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[Clive Williams]

Behold, Lester's most excellent set of demo videos on upgrading a Hohner!

Covering topics such as:

• Restricting the treble action
• Removing the thumb strap
• Refacing treble and bass pallets
• Bushing bass buttons
• Retaping bellows
• Conversion to 4th button start and G Scale reed tuning

https://sites.google.com/view/hohnerhotrod

[Lester]

Two new videos addedBass and Chord TuningTaping off Thirds

https://sites.google.com/view/hohnerhotrod

[Cam Button]

Sweet

[Scotty Gring]

I wait anxiously for these!

[ozbhoy]

Excellent videos Lester.
As a complete novice and never seen the inside of a melodeon, it demystified the complex workings of the melodeon.

My question is could I convert my D/G Lilly  to a 4th button start and G scale reed tuning, to mirror my 4th button start Tommy?

Or is this job two advanced  for someone who has never worked on a melodeon before.

[Lester]

My question is could I convert my D/G Lilly  to a 4th button start and G scale reed tuning, to mirror my 4th button start Tommy?

Or is this job two advanced  for someone who has never worked on a melodeon before.

It is undoubtedly possible but I would not recommend it for a first job as tuning fixed flat mounted reeds (like in a Lilly) is another step harder than tuning reeds on removable blocks.

[ozbhoy]

Cheers Lester
l will see if I can get anyone here in Australia to do the conversion.(Not sure if Malcolm Clapp is still doing work) 😎

[Harmonicatunes]

As far as I know Malcolm Clapp is no longer doing work. You  could try "Captain Accordion" in Victoria, found via Google.

[Lester]

New video added


Removal and Refitting of Liliput Keyboard

[Pete Dunk]

Excellent video Lester! I've only done this once, lots of swearing and dangling the keyboard upside down whilst fiddling things vaguely into place. Then poking a screwdriver with a lump of Blutack on the end down each hole and teasing the button back into line, tedious wasn't the word. I swore I would never do that again, but having seen this I just might. 

[ozbhoy]

As far as I know Malcolm Clapp is no longer doing work. You  could try "Captain Accordion" in Victoria, found via Google.

Cheers mate I will have a look at Captain Accordions 

[Cam Button]

Do you have a different method for tuning fixed reed blocks?
eg a Hohner 114?
I was thinking that the push reeds would be difficult to reach and adjust.

[Lester]

Do you have a different method for tuning fixed reed blocks?
eg a Hohner 114?
I was thinking that the push reeds would be difficult to reach and adjust.

I tune them outside the box on a scrap pokerwork reedblock making sure to take them slightly sharp of the desired pitch. Then, on fitting, all that should be needed is some gentle scratching to get them in tune which is easy enough even in a 114.


ps It's the pull reeds that are harder to reach and tune.

[Rog]

ps It's the pull reeds that are harder to reach and tune.

Although (a bit confusingly)  if you have the block on a tuning table/bellows, push/pull is reversed I.e. you pull air through the outside reeds and push it through the block/inside reeds. 

[Cam Button]

Thanks for your help, and videos.

I suspected that I'd swap the push pull no mater which way I listed it.

[Lester]

New video on Treble Spring Repairs
https://youtu.be/5st25y_0wEY

[Theo]

You can simplify the process at the point where you slide the axle rod out.   Instead of lifting out all the levers and springs just feed in another rod from the opposite end so all the lever and springs remain in place.  This temporary rod can be thinner than the original, but it does need to be straight to pick up the parts easily.

[Nigel.H]

Excellent, Lester.....I think most folk who visit the Concertina site will have seen this method for making a Concertina spring which is a similar principal and given the correct gauge of wire and bends in the right place could no doubt be replicated for a long term fix whilst suppliers are closed.

http://hmi.homewood.net/video/test2.MOV

[Tone Dumb Greg]

...given the correct gauge of wire...

Can you recommend a source of the required gauges of spring wire?

[Nigel.H]

...given the correct gauge of wire...

Can you recommend a source of the required gauges of spring wire?

Well, this is a recommended Uk source, but the references I have seen are for Concertina springs.  The conversation, being "International" ranged between decimal points of mm's, 0.2x's of inches to "gauge", which I found confusing.  The consensus seemed to be that 22 gauge (0.025)  Phosphor Bronze wire was about right for Concertina's and having just compared - by eye - my 22G sample to a dismantled Hohner P/work front end, it appears to be the same as the size for the existing springs.

I would imagine Theo/Lester would have springs from both to hand to compare the wire size to confirm.  Others advocated P.B. wire "string's" from other instruments of the same gauge.

https://www.ajreeves.com/search/for/spring+wire/