Chord Button Repairing?

[Thunder_Cat7]

Heyo, hopefully this is the right section.

I got an old Titano Titan that I use commonly, but the acrylic buttons are rotting and the G just fractured off before disintegration in my hand, with 2 other buttons fractured off also.

Is there anyway to replace the buttons as I really like this accordion?

Thanks for any suggestions and help.

 

[Dingo40]

Is there anyway to replace the buttons as I really like this accordion?

Hi TC,
If you peruse the threads here, you will find the problem has been mainly handled in two ways:
1) You can buy plastic replacement bass buttons in various sizes from accordion parts suppliers ( on eBay).
2) You can buy acrylic rod of a suitable diameter and cut, shape and drill bass
buttons to fit your accordion!
Some buttons are glued on, some screwed.
I've no idea which variety yours are
But, you can probably work it out by testing (a broken) one to destruction.

 

[Dingo40]

Here's one fairly extensive thread on the topic.

Searching for Bass Buttons

Hello, I am new to this accordion forum and would appreciate any help provided. I recently acquired a Noble Starlet piano accordion with 41 keys and 120 bass buttons. Unfortunately, several of the (40) translucent bass buttons are broken with the remainder of these particular buttons being very...

www.accordionists.info

Here's another:

Remove and Replace Bass buttons

I am sure there is an answer to this somewhere back on the threads, but I am needing to know how to remove the bass buttons that need repaired on the accordion. I am talking JUST the plastic buttons. They are glued on?

www.accordionists.info

 

[debra]

Hi TC,
If you peruse the threads here, you will find the problem has been mainly handled in two ways:
1) You can buy plastic replacement bass buttons in various sizes from accordion parts suppliers ( on eBay).
2) You can buy acrylic rod of a suitable diameter and cut, shape and drill bass
buttons to fit your accordion!
Some buttons are glued on, some screwed.
I've no idea which variety yours are
But, you can probably work it out by testing (a broken) one to destruction.

Most buttons are neither glued on, nor screwed. They are a "press fit". You put them on by just pressing them on the piston, and turning/wiggling may help to make this easier, but although you may perform a turning motion there are no threads on the pistons, nor inside the buttons.

 

[Ikesaccordions]

I use buttons from old parts accordions. I heat the rod with a soldering iron to pull off the same diameter buttons with a twistng motion. To get them to the same level as the old button I ream the hole if necessary and use an adhesive glue. If they are breaking up you have to do them all.
If the buttons are larger, or if the holes have shrunk, these can be reamed out with sandpaper around a dowel.

 

[KiwiSqueezer]

There may be little point in reactivating this thread, however it may help someone in the future...

Was celluloid used for buttons? Seems likely, in the old days. I don't think acrylic should 'rot', but I suppose it may craze progressively, especially if stresses and micro-cracks were introduced during manufacture or fitting of the buttons. One day, I must try to identify the plastic used in some old bass buttons I have, but it's not easy for the amateur. About the only practicable test is to see what happens as the plastic is heated and burned.

Acrylic isn't the easiest to machine, being prone to melt onto the cutting tool, producing a poor surface finish. Diamond tools turn acrylic beautifully, but aren't practicable for amateurs. Acetal ('Delrin') is a very good alternative for small parts, machines beautifully, and is available as small-diameter rods. Its melting point is quite low, but you can take advantage of this by, for example, heating the bass piston, then pushing the button on to it. Given suitable rod and hole dimensions, the acetal will push on easily, and glue itself securely.

Incidentally, some old buttons I removed revealed that the piston rod had been deformed by having a longitudinal groove punched into the button area. Possibly a reasonable idea, if a glue-free fit is desired, although high local stresses could be induced by the raised groove edges. I suspect glue would be safer, but what glue?

 

[JIM D.]

Well unfortunately all your button tops will soon follow suit. In your case I would look for a doner of he same
model. You then will have a complete set of pistons with button tops. Look to Ebay for a doner listed for parts only.

And I'd like to make a note about bass button tops. Most all of the Italian made Pro & semi Pro have for years
used celluloid for button tops but in the late 50's thru the 60's many makers used less costly plastic tops on thier
student models. Now Titano accordions were made by Victoria and all had celluloid button tops. But you have a student
model 60's vintage Titan that was sold by Titano dealers but, made by Cruianelli and has acrylic plastic tops.
The plastic tops contained antioxidants to help them stabilize against oxidation, but these antioxidants
eventually break down after time. Once the antioxidants are gone, the plasic can rapidly weaken and
become brittle.

 

[oldbayan]

I had an old Paolo Soprani on which most bass buttons disintegrated Of course, the size of the buttons did not match ANY button I could find from the various suppliers, the ones on the accordion were much longer than anything I could find. My solution was to add an extension to all pistons using small brass tubing, then install the new buttons on them. Took me many hours to cut the 120 pieces of tube and fit them. Unlike many old Hohners, the Soprani bass system does not come as "layered assemblies" with all the pistons neatly positioned and held in place. Each piston had to be worked on individually and re-installed. It worked! Took time and patience.