I Broke my Bellows!

[Mr Mark]

Overexuberance is to blame. Although it has to be said they were old and fairly crusty anyway. It didn't help that I was trying too hard to keep up with The Louds, but it was a fun time and great to play in front of folks again.

At any rate it would appear I have at least had a learning experience, perhaps I can also learn how to repair this?

The paper has come unglued from the frame at the treble side of things from what I can see, it is a fairly clean break. A layman might think simply gluing it back together would suffice but I am not convinced. I assume maybe at the very least this would require a bit of sustained pressure over a period of time, not to mention the right glue. I am perusing elsewhere to see if I can find the answers but any you might have are appreciated!

If not it would also appear that I am in the market for a decent used set, or new - the accordion is a Hohner Verdi II.

Thanks friends!

 

[Dingo40]

I'll wait to see what Paul and Jim say about this ?

 

[JIM D.]

I'm afraid that trying to repair the set of bellows you show in your pictures will turn out to be a futile effort to restore them.
These 70+ year old bellows found on mediocue models of Hohner were assembled with an animal basted type glue and with
age it has become brittle and easily separated. A regluing will need removing of the old glue residue.
The bellows corners, corner leathers, & bellows tape was also used with this type glue in their application.
You will also find the cardboard pleats have with age become brittle.
Your best bet is to find a good set of bellows the same size and attach them to your bellows frames.
You might try a read here --

HOW TO REPAIR ACCORDIONS 2

Check out http://accordionrevival.com!

accordionrevival.com

Sorry for the negatives;
JIM

 

[Mr Mark]

Thanks for weighting some experience on this, it is appreciated! I'm going to try the repair as I have time on my hands and the materials. But I will also be sourcing a new or decent used set because you are right in that these bellows are already brittle.

 

[debra]

I agree with Jim that it may be futile to attempt this. But the "accordionrevival" instructions are very good (thanks Jim) as to how to approach the problem if you must try it anyway...
Just a few extra tips:
1) if removing the glue from the bellow is unsuccessful without damage to the cardboard you may want to consider losing one bellow fold. when you (very carefully) cut off the first bellow fold you end up with a new "first" fold that has no glue residue and is ready to go. It is certainly better to end up with perfectly sealed bellows missing one fold than to keep all the folds and end up with a leaky frame-to-cardboard joint.
2) While you are at it, replace the bellows tape on the whole bellow but at least start with new tape for the new first fold. It becomes inaccessible once you have glued the frame on. Use the wider (24mm) tape as it easier to get it to stick and it will hide any visible scars left from removing the old tape. When you have removed one fold you can apply new tape over the old tape as the added thickness will compensate for the lost thickness from losing a fold. Normally you would not do this so as to not make the bellows thicker, but in this case it does not hurt.
The instructions already say it, but make sure you apply plenty of glue. It's better for the glue to ooze out when applying pressure than to not have enough glue and end up with a leak.
Not having the "Elmer's white wood glue" the revival site suggests I would use the (green label) Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue which I also use to glue wooden parts inside an accordion. It is a very strong glue. But maybe Jim knows a reason why not to use it?

Don't forget the most important part of the revival instructions: make very very very sure you put the frame back in the right direction! Even if the frame looks symmetrical the holes may not line up perfectly with the ones in the accordion if you put the frame on backwards!

 

[JIM D.]

I've used that Titebond glue that Paul suggests and it is an excellent choice for accordion repairs. --

I personally use an Elmer's product that's also an easy cleanup before it dries --

I don't use the White Elmer's glue as it has poor moisture resistance.

I may caution you that --
Removing the outer bellows fold works well but not until you first determine the interior space between the treble & bass reed blocks when
the bellows are closed.
In some cases removing of a bellows fold will result in the reed blocks making contact when the bellows are closed.

 

[debra]

...
I may caution you that --
Removing the outer bellows fold works well but not until you first determine the interior space between the treble & bass reed blocks when
the bellows are closed.
In some cases removing of a bellows fold will result in the reed blocks making contact when the bellows are closed.

A very wise remark indeed. You don't want the reed blocks making contact with each other.
When you put new bellows tape on without removing the old one there should not be a problem because the thickness of say 17x2 layers of tape will more than compensate for the missing fold. When you remove the old tape first (which is normally the recommended procedure) there will not be additional thickness and the risk of the reed blocks touching becomes real. Not only that, the bellow straps will also not keep the bellows fully closed. (If you tape over tape without removing a fold the problem is worse: the bellow straps will no longer close.)

 

[Dingo40]

Jim& Paul, traps for young players everywhere!?

 

[jozz]

that happened while playing?

that must have been a sight for the audience!

 

[Dingo40]

Jozz,
Tostão Mineiro busts his bellows while engaging in a tug of war with one of his associates while playing a number on stage.
I tried hard to find the link but, alas, it wasn't to be Sorry!?

He does try his darndest to bust them in this clip but, miraculously, they survive!?

 

[Mr Mark]

I'm going to see about attempting this today. I have a gig Saturday so it would be nice to have things working again so I don't have to change my microphone setup in my other accordion.

I do not have the expectation that it will work but if it does then it is worth having a go - I think they might be too old and brittle. Having said that the glue didn't seem to be coming off of it too badly so I might also be able to avoid removing a fold - but good to know I can do that if need be. There is definitely clearance between reedblocks but I am just curious for future reference how one might check for clearance in this regard in tight situations where it isn't so obvious.

Great little tips on things here, thank you JIM D. and debra...I have some Lepage Pro Carpenters wood glue here that I think might work - but then I got to thinking, what is the best rated wood glue out there period (because my brain does stuff like that) and there seems to be some consensus that Gorilla Wood Glue is it - although the Elmers and Titebond you guys mention in are right up there.

6 Best Wood Glue Reviews: Extra Strong Glue for Woodworking & Hobbies

We have selected the best wood glue that is high-quality, easy to apply, used to bond all types of wood, with outstanding bonding strength and affordable.

morningchores.com

.

Best Wood Glues in 2022 [Buying Guide] – Gear Hungry

Whether you’re a carpenter or just fixing a piece of furniture, you can’t risk the glue breaking. Check out our list of the best wood glues!

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So for the greater good of all that is accordion and because of the minimal cost and labour involved - I think I might try the Gorilla Wood Glue stuff and see if it works and report my findings back here. Unless of course this seems like a seriously bad idea for reasons unknown to me.

jozz - I heard a loud POP and knew right away but didn't want to believe it - unfortunately it was a tight space and I was at the back of the band so it wasn't highly visible. This didn't stop me from stealing the drummers floor tom and bashing that with my hands for the remainder of our set however! The show must go on!!!

 

[JIM D.]

I don't recommend the Gorilla wood glue for accordion repair as the glue is designed to expand as it dries. It works well for basic carpentry
work but not for model or musical instrument repair.
Most all Gorilla glue products are rebranded glues already in common use today. The only basic difference is the Gorilla branded
glues (a duplicate of a well established product) will in most all cases sell for a higher price.
Gorilla glue types (although well advertised ) are just another branded polyurethane glue product.

 

[Dingo40]

"Gorilla glue types (although well advertised ) are just another branded polyurethane glue product."

Jim,
I notice you referring to Gorilla Glue as polyurethane. Are you sure too don't mean "polyvinyl acetate"??
See here:

PVA meaning - Поиск в Google

 

[JIM D.]

 

[Dingo40]

Thanks, Jim ??

 

[Mr Mark]

Well...didn't get this until after the repair...but, so far so good. Not sure if there is a mix up there JIM D...but this is the glue I used.


It is PVA.

Going to have to live with the consequences if it doesn't work out - which would probably be removing a fold and regluing.

As a tool I actually found a door striker perfect for removing the glue off the frame, it had a sharp edge and lots of ways to hold onto it as I was doing so. I spent a few hours leisurely outside doing this, which also meant I could see the sheen from the old glue in spots that I might not have indoors, thanks Sun!

I did also add a layer of bellows tape over the old on the end. I didn't like how the old bellows tape was coming off so went right over.

Really need to work on the aesthetic of this thing

 

[jozz]

good

fingers crossed