see by reading back on this thread. Now you rock up with ideas on replacement reed blocks. Have you no plty? :'(
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malcolmbebb

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #38 on: July 18, 2017, 08:23:32 AM »

I've also been putzing around inside these toy melodeons;
Oh dear, Gena, so soon - and in one so young! But welcome to the Chanson club anyway  ;D  >:E

The treble reed block isn't very big and I think you'd end up with something very skinny - but I think your method of flat mounting is where I'd look first. (Good to see you Saturday BTW!)
Malcolm
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Nick Collis Bird

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Re: Bellows fold sizes
« Reply #39 on: July 18, 2017, 10:15:05 AM »

Good morning Gena, around a couple of years ago we had a thread running on Melnet headed ' Chanson' after the name of one of the kiddies toy melodeons. The thread ran for ages and wise old greybeards were driven to do ridiculous mods to these toys. Nick Collis Bird made replacement bellows and had to be locked in very quiet room for ages, Malcolm Bebb invented an alternative air button and I stripped the plastic and polished the carcass. All in all it left a few of us a little unwell. I've suffered a nasty relapse on the bellows front as you can see by reading back on this thread. Now you rock up with ideas on replacement reed blocks. Have you no plty? :'(

 Ah Brian , I designed the air button from model aircraft parts.
Now, I don't see any reason why a full set of cheap melodeon bellows couldn't be utilised using the two ends of the chanson. It would look pretty odd but there again aren't we all?
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