Waiting on the Engineer PZ-57 to arrive before I try making another custom tool.
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Removing stubborn bellows pins
- Thread starter lordzedd
- Start date
Dingo40
Been here for ages!
The extraction pliers arrived today. They gripped the heads of the pins with no issue. Pulling the pins out still required incredible effort, but I got them out. Turns out the main pins are 2x19 mm; I'm currently looking for a source that can sell me new 2x19 and 2x15 waisted pins. I also now know that almost all of my reed leathers are curled, which is not surprising for a 30+ year old box.
None of the leathers have any retainer springs of any kind on them. Am I right in my understanding that adding retaining springs with new leathers would alter the pitch of each reed and require retuning?
None of the leathers have any retainer springs of any kind on them. Am I right in my understanding that adding retaining springs with new leathers would alter the pitch of each reed and require retuning?
boxplayer4000
Prolific poster
lorzedd: Progress at last!!
Even although the pin extracted is 19mm perhaps something less will do. Some measuring is required.
Making any alteration to the reed leathers will always make some re-tuning necessary.
Even although the pin extracted is 19mm perhaps something less will do. Some measuring is required.
Making any alteration to the reed leathers will always make some re-tuning necessary.
If anyone was interested in seeing a cheap USSR bayan bass block, here we are. The leather strips at the bases are a bit confusing; maybe they are there to better deal with wider tolerances than wax would? Not sure where to get replacements. I also believe @Gonk was at one point looking into whether you can swap out these Kreminna reedplates for something nicer. Did you ever find out?
Great to hear you finally have results. Depending on where you are located there are different stores that are best for parts. (I get parts from Italy, but that's not ideal for you I guess.) It should be relatively easy to obtain new bellow pins, leathers and booster springs ("contrapelli"). Every store for accordion parts sells leathers in different length, width and thickness. You should add booster springs (and paper or leather disks at the base of the reed to keep the springs attached better. If the booster spring causes the frequency to go down then it is probably too strong. It is important that the leathers close properly (lay flat against the reed plate) to avoid unwanted noises and to give better response. Don't forget about the leathers on the inside (inside the reed block).
The second picture appears to show differences in the size of the reed plates. This indicates that some of the reeds are not original. A whole row of bass reeds normally has uniform dimensions (for the reed plates, not for the reeds themselves). As long as you do not expect miracles from such a non-uniform old accordion it should not be a problem.
Is there a name specifically for long strips of leather that you would use for sealing a large bayan reedplate or on some French accordions? Or should I just ask the supplier if they can cut me some extra long reed leathers?
EDIT: Maybe I could just use modern gasket tape of similar dimensions?
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You need to measure the size of the leathers you need. In all likelihood this old simple bayan has bass reeds no larger than the largest Italian reeds, so commonly available leathers should do. You should really use just leather valves, not gasket tape or any other material. Instead of metal booster springs you could also use strips of mylar (like old film) because that is what the Russians have been using in bayans and still use today. I don't like it a lot but it appears to work.
Paul, I think maybe I am not being clear in my question. In addition to replacing the reed leathers, I am hoping to replace the leather strips at the bases of the blocks. One of them is highlighted in the red box in the picture below. I believe most accordions use wax for sealing this area.
Should I try to replace them with leather strips of similar spec or with bellows gasket of similar spec? Maybe I can just put wax there instead? I don't know what advantage using leather there offered the original builder, so I don't know what is most important to consider in replacing the leather.
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Dingo40
Been here for ages!
I would guess it's simply an air gasket.
A piece of felt of a suitable thickness and density, cut to size, would probably do it?
Use the existing leather gasket as a template .
A piece of felt of a suitable thickness and density, cut to size, would probably do it?
Use the existing leather gasket as a template .
If it's a spacer then felt is just fine. If it's an air seal then felt is a bad choice since it's porous. If it is indeed a seal then a roll of bellows gasket tape (available in vrious widths and thicknesses) would be the way to go. IE https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...3&_nkw=bellows+gasket&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0
Good luck- Henry
Good luck- Henry
Gonk
http://mudlark-music.com
You can definitely swap in other reedplates, if you want to. Sometimes this means you need to modify the reedblock to shrink some spaces and expand others (by gluing in bits of wood or carving some out).
Oh, now I see. Normally between the reed blocks and the soundboard there is a leather gasket. On Italian accordions this gasket is typically glued to the soundboard. On Russian bayans it is often glued to the bottom of the reed blocks. Either way, as long as it provides a good seal it doesn't matter. I have once worked on a bayan where the leather gasket had been replaced by gasket tape as used for the seal between bellows and treble and bass side. It worked, but it consisted of many small pieces not always properly glued on. As long as it is a sufficiently compressible material that seals well it is fine. I prefer the seal glued onto the soundboard over a seal glued onto the reed block but both should work. The seal on the soundboard is better because if the reed block deforms (warps) slightly over the years you can then sand it straight again whereas if the seal is on the reed block you cannot.
No accordion builder should ever use any wax or glue as a seal between the soundboard and the reed blocks as this makes removal of the reed blocks (nearly) impossible. Sadly some manufacturers have glued reed blocks onto the soundboard in some of their accordions for many years. Even my Pigini bass accordion that's only about a decade old has glued-on reed blocks which makes it a pain to do maintenance. (But then, Pigini also glues the buttons on in their button accordions, which is another pain for maintenance ...)
