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[Gena Crisman]

https://imgur.com/a/Mifsiqz

More progress - this time I valved and waxed in the C row reeds, with actual proper valves and actual proper wax. It seems to behave itself quite well. Basic dumb Soldering iron with dimmer switch worked well - no smoke etc.

Started de-rusting the bass end, since restoring the keyboard mechanisms is such a big job, apparently. I think this time I can dip parts of the button mechanism in rust remover, which so far looks to be very helpful. Additionally, they're more uniformly and only slightly, with fewer built up areas. Not sure what the buttons will look like under that paint.

[Gena Crisman]

https://imgur.com/a/E0P8Rvp

Bass mechanism clean up and working on lightning up the bass buttons.

I did get a plastic replacement bass button from Charlie but, I'm not sure it's the right call to put it on because it won't really fit in at all. For now, I'm thinking to re-attach the (literal) button to the broken stump - it won't fit in either, but, it feels somehow more appropriate since it's been with the box for quite some time? I think I could swap the broken arm with one higher up that is a very close match. Since the (literal) button has has a small divot in the middle, I might be able to use as an indicated button, to find my way around the unfamiliar 12 basses.

As it stands, I'm not currently planning on bushing the bass buttons on this instrument. I do think I should get/make some felt washers however, to restore the long demised ones that used to live beneath the bass buttons. They're 12.5mm buttons with a 7.5mm shaft, so, I guess I would probably need to get some punches of some kind to actually make some good washers. I'll have to decide if I want to go that route, or, if I want to just buy some washers and enlarge their holes, or just eyeball it with a pair of scissors. Also have to figure out what kind of felt to use, or leather, I guess. I suppose if I did get bushing felt I could use that.

Sure are a lot of jobs to do, refurbishing a box.

[Winston Smith]

Gena, what have you done? Your link takes me to this:

"Age confirmation required
This post may contain erotic or adult imagery.

By continuing, you acknowledge that you are 18+ years of age."

Obviously, I clicked on the right place, to see what you were concealing from the tender-hearted,  but wasn't allowed to go any further!

[Gena Crisman]

Can't answer that one, I'm afraid. None of the images appear to be marked as mature and I can't imagine it's decided that any of them are not pure of heart. Here are all the photos as links, anyway. Maybe one of these will expose why it's asking for a mature content check.








In any event, sorry about that. That is the downside of using an external image host but also it would take 1000 years to post 15 images as attachments here.

Apparently it's something about this incredibly saucy image:

But, removing it from the gallery doesn't remove the age restriction. How sad...

[Theo]

For cleaning the buttons I recommend abrasives.  Specifically wet and dry paper used wet.  Start with a fairly coarse grade, maybe 300 grit, and go carefully because the button material (casein) is fairly soft. When all the paint and discoloured material has gone then go through a couple of finer grades and finish with metal polish on a cloth.

Detach the arms from the mechanism  but keep the buttons on their pushrods to give you something to get hold of.  This will also allow you to clean the steel parts more thoroughly.  If you don’t want to have the whole mechanism in bits then a you withdraw the axle rod remove one lever to work on, then replace it and slide a thin wire in as a temporary holder.

[playandteach]

Gena, check with others before doing what I did, but I had some very nice bellows corners lying around - soft thin leather. I used this material to bush the bass buttons. I did have to enlarge the holes first. It seems to be impossible to get a parallel sided new hole - but careful use of reamers from the outside and the inside means that any tapers are less of an issue.
The bellows corner bush linings have been in for a couple of years and work perfectly. The buttons did already have a cushion of felt, so it was only the side to side clack that I needed to remove. I can't see the point of cleaning up mechanisms and not bushing. Of course it is just as easy to buy the real felt. Don't try using ordinary felt as it isn't dense enough and doesn't have the structure to avoid mashing and wearing out.

[Lester]

Gena, check with others before doing what I did, but I had some very nice bellows corners lying around - soft thin leather. I used this material to bush the bass buttons. I did have to enlarge the holes first. It seems to be impossible to get a parallel sided new hole - but careful use of reamers from the outside and the inside means that any tapers are less of an issue.
The bellows corner bush linings have been in for a couple of years and work perfectly. The buttons did already have a cushion of felt, so it was only the side to side clack that I needed to remove. I can't see the point of cleaning up mechanisms and not bushing. Of course it is just as easy to buy the real felt. Don't try using ordinary felt as it isn't dense enough and doesn't have the structure to avoid mashing and wearing out.

What I do is ream from the outside until the hole is the right size (not sure how big that is anymore but its marked on my reamer) then bush to about 3/4mm with proper bushing felt, this obviates the need for a parallel sided hole.

[Gena Crisman]

Yeah, I don't have a reamer, or a set of punches. Since I have some extraordinarily sturdy paper clips that are the exact right thickness for replacing the pins that hold the bass button arms on, after cleaning up the rest of the bass buttons I may pin them in place and just move on for now. I need to do some wood work on the bass end to restore the four corners that the side panel would screw onto, which somehow are all missing, and refurb all the other reed blocks. The list of jobs seems unending.

So, I may have to circle back after getting some more tools & materials, which might take a while, before bushing the buttons. To be honest, I've often wondered why we don't bush the metal arms, just inside the instrument before they bend making a couple bits of wood that screw in place and clamp them between some padding.

Thanks for the link for your preferred concertina store, Lester. I do actually want some bushing felt. And I do have some leather I could use, Pete. I'm not too familiar with pokerworks to know how badly I need to bush them - I levelled the buttons out this morning and it feels pretty OK, but I don't have the bass board or strap in place to really know.

[Tone Dumb Greg]

Yeah, I don't have a reamer, or a set of punches...

I suspect that if you want to do jobs like this well they are tools you need. Not sure where the thread is, but there was a recent one that, I think, recommended on sources. Not expensive, but very useful. It's a job I am planning to tackle on all my boxes.

[Gena Crisman]

So, I have a bunch of pictures I never shared: https://imgur.com/a/WHIPO5v and have made progress beyond this.

I've carried on from there and have dealt with both melody blocks and the chords block. Thirds are all indicated to myself in a sensible capacity should I decide to be free of them. Turns out if you stick all the reeds down and give them new valves, things start to generally be a lot better:

https://youtu.be/t6rRqgiIDSA

I have yet to revalve and rewax the bass fundamentals, still, but, imo not as big a factor since iirc they're all still actually attached to the block. They're next on the agenda though. Then, woodwork to attach the bass cover.

There's a few things still & to work out & some materials to get, and with a lot of our preferred sellers of bits (quite justifiably) closing their online doors it does leave me a bit uncertain. But, these are uncertain times.

After that it'll be isolating each bank of de-rusted, revalved reeds and just writing down where they're at, because, I guess who knows? Would be nice to know exactly how the chords are voiced.

Also: really hate cutting holes in olivisc to let air go through, not fun at all.

[Nigel.H]

I bought a Reamer set, Ebay Item 152808416250, £6.99, Free delivery, perfect for Pokerwork's ( & Castagnari's ).  As per Lesters video, 10/11mm is about the correct dia.

Before eroding those buttons, I really would try a paste of Bicarb /Baking Powder, with a little water.  If you are concerned about the efficacy, you can 'spot treat' them and the 'clean' area will stick out like a sore thumb.  It will not remove the paint, but I think you said that could be scratched off with your nail.  It is the principal ingredient of the whitening tooth-pastes such as Arm & Hammer and works naturally.  It is too messy to do when the buttons are in the box, but as they are out, you can 'dip'/submerge them for a best result.

It is possible to cut the felt for the fondo, like the original, by creating a sandwich of 300gsm card, and a paper guide with the felt in between using spray-on, re-positionable glue.
Spray the card, apply felt to card, take a pencil 'rubbing' of the reed-block holes, then spray the paper and apply that to the felt.  The sandwich stops the felt moving whilst being punched and the rubbing provides a perfect 'pattern' to get the slightly offset holes in the right place.  The re-positionable glue leaves no residue on the felt.  The same process can be used to replicate the linen discs used to hold the pallets with 'Fish Glue' as per the originals (no disrespect to the Glue Gun ) I have found an 'Eco' Tote bag the ideal material for cutting the discs from.  You can get a lifetimes worth out of one bag and they are 'free' in our house, although the wife still wonders where it went.

[Theo]

Self adhesive olivisc is not ideal material for reed block gaskets because it is rather tough and tends to pull when cutting.  Added to that the adhesive is not very strong so the material tends to pull and stretch under pressure from your knife leading to a ragged edge.
Best way to reduce this is to use a scalpel with a new blade when you start this job.

Italian makers use a different material (confusingly also called olovisc because of its colour).  This is a woven material with a velvety pile on one side. Fix it with pva and use a new blade and it cuts like butter.

[Nigel.H]

Bi-card solution and buttons.  These weren't the worst example imaginable, but are worse in the flesh than appears to be the case in the photo.  A 20 minute soak in a "strong" solution of Baking Soda and water, agitated occasionally with a soft brush, rinsed and dried.
 
No scraping/rubbing etc required as the solution does the work.  They come up pretty much like new.  The Box is a 'post' Pokerwork one from the 40's/50's, vinyl cracked ice finish with 'H' reed's if that dates the buttons and the decades of accumulated grime.

[Gena Crisman]

The pictures are very appreciated, thank you.

So, all of my buttons have already been abraided with 180 grit to remove the paint/deepest marks, and then wet 600 grit to address the majority of the crazing & even their surface out.

I feel the buttons in my instrument here were in a significantly darker & crazed position than those on your instrument there (eg https://i.imgur.com/tAK6xF3.jpg), so, I don't regret sanding them. However, if they had been in the same condition as yours, I believe your solution would definitely yield better results - cleaning the edges with the buttons in place on the arms is quite difficult with the sand paper, and it's fairly easy to disrupt the 'roundness' of one's buttons. It's also messy and quite a bit of work, too, so, if you can just dunk them and come back to it later then that's probably better for your productivity in a day.

I was asked if I knew roughly when my instrument was made by a friend of mine, and I didn't know (still don't) - I guessed 'old'/middle of last century. There's no external stickers or stamped numbers, or anything informative really. It has a wooden keyboard shroud, casein buttons, H reeds + T reed fundamentals all on zinc plates, leather valves tip to toe. Reed blocks have G/C and 870 stamped on.