Keep reeds with one broken-one good, or toss them?

[32251]

Came into a large stash of used reeds for repairs. 10% of them are reeds with one good tine and one broken one. Any reason to keep them? Can a broken off tine be removed and a good one be installed, or best to not even go there? Thanks

 

[Vladimir M.]

For me personally, only the remaining 90% with both functional reeds on the reedplates would be attractive. I wouldn't take the 10% plates with the one broken reed. Because: Any effort to repair them is too uneconomical, time-consuming and laborious. My humble opinion.

 

[Ventura]

why did the chicken cross the road ?

or

why did the one reed snap ?

most likely reason is the reed reached it's limit of metal fatigue,
right ?

or do you imagine some ham fisted tuner ruined that many good reeds
and got away with it, then saved them all after selling his customers
replacement reeds ?

spring steel does not last forever, even when it is well
tempered and well engineered and well made and well used

 

[debra]

I see only one reason to keep the good reed tongue (when it is really good) and that is if you sometimes need to do repairs to Russian bayans. They have large multi-reed plates and when a reed breaks you can attempt a repair by repurposing a good reed tongue from an Italian reed plate. You need to search for a reed tongue that more or less fits, file it so it really fits, then fit it and tune it. This is certainly not my favorite repair job, but when it needs to be done it doesn't really matter whether you take it from an old reed plate with two good reed tongues still on it or just one.

 

[32251]

I see only one reason to keep the good reed tongue (when it is really good) and that is if you sometimes need to do repairs to Russian bayans. They have large multi-reed plates and when a reed breaks you can attempt a repair by repurposing a good reed tongue from an Italian reed plate. You need to search for a reed tongue that more or less fits, file it so it really fits, then fit it and tune it. This is certainly not my favorite repair job, but when it needs to be done it doesn't really matter whether you take it from an old reed plate with two good reed tongues still on it or just one.

What is the procedure to remove the Reed tongue rivet and install the tongue on another plate. Can you re-use the rivet

 

[debra]

What is the procedure to remove the Reed tongue rivet and install the tongue on another plate. Can you re-use the rivet

You grind the rivet flat, from the reed's side, until the reed tongue comes off easily. You do the same on both the reed plate that "donates" the tongue and the reed plate that will receive the good tongue. You can then use a puncher and hammer to "push" the rivet through the reed plate. You only need to do that on the "good" reed plate that needs a new reed tongue. You then do need a new rivet (easily obtained from an accordion parts store like Carini). Push the rivet through the hole from the bottom upwards. The rivet should stick out for at least about 2mm. Then make sure the good reed tongue fits exactly. File it down until it does. Slide the rivet through the good tongue and then hammer the rivet until the reed tongue doesn't move any more. In order to do so you must use a very solid base like an anvil. Hammer down and then a bit in a circular motion. The rivet flattens and thereby "grips" the reed tongue to immobilize it. It's best to first hammer a bit, and then hold the reed tongue over (and slightly inside) the slot in the reed plate to make sure it is positioned correctly, before you hammer a lot more. You should hammer enough that the reed tongue is held in place firmly but not so much that the reed plate deforms.

 

[Ventura]

do they still hammer at factories ? or use a hydraulic press system ?

and is the hole in the old reed a standard size or should one have
a number of different diameter rivets to choose from ?

 

[tcabot]

If you have the right steel for it, you can file off the broken reed's rivet, make a new tongue and rivet it on.
Is it worth the time & effort? In most cases - probably not, and your reed making & fitting skill needs to be acceptable.
However, you can find yourself in a situation when buying one new reedplate is too expensive, and you'll have to wait for several days. Making a new reed only takes about 40 minutes.

Other than that, you can try hacksawing the broken half off and converting them into single reeds to build a concertina or flutina. Or make an art installation with them.

 

[debra]

do they still hammer at factories ? or use a hydraulic press system ?

and is the hole in the old reed a standard size or should one have
a number of different diameter rivets to choose from ?

They do still hammer at factories, for hand-made and hand-finished reeds.
As for rivets they are virtually all 2mm in diameter.