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Author Topic: bellows repair  (Read 1475 times)

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Anne Croucher

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bellows repair
« on: November 29, 2018, 12:25:26 AM »

I have several old boxes and want to make a single row 3 voice as that seems to be what I have the parts for, but the bellows which are in the best overall condition have got the worst diamond shaped infills.
It looks like thin wash leather was the original material - it looks as though something ate it.
Is there a modern high tech material to replace it, or would sacrificing a pair of gloves do the job? 
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Graham Spencer

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Re: bellows repair
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2018, 05:09:55 AM »

If you mean the gussets at the corners, Charlie Marshall supplies the right stuff http://www.cgmmusical.co.uk/CGM_Musical_Services/Felt_Leather_Pallets.html#14 They're bigger then you'll need, but easy to cut down.

Graham
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Rog

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Re: bellows repair
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2018, 07:02:14 AM »

What GPS says...but if you go to all the effort of making up a working box, try and get hold of some bellows in better condition, unless it’s just one or two gussets that need replacing. There are something like 18x4 gussets and they are stuck on the outside and then covered in paper, plus the metal corners then go on afterwards I.e. they are an integral part of the bellows. Normally they can be patched from the inside with some of Charlie’s leather (which is probably 0.2mm thick), but it’s not practical (in my view) to do this kind of repair to more than a handful of gussets.

Anne Croucher

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Re: bellows repair
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2018, 01:44:54 AM »

The basic bellows structure seems OK, just that something has eaten a few of the gussets. I'll see what can be done with new leather and glue, and if it can be made airtight think about the tatty paper later.
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Nick Collis Bird

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Re: bellows repair
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2018, 03:53:15 PM »

Probably best to attack it from the inside Anne. That way if you make a mess it won’t show  8)
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Anne Croucher

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Re: bellows repair
« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2018, 10:20:01 PM »

Unfortunately I have this perfectionist gene - someone once wore a garment I had made, all day, and it was not until I pointed out that there was a pattern on the inside that they realized that the seams were perfectly finished on both sides, and they'd had it on inside out.

I even took apart and remade part of a jumper in order to get rid of three wrong stitches.

The gussets might all be replaced due to the original ones looking tatty....



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Winston Smith

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Re: bellows repair
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2018, 12:58:13 AM »

Anne, didn't you know that gluttony was one of the "Seven Deadly Sins", and that must include being a glutton for punishment, surely?
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Psuggmog Volbenz

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Re: bellows repair
« Reply #7 on: December 02, 2018, 05:42:25 AM »

Unfortunately I have this perfectionist gene - someone once wore a garment I had made, all day, and it was not until I pointed out that there was a pattern on the inside that they realized that the seams were perfectly finished on both sides, and they'd had it on inside out.

I even took apart and remade part of a jumper in order to get rid of three wrong stitches.

The gussets might all be replaced due to the original ones looking tatty....
The gussets are one of the first items attached during bellows construction. If you are a masochistic perfectionist, the the corners, bellows tape, cover paper or cloth(depending on bellows construction) must be removed to replace the gussets in the manner to which they were originially applied. Then everything previously remioved must be reapplied or replaced. This is a different process than merely adding a patch to a leaking gusset, which adds thickness to the patched area and adds additional stress to other areas of the bellows. I did this type of repair exactly once to see if I could do it on a very old historic instrument which I wanted to preserve as much as possible. It is much easier and faster to make a set of bellows from scratch, assuming that you intend to replace all the gussets.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2018, 05:45:17 AM by Psuggmog Volbenz »
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Barry Tolson

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Re: bellows repair
« Reply #8 on: December 02, 2018, 12:25:06 PM »

Can dried gussets be rejuvenated by the application of any substances? ie, dubbin?
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Henry Piper

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Re: bellows repair
« Reply #9 on: December 02, 2018, 01:14:58 PM »

Can dried gussets be rejuvenated by the application of any substances? ie, dubbin?

I believe this has been discussed before, and the consensus was that  it is of doubtful efficacy and best avoided, ….. although others may think differently.
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Theo

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Re: bellows repair
« Reply #10 on: December 02, 2018, 01:24:17 PM »

Definitely not dubbin which leaves a sticky coating on the surface which will pick up dust and rapidly become messy and horrible. Ordinary shoe polish is much better in that it can be polished off to leave a dry surface.  Special leather treatments like Belvoir Leather Balsam https://www.ridingwarehouse.com/descpage-BLBC.html is good as long as you apply only the smallest amount. It soaks in more than shoe polis but can be buffed to leave a dry surface. 

To be honest though if the leather is stiff and prone to cracking then anything you do will only be a temporary fix.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2018, 10:29:59 AM by Theo »
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Johnnie Johnston

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Re: bellows repair
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2018, 09:00:09 PM »

Don't forget to get a can of RAID to kill the cockroaches or what ever was eating..  Good luck.
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