Antique Accordion Bass Repair

[debra]

Hi everyone. Thanks for all the feedback. I ended up completely dissembling the bass mechanism and replacing valves etc. I had everything really organized and had no trouble until I did. I ended up breaking one of the levers off of a note pipe (it was really loose likely due to it being 100 years old) when leveling everything. Any feedback of how I could reattach it? I was thinking I may be able to solder it back on but have only soldered electronics. Any solder you would recommend for the job. After this is fixed the bass mechanism is almost restored.

These "levers" and "note pipes" together are called "catorcetti" (a word known essentially only in Castelfidardo). A friend of mine calls them "rakes". These are made of steel and should be welded together. People have tried different types of glues, but I fear that nothing other than welding will make the joint between them as strong as it was originally. You may get solder to work (with enough flux) but it lacks mechanical strength and won't last another 100 years.

 

[dak]

These "levers" and "note pipes" together are called "catorcetti" (a word known essentially only in Castelfidardo). A friend of mine calls them "rakes". These are made of steel and should be welded together. People have tried different types of glues, but I fear that nothing other than welding will make the joint between them as strong as it was originally. You may get solder to work (with enough flux) but it lacks mechanical strength and won't last another 100 years.

Anything wrong with brazing?

 

[debra]

Anything wrong with brazing?

Brazing yields less strong joints than welding but may well be strong enough for the application in accordions.

 

[JKJ]

. I ended up breaking one of the levers off of a note pipe (it was really loose likely due to it being 100 years old) when leveling everything. Any feedback of how I could reattach it? I was thinking I may be able to solder it back on but have only soldered electronics. Any solder you would recommend for the job. After this is fixed the bass mechanism is almost restored.

John G.
I have a lot of experience in building and repairing things from metal. However, I have very little experience with accordions and none with the bass machine, other than removing the two “cassettes” in my Hohner to fix a sticky button, the first time watching an expert.

As for fixing a broken piece the first thing I’d ask is what kind of metal is it made from. In general, traditional soldering is excellent for some common materials such as brass and copper but can range from challenging to impossible for other materials. Some things are actually better repaired by constructing a new part. But I readily admit I have no knowledge of the material used in the bass machine. Perhaps an experience person has an suggestion or at least a hint.

Is the “lever” you mentioned one of the horizontal pieces shown in your photo of Sept 27? Is it one of what appear to be short cylinders or tubes?

How was the “lever” originally attached? You mentioned that it was “loose”. Can you tell if it was originally soldered, pressed into a drilled hole, spot welded? The original attachment method might suggest an easy fix. Do you have an extreme closeup photo of both the broken one and a good one?

For some materials, such as steel, I find it easy to permanently repair a small part by heliarc (TIG) welding - just a tiny controlled touch with a low-current arc can be enough. (A good welding/machine shop could do this in about a nanosecond) If the “lever” had been originally secured by other means that may suggest a solution. Again, perhaps a person with accordion bass machine repair will come to the rescue with a simple and perfect suggestion.

JKJ

 

[John G]

John G.
I have a lot of experience in building and repairing things from metal. However, I have very little experience with accordions and none with the bass machine, other than removing the two “cassettes” in my Hohner to fix a sticky button, the first time watching an expert.

As for fixing a broken piece the first thing I’d ask is what kind of metal is it made from. In general, traditional soldering is excellent for some common materials such as brass and copper but can range from challenging to impossible for other materials. Some things are actually better repaired by constructing a new part. But I readily admit I have no knowledge of the material used in the bass machine. Perhaps an experience person has an suggestion or at least a hint.

Is the “lever” you mentioned one of the horizontal pieces shown in your photo of Sept 27? Is it one of what appear to be short cylinders or tubes?

How was the “lever” originally attached? You mentioned that it was “loose”. Can you tell if it was originally soldered, pressed into a drilled hole, spot welded? The original attachment method might suggest an easy fix. Do you have an extreme closeup photo of both the broken one and a good one?

For some materials, such as steel, I find it easy to permanently repair a small part by heliarc (TIG) welding - just a tiny controlled touch with a low-current arc can be enough. (A good welding/machine shop could do this in about a nanosecond) If the “lever” had been originally secured by other means that may suggest a solution. Again, perhaps a person with accordion bass machine repair will come to the rescue with a simple and perfect suggestion.

JKJ

Thanks for the reply! This is very helpful. The lever is right below the horizontal piece (pins). The note pipes the levers are attached to are brass and although it’s rusted the levers appear to be steel. It looks like the levers may have been riveted in but not exactly sure. Yes I can post a close up example when I get home.