Celluloid. Sanding/polishing.

[32251]

I have been working with celluloid used in binding guitars for decades. I miss seeing it used anymore on guitars.

Now on vintage accordions I am enjoying seeing it used covering the entire instrument. Even though the outer celluloid layer is usually very thin, you still have enough to rejuvenate the surface and make the instrument look very nice again.

First I inspect the covering and see what will be the best approach. Light surface scratching you can just use rubbing compounds in different grades by hand with cotton cloths. Be careful if you use buffing wheels because of potential heat damage if you aren’t careful.

Bad scratches,oxidation etc. sand first. I start with 220/240 in the worst spots and then 320 to 400 to 600 then rubbing compounds. It’s amazing how much you can improve the surface doing this. Here is a keyboard I’m working on. Look at the difference between the oxidized left side and the polished right side.

Another thing I find interesting is in guitar repair, I see what we call “binding rot” where the celluloid just gasses out to goo and then falls apart. I wonder why I don’t see this more in accordions. I see some key surfaces cracking, but I don’t see catastrophic celluloid body covering issues.

 

[Walker]

Thank you for sharing 32251.

I'm a big fan of the "French ivory"

Celluloid is still common in accordions, but most of the time it's in black, which is fine, but I kinda miss seeing the variety in colours that would have been common in the first half of the 20th century.

I'd love to see more high quality accordions in red or even tortoiseshell (esp. toffee) colours. Back in the heyday of Hohner the pearly red variety was common even in top end instruments. In fact most of the Shand Morino models that came to Scotland were red - and black was much less common.

Blue and white etc. are ok, but for me the red is nice for a traditional style accordion.

Here's a nice YouTube video of the Shand Morino.

 

[32251]

Thank you for sharing 32251.

I'm a big fan of the "French ivory.

Blue and white etc. are ok, but for me the red is nice for a traditional style accordion.

I have a red Hohner Verdi IIIM.

 

[Ffingers]

I have a red Hohner Verdi IIIM.

...and I have a Hohner NORMA IIIM which looks a lot more impressive than my attempts at making music

 

[Ikesaccordions]

On guitars it was probably a different sort of celluloid. They used bto put camphor inaccoedion ccelluloid as a stabilzer. After 100 yrs or so the celluloid nitrate gives off nitric acid. Maybe on guitars they used celluloid acetate which turns into vinegar like old movie film.

 

[debra]

While there are lovely colored pattern in celluloid covering colorful accordions, it is hear impossible to do celluloid repair on them that after it's finished is invisible. I therefore limit my celluloid repair jobs to plain black. I always say: "Black accordions matter!"

 

[tcabot]

You can have some wild patterns in celluloid...

 

[Ikesaccordions]

There is a way to imitate the pearloid finish by brushing with a feather. I've never actually seen that done.