pre tuning and fine tuning / grinders and dremels

[Deleted member 48]

Starting around 2006 the Seydel harmonica company is making stainless steel reeds harmonicas.
In one of their online videos they recommend a grinder to tune the hard steel harmonica reeds.
For brass harmonica reeds, softer material, they still recommend manual tuning.

starting 120 the rotary tool with a suited diamont coated grinding tip:
SEYDEL HANDS-ON VIDEO: TUNING THE STEEL REEDS OF A SEYDEL HARMONICA

steel harmonica reeds are a bit thinner than steel accordion reeds, but strong enough to endure machine grinding.
Could one use harmonica steel reeds in miniature accordions/concertinas? Would they resist (moderate) air pressure generated by (mini) bellows? Or would they break very quickly?

 

[debra]

Stainless steel is actually less strong than the (non-stainless) steel used in accordion reeds. The diamond-coated grinding tip does not look bad at all. There are other videos of factories using a grinder that clearly shows the tuning is a rush job. Generally speaking it takes little enough effort to not need a grinder. A grinder is for when you are working on the clock. In a factory time is money. If you bring your accordion to a repair shop time is money. Today I spent around 4 hours adjusting a total of 6 notes. The key is to go through many rounds, each time not taking enough off, each time putting everything back together, and keep working until everything is just right. And it is also a matter of making sure the reeds do not touch anywhere and the valves (on the inside) can move freely. The larger the accordion (especially CBA) the less tolerance there is and the less room the reeds and valves have.
Italian accordion reeds rarely break just by playing. Harmonica reeds break more often and so do bandoneon reeds. (I don't know about concertinas.) The stainless steel reeds may be better than the brass ones used in the past. I play the accordina quite a bit and quite loudly and nothing wrong so far. (The accordina has stainless steel reeds.) The harder steel used in russian bayans is also known to break but it may have to do with playing more violently and louder than with a typical accordion.
I guess one could try stainless steel reeds in an accordion, but I see little reason for doing so. I have seen instruments of 50 years old that show absolutely no sign of rust.

 

[Deleted member 48]

I have this crazy idea of miniature wooden reedblocks for custom Seydel harmonica reed plates, just to see if miniature accordions/concertinas can be made with Seydel steel harmonica reeds.
Because I'm so obsessed with miniature accordions, no toys, but real music instruments, with a range of 2 to 2,5 octaves.

I got this idea from the Russian miniature cherepahska accordions. They have mini single reed plates, all the reeds on one plate, like bayan reed plates.

Like you I'm also fond of my (Borel) accordina, it is still in very good condition after all these years.
Accordina reed plates are too big for my project.

I need to go smaller than that, that's why I was thinking of steel harmonica reeds and reed plates.