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Post by Is it spring yet, dormouse? on Jan 14, 2014 15:12:44 GMT
It was a miserable, cold, wet day last Sunday. So I did my once in a blue moon service on the old concertina. There were a few buttons sticking/wheezing/not sounding. The reeds can start wheezing if there is even the tiniest speck of dust or debris trapped next to them. A couple of air valve pads had come unstuck, and a couple of valve springs needed the tiniest drop of light oil to stop them sticking open. At the same time I soaked the leather bellows and thumb straps in leather balsam for a while, then and finished them off with a polish (the bellows are the most expensive part to replace - and there's a waiting list of several years to get them made!) The silver plated metal ends and other metal bits'n'bobs got a polish with a good quality liquid cleaner. The ebony wood got a clean and polish with wood balsam. Don't think it liked being played outside at the Druridge meet (very cold and damp) and the steamy conditions at the Bothy meet (in every way! ) didn't help much either. All working fine now Not bad for a 104 year old instrument... ! PS There are approx 5,000 individual parts in a concertina, most of them hand made.
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Post by billieblue on Jan 14, 2014 17:59:36 GMT
What an amazing instrument! And you're a gifted player too
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Post by n brown on Jan 14, 2014 18:16:50 GMT
104 yrs-hard to believe you've had it that long !
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Post by gaz on Jan 14, 2014 20:00:45 GMT
104 yrs-hard to believe you've had it that long ! dont be silly nige .....she was second hand before the old squeeze box got her
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Post by Oldish Hippy on Jan 14, 2014 20:59:10 GMT
104 yrs-hard to believe you've had it that long ! dont be silly nige .....she was second hand before the old squeeze box got her That is not nice calling neil a old squeeze box ok he could be called something else a bit more polite
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