A couple of things...

[Mr Mark]

Two different topics here really.

I have ordered (at least verbally) a new set of felts for a Hohner Lucia...in November last year and I still haven't heard from the person I ordered them from in Ontario. I did call earlier this month and they said they were still on their way...but it has been four months and am just wondering if this is any kind of normal or should I be wary here. They are apparently coming from Germany and I was told 6-8 weeks, and with Xmas at the time figured a wee bit longer perhaps but at this point I really need to get moving on this, my other accordions are falling apart. Thoughts?

Secondly, I am having problems with bellows corners. One replacement I installed myself and it kept falling off so I glued and crimped the heck out of it...so far so good but now I have other bellows corners falling off other instruments and am literally running out of accordions (One instrument it appears the previous owner retaped the bellows to hold them on and as it begins to fail they are falling off). My question is, can I reuse these corners and should they be glued as well as crimped. I have a crimp tool on order as all my tools don't seem to fit the bill...I guess the other thing is - does the crimp tool actually create points on the inside of the metal corner which penetrate the cardboard? It seems none of the loose ones have had this happen so I'm wondering if that is what is wrong here.

 

[lightninboy]

Maybe you're too patient a man and should communicate with the seller more and see what recourse you have.

 

[debra]

It could be that the bellows have hardened to the extent that the corners are really being pried open when you open the bellows. (On my accordion(s) that does not happen.) Then also there is a tape that not only goes over the edge of each bellows fold but that also goes more than 1/4 inch over the corners as well and if a corner doesn't hold 100% by itself that tape should still prevent the corner from falling off (but it does not have a lot of strength and it is worn at the corners on many older accordions).
Regarding the order it may be that your supplier has to collect enough orders for accordion parts to make it worth the shipping cost and it may take a while for that to happen.

 

[Mr Mark]

Thanks for the comments, I always make a pointed point to reply. I will contact my contact once again this week. I can appreciate the possibility of having to collect enough orders to make it worthwhile; but when describing 6-8 weeks turns into more than double that without even an end date in sight, I do believe the customer should at least get the explanation, or something to that effect. Anyhow, not the end of the world so I'm not going to make a big deal out of it but,...you know...

Interesting to note hardening of the bellows...not that I think that has happened as the material does seem...pliable...but I wonder if the lack of humidity here has something to do with it. Right now it's around 30% but does go down to around 10-15%. It seems there is glue on the inside of the corners that have come off and it is definitely dry. Weird that it is all of a sudden as I had played this unit most everyday for the last couple of years and in the space of one day there are at least 6 loose corners with three having come completely off. The bellows tape does indeed cover part of the corners but has worn in those areas enough to split. So I will re-glue and re-crimp...which glue works best? (I did use the same adhesive for valves but a lot of it and it seemed to work...for now...just wondering what the best option is?)

 

[Mr Mark]

Yay crimping pliers! That problem seems resolved.

Called my supplier...and was told they basically just show up one day, no tracking no nothing no way to know when. What the flub. I imagine by the half year mark I will have to give up and whittle them out of sticks myself. Le sigh.