Glue mess….

[32251]

Here is a mess. Wish me luck. Almost got the removable Reed bank out. Just take my time. The rock hard flooded epoxy mess…..better just work around it and service that Reed bank as it is. Do more damage trying to clean up the epoxy. Old Rosati unit. German build?

 

[debra]

Perhaps not ideal but it may still be usable as firewood...
One of my principles is that when a repair would cost more, at commercial rated, than the value of the final result of a restoration, I don't bother to even start.

 

[32251]

Just trying to save one. I enjoy working on basket cases. Sometimes the goal is just to get the unit playable…..that moves it a little farther away from the fireplace ;-). The unit has to have structural integrity before I will tinker with it. Serious breaks/cracks that won’t realign or water damage….I might not want to work on.

 

[PhiliGol]

That really looks insane - but I know how it is: seized by ambition
All the best for this restoration project.

 

[kimric]

Doing these sorts of jobs once in awhile can help hone your skills. I restored things that made no sense in the past but it is usefull when a customer brings in something similar you can accurately guess how difficult it will be to deal with it. You might have luck with a hot knife since the epoxy will soften at about 250F.

 

[debra]

Just trying to save one. I enjoy working on basket cases. Sometimes the goal is just to get the unit playable…..that moves it a little farther away from the fireplace ;-). The unit has to have structural integrity before I will tinker with it. Serious breaks/cracks that won’t realign or water damage….I might not want to work on.

I understand it can be "fun" to revive an otherwise unusable accordion.
I tend to only work on somewhat "better" units, but exactly the things you don't want I have already had to deal with: breaks/cracks, most often after a fall, and occasionally also water damage. The accordions were definitely worth more (after repair) than the cost of the repair (if it were done by a commercial repairer).

 

[Caps]

Hard to tell from the photos but that really looks like wax that melted and ran down to the plate and crystalized. What a mess. Looks like lots of work even if it wasn't epoxy. Hope you have success with it.