My fourth project: Sonora 37/96 (AKA Phoenix)

[Jose EB5AGV]

As I anticipated on this thread: The accordion rising from the flames , I have got a new project on the workbench.

Here you have some pictures of it.



A typical LMM seven register set. It is nice to have all the voices individually selectable:



The very well known brand:



As I commented, it sat 20 years stored after the shop fire. And, as I am already finding on all NOS Chinese accordions I am managing to find (remember also these ones), the straps disintegrate on a messy thing which, in this case, has damaged the finishing of the accordion.

This is the condition I have got it on the bench. Note the white strips and marks all around. And that was a hard material which was only removed very carefully with alcohol and cotton swabs, and then later I have polished all the surface:







I have got them out eventually, but there is some permanent damage under them. Well, some scars from the battle!







So, well, the result is not perfect, but lots better than it was at the beginning.

(continues on next post)

 

[Jose EB5AGV]

I have also found that the bass strap was as messy as the other straps would have been (in this case, they had already been discarded):





It peeled off easily:



I have managed to scrap all the white side and also the black one, and then have vacuum cleaned it. The ending product is at least an strap which does not leave stains and residues all around!. I will eventually replace it, but by now it is useable.

Once there, I had checked that the bass mechanism was working fine:



Then I have looked at the keyboard side:









It looks just like new . Once I put some straps and play the accordion, I will see its real condition but, on a preliminary test, the accordion is reasonably airtight.

The next step is to open it and look the reeds in detail (I already know they are not rusted, as I opened it yesterday when I first saw it with the seller). I will do an inventory of valve sizes and materials needed and will order some replacements for this and other of my projects, as my next steps will be to work on reeds.

 

[Jose EB5AGV]

Here you have the reed blocks... A full revalve work is needed. So this one takes his position on the queue, where most (all?) of my projects need some reed work. This is the reason I am working on the tuning table project, which now takes precedence over other things

These are the treble side reeds:

 

[Jose EB5AGV]

And these are the bass reeds. Note some of them are attached to the estructure and so are not easy to work:










So this is the current condition of this accordion. I will work on it as soon as I receive wax, new valves, I finish my tuning table and have some practice on a sacrificial accordion (look for my fifth project in just some days!)