TUNING TABLE- Why soooo big. Show me yours!

[szunajski]

Hi All,
i hope you are doing well!

I happened to buy few accordions from a one person. He gave me for free tuning table.
The tuning table looks soo big and bulky and not sure what to do with it.
Do you guys know anything about it? I need tuning table but not this big. Do you think i should keep this one or build something more compact?

Also, can you please share pictures of tuning tables you use? (So i can steal your design? )

Thank oyu,

Regards!

 

[debra]

This "tuning table" is intended for a first rough tuning of reeds on individual reed plates. You can also check voicing and for instance check of different reeds start simultaneously at low and higher volume. Once you have the reed plates mounted on a reed block this tuning table can no longer be used. And for real tuning the reed blocks need to be inside the accordion.

 

[szunajski]

Thank you @debra !

 

[boxplayer4000]

szunajski: You might be able to use the bellows part. All you need is a piece of good quality plywood (marine ply?) with two holes cut in it to match the two holes (roughly) in a reed block. I use a a board with a third hole cut which takes me quite close to MMM tuning.

 

[kimric]

That tuning table is pretty cool, looks like the one the tuner was using in the factory in Tula I visited. It is more of a production level tool and not practical for a small shop work.
I use a constant flow table with a D valve This allows total flow and air direction control with one lever.

 

[debra]

That tuning table is pretty cool, looks like the one the tuner was using in the factory in Tula I visited. It is more of a production level tool and not practical for a small shop work.
...

I first saw such a tuning table at Victoria during the accordion repair courses. You can put a reed plate over a whole the right size and then test whether the reed is playing well (in both directions). We mainly used this after making our own reeds (using two reed tongues, two rivets and an "empty" reed plate).

 

[boxplayer4000]

Isn't the problem for szunajski being made overcomplicated here? Why can't he use the reedblock he has to 'hold' the reed while he tests it? He has 'test' bellows already. All he needs is a board, with an air hole, glued to the bellows.

 

[boxplayer4000]

A picture is better than words; this is a simple tuning table which works well:

 

[debra]

A picture is better than words; this is a simple tuning table which works well:

This works well for testing one or two reeds on a reed block. This again is useful to check very rough tuning, adjust voicing and check valves. But for tuning you need a top that also allows to put an accordion half (treble or bass part) on the table for real tuning.
Here is a picture of Carlo (from Victoria) demonstrating how to tune reeds inside the accordion and how to position the treble side to access the reeds. For measuring the treble side is placed flat on the tuning table.
Note that the top of the tuning table has a part that is removable, so that both large and smaller accordions can be placed on the tuning table.

 

[boxplayer4000]

Debra: The tuning table I use accepts the treble ends (or bass ends). You can also just lay the treble end on it's own bellows, in an emergency.

 

[debra]

Debra: The tuning table I use accepts the treble ends (or bass ends). You can also just lay the treble end on it's own bellows, in an emergency.

Laying down the treble side (or the bass side for that matter) on its own bellows only works if you have a surface on which to clamp down the bellows. When I tune an accordion I use my tuning table (with large hole) for tuning the bass side of non-convertor accordions (a convertor one doesn't fit on my table as the hole is not big enough). For the treble side (and the bass side of a convertor) I just use the accordion itself as a tuning table: I play every reed and make a list of the deviations (in table format). Then I make corrections by filing and/or scratching, when I play and make a new list, and repeat as long as necessary to get everything right. This way the measuring is done while the accordion is in the playing orientation, and that matters (a tiny bit).