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Author Topic: Bellingers Button Boxes 2-day repair & tuning workshop NY USA  (Read 1833 times)

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hickory-wind

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Bellingers Button Boxes 2-day repair & tuning workshop NY USA
« on: September 15, 2018, 08:16:08 PM »

Many box playing friends & customers have expressed an interest in learning more about repairing, restoring, maintaining and tuning button accordions or concertinas. Bellingers Button Boxes offered a workshop on accordion repair and tuning this June with 4 local folks attending. Recruitment was mostly word of mouth or through the local monthly button accordion club. It was a one day event and folks gave very positive feedback but felt it was too much for one day. I will now be offering a two-day workshop covering the same material but at a more relaxed pace with more time for tuning and hands-on practice. This time I’m opening it up to anyone willing to travel to western NY state. Topics will include:

Reed work:
valve replacement
reed problem diagnostics
tuning (rotary tools, files & scratchers)
tuning strategies & recipes
reed gap setting
rewaxing
reed block flattening & repairs
 
Case repairs:
gluing joints
glue selection
fixing cracks
leak detection & elimination
repadding pallets
aligning button heights
button travel limiting (Hohners)
keyboard repairs
minor bellows repairs
sticking buttons
button replacement
straps & bracket installation
 
Other topics can be added (or some eliminated) based on the interests of the participants. General format will be a discussion and demonstration by me or my daughter followed by hands on activities for each participant. I can provide practice instruments (no charge) but attendees are encouraged to bring their own instruments for repair, tuning and improvements. I have many unrestored instruments so another option is to look at them when you arrive and select one to purchase and work on during the workshop. You could begin restoration at the workshop and take it home with you for completion.

There will be morning (9-noon) and afternoon (1-4:30) sessions with a break for lunch. A homemade gourmet lunch & dinner will also be provided both days. There will be opportunity to play music and try out many different instruments after dinner up in the newly renovated barn loft concert space. Due to space limitations, the workshop will be limited to 5 or 6 participants.

Possible dates for the two-day workshop:

December 20,21

January 4,5 (filled)

January 7,8,11,12 (11,12 will be reserved as 'snow days' for the Jan 4,5 and/or 7,8 event(s)

March 11,12,13,14,15,16

I teach/tutor deaf engineering students at Rochester Institute of Technology for my ‘day’ job so I need to work around that schedule. Most weekends are possible also but I much prefer the dates proposed. Most of May, June and July are also possible since I’m off from university in the summer.

Cost will be $250 including lunch and dinner meals both days. Attendees will go home with a new tool such as reed pinger or magnetic reed lifter.

If you are traveling a distance there are numerous lodging options in the area including bed & breakfast spots, motels and hotels. We live in Spencerport NY 14559. The Rochester airport (ROC) is 15 minutes away and the Buffalo airport (BUF) is less than an hour. Toronto Canada is about a 3 hour drive. If you are driving we are easy to get to off of the NY Thruway, Interstate 90.

If interested please respond with:

VERY INTERESTED & available dates
POSSIBLY INTERESTED & available dates
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Mark Leue

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Re: Bellingers Button Boxes 2-day repair & tuning workshop NY USA
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2019, 01:31:08 AM »

Hi, I am interested depending on how your and my schedules end up meshing... you're about a 5 hour drive from me.
  Put me down as me as very interested and willing to flex my schedule. although there are times when I'm out of the country or committed to other things. Most of June I am in UK and other places.

 
« Last Edit: March 04, 2019, 04:02:20 PM by Mark Leue »
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hickory-wind

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Re: Bellingers Button Boxes 2-day repair & tuning workshop NY USA
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2019, 05:29:50 PM »

We had a very successful event in January with participants from Ohio, West Virginia, California and New York. The next offering will be late May or June.
Possible dates for the two-day workshop:
May 28,29,30,31, June 1
June 3,4 or 6,7
June 13,14,15
June 17,18,19,20,21
June 24,25,26,27,28,29

Please PM with availability for any of the above dates. Class size is limited to 5 participants.

Scott

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hickory-wind

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Re: Bellingers Button Boxes 2-day repair & tuning workshop NY USA
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2019, 03:14:09 PM »

We have settled on June 6 & 7 for the next workshop so exactly 4 weeks away.

There are two slots left. Please contact me if you are interested.

Free T-shirt for attendees!

Scott

BellingersButtonBoxes.com
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hickory-wind

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Re: Bellingers Button Boxes 2-day repair & tuning workshop NY USA
« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2019, 05:19:28 PM »

Another successful restoration and tuning workshop.

Scott

BellingersButtonBoxes.com
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hickory-wind

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Re: Bellingers Button Boxes 2-day repair & tuning workshop NY USA
« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2019, 05:25:29 PM »

Emily Bellinger providing waxing demo & lunch.

Scott
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fc diato

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Re: Bellingers Button Boxes 2-day repair & tuning workshop NY USA
« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2019, 12:39:57 PM »

Just got back from this workshop, and recommend it for those like me who might be hesitant to take the jump from reading Theo’s generous advice or seeing Lester’s amazingly useful videos to actually risking mucking about the box. Since there are only 4 participants, there’s a chance for a bit of hands on for everything.  Most useful, I found: reed problems diagnostics. You obviously can’t learn to tune in such a short workshop, but I learned how I can now learn more wisely… if that makes sense. We actually did make it through that long list of topics. 
(And the Bellingers are great cooks, to boot.) 
Thanks Scott!
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hickory-wind

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Re: Bellingers Button Boxes 2-day repair & tuning workshop NY USA
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2019, 01:31:30 PM »

Emily and I enjoyed the workshop as well. Even had decent weather so you could try out one of the etrikes.

Scott
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