Noble accordion missing low F key

[foxcorner]

Hi all,

I'm new here, an English amateur accordionist living in Northern Colorado. My main accordion is a Weltmeister Supita II. Pleased to meet you all.

I was recently given a Noble Juniorette accordion with LM reeds. It's a bit frumpy-looking, but the reeds sound very nice, with a strong and smooth tone. However, it's missing the low F key at the end of the keyboard. The metal bar is there and the note works, but the wooden/plastic key is missing. Photo is attached. How would I go about replacing it? It doesn't need to exactly match cosmetically; I just want to be able to play low F.

Thanks!
Dan

 

[debra]

Finding a matching "core" for the new key may prove problematic, so that is likely to be a diy job. New key tops can be bought from accordion parts shops. You may need to shape it (around the black key) but at least that replacement is possible.

 

[Ventura]

i would wait for an opportunity when you are travelling next year
to visit some old accordion repair shop that has a pile of spare
"parts" accordions in the back room, and dig something out that
is close, then sand, whittle, glue, fit the donor key to your little box.

getting an exact match is possible, but don't hold out for that, as Don Noble
sourced his private label accordions from literally every single factory in CastleFi
over the decades, so very few parts are actually interchangeable

you could also gently pry, poke, lift a keytop off of the F key one octave up
so you can see. measure, have an idea of how to cut a new piece of wood from scratch
to fit the missing one. (Wood under plastic top over most likely.. there are
some all plastic types too)

getting a spare keytop is not too hard, as those were pretty generic among
those millions of student accordions.. anything about the same size or a bit
longer will do to sand down for a nice fit. Other threads or online guides will
explain the glue preferred for bonding keytops back on..

 

[foxcorner]

Thanks, debra and Ventura! I was imagining that this would be the process, i.e. DIY, more or less. In theory, I could make a wooden piece from scratch, using my table saw to make the groove underneath. Thanks for the pointer to purchasing key tops.

 

[JKJ]

In theory, I could make a wooden piece from scratch, using my table saw to make the groove underneath.

Dan,

You might also find a key top in a matching color at a local piano technician's. A friend of mine kept a variety for repair. He ordered an entire set and replaced all the key tops on a player piano I rebuilt. Could probably find one in your area through a local piano tuner.

One from a piano will be too big for an accordion but could be cut down, sanded, and polished then glued to wooden piece you made.

BTW, if you have a friend with a milling machine it would be quick and easy to make the wooden part with precision. (and much safer with a small part than a table saw) I’ve machined a lot of parts from wood on mine. Shaping and grooving are trivial.

JKJ